The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-05-05
6 I I HRIE
Swept Over by aFlood Rush
Ing Like a Tidal Wave.
OVER one HUNDRED
Lives Were Lost and Two
Thousand People Made
Homeless.

Guthrie. o. T., April 28.-Where
al daylight this morning stood the
most beautiful residence portion Of
Guthrie, TO- night is food devasted,
stricken aud demolished district.
The houses that are left are topped
about like cardboard boxes after a
wind storm, and ceaseless waves OF
resietless waters rcn through or over
half a thousand deserted and wreck
sed homes. Two thousand homeless
people are gather shivering on the
bluffs vest of the city or housed in
the homes of the part of the city
which lies high and dry on the hills
s A hundred or more have gone down
to watery graves and thousands have
lost their ALL.
From noon yesterday till midnight
las, night there was an incessant
downpour in and about this city, and
it was feared that the Cotton Wood
river, which was already very high.
would do much damage. But the
watchers 81 the bridges were sur
n9riised 10 see the river 60 down and
By daylight it had fallen 10 feet.
Just as they were about 20 go of
dnsy al s o'clock, they were startled
By q terrific roar from the top OF the
river valley and were soon convinced
that a terrific food was coming The
IRE alarm was given and policemen
and others rode all over town near
the river, rousing families and warn
iing them to fee for their lives. Some
thought the roar was cyclone and
sought their caves, only to perish
few moments later !; others stopped
80 save things unit! it was too late,
and very few would at first believe
that any great danger was threatened
With mighty roar the food came
down the valley mile wide, 20 feet
deep in the channel and four feet
across the entire valley. It struck
the City at 6 80 in the extreme south
west, where the negroes mostly live,
and ina few moments hundreds of
their listle homes were carried away
and many lives were lost. The rail
road tracks are on the east bank Of
the river for three quarters of mile
Across is the valley running through
Ethe western part OF the city. and in
it is much OF the finest residence por-
lion aud small business section,
where there were ablut 20 stores,
several mills, warehouses. etc In
less than 20 minutes from the time
THE food struck the city this entire
section was inundated, and within an
hour the water was 10 feet deep aud
hundreds Of buildings were floating
away. Not only the meaper struc-
:tures, but fner residences. store
buildings, large cotton gin and
other large structures went into ruins
or foated away down the stream. On
many buildings were men, women and
children From hundreds of trees
came piteous calls for help. With
the FIRST rush went every bridge in
the city.
The few boats were crushed or
carried away and nothing could be
done to help many who fell or were
swept from places Of refuge and
were drowned before the eyes Of the
hosriied but powerless spectators
sBy 9 o'clock the water was 80 feet
above the normal level Of the river.
and the once placid stream was a
raging torrent across the en'l:e ya'
ley
It seemed soon that people in trees
and on roofs would be swept away
and dssse.ate ms asures were takes
10 help them George Willis and II.
Platt, both promieent bnsi-
ness men. stripped and leaping
into the torrent swan the main chan
mel Of the river and secured an old
fat boat which was moo.ed to tree
With this boat they saved over 80
people.
temnsed to save family on raft.
but we're carried away and barely
escaped with their lives
George Owen, a butcher, headed a
rescue party in hastily constructed
fatboat. The boa, capsized in the
current and he died hero's death
Scores of men are at work atthe lnm-
ber yeards constructing boats, and
by 10 o'clock six crews were
launched Several capsized aud
were carried away, aud 1t IS believed
that two of the men manning them
perisbed.
At 10 O'Clock the food was at a
s,and-still, a half hour i: was begin
ming to recede and by dark it had
gone down 5 feet.
3-: tbo 1ov tho felpDhOEe