The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-04-29
Nearly the Entire Canadian River Valley
Changed Into a Ranging inland Sea.
A TORNADO FOLLOWED BY A DELUGE
Dozens Of Human Lives nre Known
to zIavc neen Lost md the Proper.
lnrs-ihe Fall OF Watcrthe IIcnv.
lest Ever Known There.
Guthrie, OKLA, April 2S


For miles tonight the Canadian Val
ley Is q dreary waste. At sunrise this
morning % mighty wall Of water, from
siX to eight feet high and n mile wide
broke upon West Guthrie, without warn
ING, crushing houses, sweeping away
properly and drowning people by the
score.
Every movable thing was swept before
the wave, which passed on into the. val
icy with resistlcss force, wreaking terri
Die destruction to life and proDerty
Wherever 1t reached.
DOZENS OF LIVES LOST.
Dozens Of human lives are known to
have been sacrificed, how many may not
pc ascertained for weeks; hundreds of
houses were wrecked; for miles farms
were completely ruined, Bridges and
tracks were washed out and railway
tfailc in every direction is at q stand
still The efforts Of rcscung parties
nave in many cases proved in vain
Many people tloated down the stream
before they could be rescued and their
late IS unknown; Others will pass the
night in trees in mid-stream or perched
on housetops. The property loss is
placed at something near u million dol
lars
Fully two-thirds OF the victims were
colored people, Business has been s,lS-
pended all day in Guthrie. AS thorough
an organization for relief as is pos,s ble
mas been made, but all aid has been
necessarily retarded by the confused
condition OF things. 1t will be impossible
70 explore the houses until the water
subsidies. as many Of them are sub
merged.
OVERTURNED HOUSES.
AS darkness gathered many oyerturn-
ed houses could be seen far out in the
ilood, but 1t could not be learned whether
their occupants escaped. The river is
thirty feet above its ordinary level. 4
Sya1 III 81
y threatening bank Of clouds came up
from the northwest and many persons
ned to their tornado cellars, fearing that
another disaster was upon them.
Luckily. however the damage was
Slight.
The Cottonwood river, a small stream
that winds between steep banks in West
Guthrie, was bank full from a heavy
rain yesterday and last night. About
O'Clock waters from a cloudburst above
added to those already nearly up to the
level Of the high banks, and the flood
was sweeping through West Guthrie, q
section populated mostly by colorcd peo-
pie Persons who saw the first wall Of
water said that it was about eighteen
1cet nigh. spreading entirely across the
| Valley. There was no water in front Of
1t save that in the rivers channels
The first wave was followed by others
IN Quick succession, until the whole
settled into bank Of water from six
begun carrying their household goods to
places Of safety, but few had made
mode than one trip when they were
forced to flee for their lives before a
raging, resstless torrent.
The main supply pipe of the water
works system burst where 1t crossed the
Cottonwood. in the southern part of the
city, and all the water in the reservoirs
poured into the river.
In the southwestern part of the city q
In, af loo
ing of the river. On this land lived
hundreds OF negroes. During the night
the bridge leading across the river to
the main section was swept away. The
people We're absorbed in watching the
rising waters this morning when the
foods from the reservoirs ca me down in
solid wall and cut across the arm Of
land near the main land cutting off is
cape. The people fled from their homes
to the higher portions Of the newly
formed island
In half an hour the mountain of water
had done it's work and practically spent
itself
HORRIBLE SOUNDS
The air become hidcous with the crash
ing Of houses and the cries Of the un-
fortunates. When the first shock OF the
d!Sast was over the more fortunate
on the island began to help those near
est them. while across In Guthrie proper
prompt steps were taken at rescue. The
houses. barns and other effects began to
drift down the stream, each freighted
with one or more human beings boats
or RATS shot out here and there from
the shore and desperate efforts were
made to rescue the people.
lmproviSad RATS were quickly thrown
togther and started out into the mad
stream. Before many of them had been
propelled a couple Of yards from shore
they were twisted and broken by the
water and the wouid-be rescuers thrown
into the stream. Half 4 dozen rcscuers
were drowned even before those they
had tried to save had been reached
DEEDS OF HEROISM.
Gus Platt, business manager OF the
Guthrie Leader, and George willis, q
merchant tailor swan the river and Sc
cured a boat. by which number Of per-
sons We're saved.
a negro woman with a babe in her
arms tried to steady herself in a tree top
calling for help. She grew weak and the
baby slipped into the water and was
drowned. She was finally rescued and
said her family OF six had been lost.
y woman wading from her home with
her baby on her head was seen TO go
under. and man swimming the chan
mel to reach four women and baby in
q tree was carried down stream
Two women and q child were carried
away ON a bridge further down stream