Evening star., 1897-04-29
Scenes Of Deaolation in the Cotton
wood Valley.
SWEEP OF FLOOD THROUGH GUTHRIE
Waters Subsiding and the Work
of Rescue Goes On.
HOMES THAT BECAME TOMBS

the Cottonwood valley found dozens cling
| ing to trees, overturned houses or timbers
in positions which they had sustained all
during the weary night. Here and there
positions known to have been occuuied
when darkness came on last night were
empty this morning. and the only conclu-
sion to be drawn is that the luckless vic
| Tins had dropped into the river during
| the night, drowned and their bodies swept
down stream
For miles along the scene Of devastation
1900 people. homeless, half i'll from ex-
posture and hungry. passed a. miserable
night, and morning found most Of them too
weak to render much assistance, either to
themselves or others. During the night
the water receded rapidly and the work Of
rescue was more easy this morning. When
darkness stopped further rescue last even
ing every man available went busily to
work to construct RATS for use today, and
parties started out from different points
and began transporting the people from
their perilous positions to land.
The water was pot so high or swift as
yesterday. and the rescuers made rapid
pT ogress. During the night organized re-
lief. under the direction of Guthrie people.
was pushed as rapidly as possible. and
renewed efforts were put forth this morn
irg. No more reliable estimate of the dead
or of the property damage than was given
last night could be compiled this morning.
Hourly bodies left ON land by the receding
waters or found pocketed In houses or piles
of debris came to light.
This was within a few miles Of Guthie.
What the damage to life and property fur
ther out in the country Is will only be
known when wire and railway-train COM
munication now at standstill. Is resumed
Waters Have Somewhat Subsiled.
WICHITA. Kan. April 29-Guthrie
proper lies on high plain, and away west
on a similar eminence stands the Catholic
Academy, while between, in the once fer
| tile valley. is a sea In which floats the
homes of one section of the city. In the
interior of many of these houses are the
bloated. unrecovered bodies of many VIC
| and perched in the forks Of the freshly
green trees are others, still living, but
twenty-four hours without food. and ex-
hausted with clingfng. wet and chilled,
stuck to their unsteady perches the live
long night. some with children In their
arms-withOut suStenance and without
sleep. Across the silent water they cried
out for help. but they had to wait until the
first streak of dawn enabled eager reScuers
to begin the work of relief.
The water has gone down somewhat. and
the spectacle this morning was remark
able chaos of mud. wrecks. and. here and
there, body left by the receding water.
1t is believed that loss Of life has also
occurred south of Guthrie, along the Cot
tonwood river. Many farm houses in that
district are reported to have been swept
away. Seven miles south of here. at Sew
ard, Hunts store and post office were
swept away.
Four thousand dollars have been raised
in Guthrie for the relief of the sufferers.
The Death List.
All the morning missing people have been
found clinging to bushes of driftwood down
the stream, on the west bluffs or scattered
in farm houses for miles. so that 1t is
believed now that the death list will not
exceed twenty-five, most of them being
those seen TO drown in the main channel
during the first rush of water and the
bodies were carried away.
The only bodies found this morning were
those of Mrs. Fannie Ruff1n and five chill
dren, all lodged In a pile of driftwood.
These. with George Owen, a butcher.
drowned while rescuing others; Frank My
ers Miss Ella Dums. Mrs. Jane Watt. Mrs.
Francis Moore, Mrs. Drummond Mrs. Den
| mis- and child and Mrs. Watson, are the only
ones known to have been drowned. though
| fifty or more are still missing.
Five hundred homes were swept away
and the contents ruined.
A hundred and fifty houses were wrecked
twenty streets devastated and ruined. 1000
people are homeless and half as many more
destitute. Property damaged exceeds $1OO,
| coo.
Systematic relief is now carried on and
ferries are now working across the river. SO
! that supplies are sent to III, and many suf-
ferers are being brought to the unharmed
! part of the city to be cared for in private
homes
1t Is. now certain that the flood was
| caused by a cloudburst twenty miles up
the valley, and everything wss swept be-
| fore IT. Had 1t come two hours earlier, a
thousand would have perished, but not
reaching the city until o'clock, AMI a gen.
eral alarm preceding. enabled a large part
t0 escape to the high ground and those
| caught to secure refuge in trees and en-