Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-05-18
De Notes Great Week.

10 AOVto 3 dC08C week.
4 De Motto has had week of expert
ence which he will keep to tell to hi
grand children. At Eureka, Kansas
on Monday night wind storm cam,
up during the lecture but the aud
fence after sending cyclone spies ou
decided to stay and hear him through
which they did amid q furious bonn
bardment OF wind, rain, thunder ant
lightning.
On Tuesday evening at Newton
Kansas, the storm was the seyeres,
that he and Mr. Harrington have evel
seen. The hail made such clattel
that speaking was impossible. The
stage hands backed up the windows
with plank to keep them from blowing
out, the water poured through the
venttiators into the parquet but the
audience stayed-they had to.
Between Caldwell and Ell Reno o.
II, De Motto ran into the big freight
wreck on the Rock Island where fifteen
cars of merchandise, farm implements,
household goods, horses and tramps
were spread out in hopeless confusion.
He was detained twelve hours but
reached Ell Reno In time for lecture,
But the worst was yet to come.
At $3.50 yesterday morning the siren
whistle at Ell Reno blew the cyclone
alarm and the citizens took to their
caves but De Motto said he was too
sleepy to go-that the cyclone might
have him. Then followed the terrific
rain that has put the valleys several
feet under water. Oklahoma City was
his next date but the Choctaw r, r.
had lost three trestles and had to
abandon train service indefinitely. He
consulted three liverymen who de
clined to attempt to get through with
q team, as the water in many of the
smaller streams was running over the
fence tops. AT noon the heaviest of
the storm had passed and De Motto
found q man who believed he could
get through. They loaded four pieces
of baggage and De Motto and Harring-
ton into 9 good spring wagon and
started. But the rain was not over
and their covering proved no match
for driving rain. At Yukon where the
morning train had been abandoned
they found bridge gone and were ad-
vised not to attempt to reach Okla.
homa. A team had just little while
before aoated down stream and one
horse had got SO tangled up in the
bridge that he had to be cut out. But
they measured the depth of the now
falling stream and succeeded in land
ing on the other side not dry but high.
The valleys of the North Canadian
were hard to get through but at $50
the party we're within two miles of
Oklahoma City where they were
stopped by bad cut around the bridge
by the flooded river. The case looked
hopeless but as he said in opening his
lecture "all roads go to Oklahoma
City" They turned back, went north
q mile and east mile and came into
the city from the hill side reaching the
opera house at 1875 p. m. after drive
of 30 miles. lie said the city was the
most beautiful sight from tho north
hills that he had ever seen. The mud
was scraped off and De Motto got into
dry clothes while Harrington rushed
the stage setting and both were ready
for lecture at 8:45 There was large
and enthusiastic audience in attend
ance. The largest audience that has
ever assembled at q lecture in Okla
homa City. The lecture was one of
the very strongest ever delivered in
Oklahoma and was highly appreciated.
His subject, python Eggs and the
American Boy" was we'll handled.
The officers and members of the lecture
lyceum deserve great credit for secur-
ing such an able and instructive
speaker.-Tbe Daily Oklahoman, Sat-
urday morning, May 6.
De Motto will lecture in the opera
house in this city, Monday evening,
May %.