The herald., 1897-04-29

skies and wiped their homes and farms
out of existence and in many instances
swept away human lives, proved an
answer to their supplications that
amounted to punishment. The final
storm and flood came as a fitting climax
to a week of unusually heavy rains and
damaging floods. The dry spell was
broken Saturday when a fierce storm,
that turned the streets into torrents,
washed away crossings, tore out sewers.
moved small buildings AID broke up the
town. 1t washed the earth clean. Sat-
urday at midnight the people were
frightened nearly to distraction when a
hurricane, blowing forty-six miles ar
hour, drove binding sheets of water
through the roofs of their poorly built
or badly damaged houses They were
driven in terror to their storm cellars
and caves and spent the night in momen-
airy expectation of being borne away
by storm or flood.
Sunday morning shone bright and
clear, and the gauge showed a fall of
81 inches since Saturday noon. The
streets had been plowed with gulches,
small buildings toppled over, and here
and there furniture and other house
hold effects fioated about the streets.
The valley of the Canadian, which Sat
uTday morning had been a beautiful
stretch of farms and homes, on Sun
day displayed a long network of con-
nected lakes and islands, dotted with
half-flooded houses and horses and cat
tie struggling for places of safety.
Yesterday at noon a heavy cloud swept
up from the west and another deluge
spread over the town. The water fell
in perfect sheets and by o'clock in the
evening the gauge read 5.S6 inches. A
calm about o'clock brought attention
to an intensely black and monstrous
cloud moving toward the city from the
west. 1t was typical tornado, indicated
by the peculiar whistle of the wind
which almost universally accompanies
"twister'
The cry, "Get under ground" arose on
all sides, and the streets were soon filled
with running, shouting people, seeking
cave or cellar. Stores and homes were
deserted and the people huddled together
awaiting the blow. Fortunately The cen
ter of the storm passed over only the
southeastern corner of the town, strik-
ing the eastern hills across the valley,
wrecking all it touched.
After the tornado came the heaviest
fall of water ever recorded here in like
period, over two inches falling in thirty
minutes. All day the river had been ris-
ing at fearful rate, reaching the sleep
ers of the railroad bridge and moving it
out of line. The wagon bridge went out
when the water reached its floor and the
bridge and drift, serving as an obstruc-
ton, forced the water out over the bot
toms, washing out crops, moving houses
and drowning stock.
A dam on the Ellison ranch gave way
to the torrent and carried out bridge
on the Fort Reno road swept the grounds
clean and flooded the yards of the Choc-
taw railroad. Rising to the houses of
the bottoms, farmers were obliged to de-
sert their places and endeavor to save
their lives. The rescue of many families
was made at great danger to the rescu-
ers' lives. A party composed of A. E.
Woodlieff, Pete Carr, Henry Schaeffer,
Charles Justin, James Tomkins, Rev.
Father Hall and others Immediately set
to work to rescue the unfortunates. AT
the home of Thomas Palmer, the latter's
wife and several children were rescued
from the tops of bureaus just as the wa
ter was creeping up to their feet. They
had been screaming for help for some
time, and it was with great difficulty
that they were removed to the improvis
ed RATS of the rescuers and taken to dry
land. The families of Mrs. Hall, Tom
Potter, Col. Severy and Mrs. Black were
rescued from their homes in a similar
manner. In each instance the water had
swept through the windows and was
gradually rising. During the trip raft
of railroad ties went to pieces on sub
merged wire fence and the entire party
was thrown into the water, but they
were all saved. A little child of Frank
Holman fell into washed out crossing
and was drowned. Mr.. Bickford, a
mill1man, nearly lost his life in trying to
save the little one. The ice plant was
flooded to depth of four feet and Harry
Bradford was awakened about l o'clock
this morning to find himself in a float
ing bed. The bed tuned when he tried
to rise, covered him with wet blankets,
sank and nearly drowned him.
lightning played havoc, striking the
spire of the Presbyterian church and to-
tally wrecking it. Mrs. McGrath. wife
of the cashier of the Stock Exchange
bank, seated in her home across the
street was knocked from her chair and
badly hurt The schoolhouse for col
ored children was struck at o'clock in
the afternoon, the structure shattered
and about fifty pupils more or less seri-
ously hurt Among the more badly in
jured are Eva Clauston, Bertha Turner,
Charles Waters and Beulah Clauston.
The latter was paralyzed.
Several other houses were struck by
lightning, but no one else was hurt.
Further west the lightning killed mucn
stock The electric light wires went
down and the town was in darkness last
night. Reports from surrounding towns
are meager, as telegraph wires are down
and trains have all been stopped on ac-
count of washouts. 1t is known, how
ever, that many homes have been wash
ed out in towns adjacent to El Reno,
and it is feared many lives have been
lost. West of here Frank Thompson and
the 16-year old son of Hiram McGriffen
were drowned.