, 1897-04-29

SSO
Men and women could be seen in houses
reckoning for help. In many instances
the water had reached the caves Of the
houses. An old woman was seen on a
floating house.
There were no boats and men set about
constructing RATS. but the terrible swift
ness OF the current. which boiled and
tossed as II in a tempest. made it i'm
possible to manage the crude crafts.
The Guthrie club quickly organized a
rescuing party and began the construc-
ton of boats. Three daring raftsmen
sought to rescue an old man from a tree.
The raft as it rushed down the river was
watched with b%reathless excitement. 1t
struck the o%verhanging limbs and the
raftsmen were knocked from their feet.
They managed to stay on the raft,
however, and it went whirling toward
the Cimarron. Nothing has since been
heard of the men. Two men secured u
small stern-wheeled pleasure boat and
h%eroically went to the rescue Of a num-
Der OF men and women who were lodged
in trees. Many persons were rescued
amid the cheers Of the spectators. The
cable which held the boat suddenly part
ed and the boat was drawn into the cur
rent and whirled away. Fortunately it
landed further down the stream.
Many overturned houses can be seen
far out in the flood, but it will be hours
before the fate of their occupants can be
learned.
There are many persons who claim
to have cen people drowned. 1t will be
almost impossible to find the bodies be-
fore weeks have passed, as everything Is
swept into the Clmarron river, two miles
away. The Cimarron river is from one
to two miles wide.
The wagon bridge has gone out and it
is feared that the newly completed steel
bridge Of the Santa Fee lie weakening.
The tracks Of the Santa Fe are submerg-
ed and trafdc has been abandoned. Small
railway bridges In all directions have
been washed out. The loss in Guthrie
will reach thousands Of dollars. The
disaster equals the Chandler tornado for
Its terrible audiences.
TERRIBLE SCENE.
The houses, barns and other effects
began to drift down stream. each freight
ed 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. q
Improvised RATS were quickly thrown
together 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
waters. and the would-be escu were
drowned, even before those they had
tried to save had been reached.
Gus Plat, business manager OF the
Guthrie Leader. and George Willis, u
merchant tailor. swan the river at the
risk OF their lives and secured a boat,
by which a number Of persons were saw
ed.
A negro woman with a babe in her
arms desperately tried to steady herself
in a tree top. calling the while for help.
She grew weaker and the baby slipped
into the water and a drowned. She
was finally rescued and said her family
Of six had succumbed.
Two women and a child were carried
away on a bridge further down stream,
and one man and two women, in plain
sight Of shore, were on a house roof
when it went to pieces. They all per-
ished.
An old negro woman was seen riding
a house top. The building soon turned
over and she was drowned.
Adjutant General Jameson, of the ter.
ritorial militia narrowly escaped with
his family. He was forced to wade and
lead his horse, with his family in the
buggy.
John Metz, aged IS, was capsized while
trying to a v a woman. who sank before
he reached her. Metz himself was bare
ly rescued.
George Owens, Attorney league, Ray
and Dick Pearson were precipitated into
the water while trying to save some peo-
pie, and Owens was drowned.
The wife and five children of Wesley
McGill, colored, were drowned in their
home.
Tonight 40 or 80 people could be seen
clinging to trees and roofs OF buildings,
but could mo- be reached, and will have
to spend the night where they are. The
strength Of many may fail before morn
ing. II 1t does. nothing but a watery
grave awaits them.
The late Of many others, who are
known to have been carried down the
stream. will not be known until day
break, and perhaps not then. 1t lie i'm
possible to get any definite news from
the hundreds oe rescued people ON the
blul1s west Of the city, and those who
escaped IN rushing frantically about In
Fsearch of missing ones. The river Ia
going down rapidly toaight.
CYCLONE IN KANSAS.
Kansas City, April IA very heavy
rainstorm prevailed throughout central
Kansas today. doing more or less dam.
age. It ~ reported early this morning
that = tornado had occurred between
i 0ANl>A 90 AAt0l>A Axk - A. aAA -