The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-29
That EnguIfed the Victims I'm Their
Homes and Carried Them Beyond
the Reach of Rescuers.
FEW BODIES YET RECOVERED
LOSS OF LIFE LARGE, But THE TO-
TAI NOT KNOWN LAST NIGHT.
Most of the Victims COlOred Residents
of Guthrie-FOrty-One People
Killed by HailstOnes.

GUTHRIE, o. T, April 2s.-For miles to-
night the Canadian valley is dreary waste
and her people are burdened with sorrow.
At sunrise, this morning, mighty wall of
water from six to eight feet high and a
out warning. crushing houses. sweeping
away property and drowning people by the
score. Every movable thing was swept be-
fore the wave, which passed on into the
valley with resistless force, wreaking ter
rible destruction to life and property where
ever 1t reached. Dozens of human lives are
may not be known for weeks: hundreds of
houses were wrecked; for miles farms were
ruined. bridges and tracks were
washed out and railway traffic in every
direction Is at standstill. The most COM
plete chaos has prevailed all day. The ef-
forts of rescuing parties have in many
cases proved in vain. Many people floated
down stream before they could be reached
and their fate is unknown; others will pass
the night in trees in midstream or perched
on housetops 1t is impossible to estimate
the number of the dead. The property loss
is placed at something near a million dol
lars. AT dark tonight but two bodies had
been recovered. as follows:
ANNA KAISER, d school teacher.
Others known TO have been drowned are:
]. III. CALHOUN, wife and child.
CHARLIE RUFNER and wife.
RASTUS MGILL.
LENA BURK.
MRS WATT.
MRS. WESLEY MGILL and five chill
dren.
JOHN METZ.
MRS. III. JAMES MONTGOMERY.
MRS. DUMMILER.
JIM LILLY.
MRS. DUMAS.
II. II. BECKFINGER.
MRS. FRANCES MOORE.
JOHN BEARD.
. MRS. SUE WILSON.
JENNIE TAYLOR.
SAMMIE JACKSON.
GEORGE SMITHERS.
Fully two-thirds of the victims were col
ored people. Business has been suspended
all day at Guthrie, the stores and banks
being closed. AS thorough an organization
for relief as is possible has been made, but
all aid has been necessarily retarded by the
confused condition of things. 1t will be
impossible to explore the houses until the
water subsidies. as many of them are SUBJ
dor rad war fI1ea
scene many overturned huts could be seen
far out in the flood. but it could not be
learned whether their occupants escaped.
level.
A heavy rain began falling this afternoon.
A threatening bank of clouds came up from
the northwest and many persons fed to
their tornado cellars. fearing that another
disaster was upon them. Luckily, however,
the damage was slight.
GREAT WALL OF WATER.
The flood is supposed to have been caused
by a cloudburst, supplemented by heavy
rains. The Cottonwood river. ordinarily a
small stream that winds between steep
banks in West Guthrie. was bank full from
a heavy rain yesterday and last night, but
no alarm had been felt, as the river had
been rising gradually during the night.
About o'clock. however waters from a
cloudburst above had added to those al
ready up to the level of the banks and the
flood was sweeping through West Guthrie,
a section populated mostly by colored peo-
pie Persons who saw the first wall of
water said that il was about eighteen feet
high. spreading entirely across the valley.
There was no water in front of 1t save
that in the rivers channel. The first wave
was followed by others in quick succession.
until the whole settled into bank of water
from six to eight feet high. Many had al
ready begun carrying their household goods
to places of safety, but few had made more
than one trip when they were forced TO
flee for their lives before a raging, resistless
torrent that no power of man could hope
to stay. The main supply pipe of the water
works system burst where il 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 a
long arm of land is formed by the winding
of the river On this land lived hundreds
of negroes During the night the bridge
leading across the river to the main sec
tion had been swept away. The people
were absorbed in watching the rising
waters this morning when the floods from
the reservoirs came down in solid wall
and cut across the arm of land near the
mainland. cutting off the people from es-
cape. They fled from their homes to the
higher portions OF the newly-formed island
In half an hour the mountain of water had
done its work and practically spent itself
The air became hideous with the crashing
of houses and the cries for help of the un-
fortunates-
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
When the first shock of the disaster was
over the more fortunate on the island begar
10 help those nearest them. while across IN
Guthrie proper prompt steps were taken al
rescue The houses barns and other eff