Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-25
TORRENT RUSHEs THROUGH LOW LANDS
Those More Fortunately Situated Com
menoe Rescue Work.
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE MADE HOMELESS
Glad to Escape Alive While Their Be-
lOngings Are Lost
SUDDEN FLOOD RESULT OF cLouDBuRST
Rain Has Fallen for Twenty-FOur
Consecutive Days at Guthrie
and Rivers All out
of Banks.

ENID, okl., May 24.--Hundreds Of per-
sons were rendered homeless and prop
erty damage estimated at $500 900 was done
In the Enid bottoms alone by the cloud
burst that struck west of this city at mid
night last night, The aggregate damage
will doubtless be raised much higher by
| losses sustained between Enid and the
| seat OF the storm. Al 12 o'clock a bank
OF water three feet high and 800 feet wide
swept down through the bottoms, carry
ing houses and everything before It. Il
came upon Enid without warning while
most of its citizens were asleep. Within
Few minutes 100 houses were partly or
completely submerged. Rescuers went to
work Immediately and all last night la
bored industriously' saving persons from
perilous positions and aiding those driven
from their homes. Today It was found
that several hundred were homeless.
Many pitiable scenes were witnessed as
the people stood around waiting for the
water to suhside. Many had lost every
thing they possessed. The citizens are
busily engaged relieving the distress but
the means at hand are inadequate. The
rainfall the past ten days has been the
heaviest In the history of Oklahoma, and
indications are that more will follow
Reports of losses in the country west Of
Enid are meagre, but 1t is believed that
heavy damage was done
Twenty-FOur Days of Rain.
GUTHRIE, okl., May A.-Early today
this vicinity was visited by another de-
luge' making the twenty-fourth consecu-
tive day of rain. The Cimarron and Cot
tonwood rivers are now at the danger
point.
Hits Kansas Railroads.
TOPEKA, Kan, May A.-High water Is
causing much trouble for Kansas railroads.
The Santa Fe reports $50 feet of track
washed out on the Usage City branch near
| Quenemo. The Missouri Pacific has a
washout at Richland and the Rock Island
is having difficulty in moving trains in
northern Kansas. On the central branch
of the Missouri Pacific the tracks are in
bad condition and trafic on the Union
Pacific Is much delayed ~. s..
At Topeka the Kansas river Is thirteen
and half feet above the low-water mark
and is rising rapidly. but II Is not thought
damage will result here.
At Emporis the Cottonwood river is over
flowing its banks and flooding the farming
country. At Lawrence the Cottonwood is
rising rapidly and when this rise reaches
Emporta the situation there will be much
more serious.
Heavy general rains have fallen in Kan
sas for a week past and another steady
fall covered the central portion of tho
state today
LAFAYETTE, Ind, May A-Wind, rain
and hail this evening caused considerable
damage to growing crops.
Bridges washed out.
CHICKASHA, 1. T., May PA severe
rain and windstorm passed over Chickasha
and through the Washita valley last night,
causing more or less destruction The
damage is confined mostly to the Rock
Island and Frisco railroads Two Rock
Island bridges over the Canadian and
Washita rivers were washed out, carrying
over 500 feet of track with them and ef-
fectualy blocking traffic. The northbound
Rock Island passenger train ran into a
washout five miles north OF Chickasha last
night and left the track Several pas
sengers were slightly injured but there
was no loss Of life. No arrangements.
have been made as yet for the transfer OF
the passengers. Another Rock Island pas
senger train on the Mangum branch ar
rived here last night after passing through
terrific hailstorm during which almost
every window in the entire train was
broken. Two bridges on the Frisco rail-
way between Chickasha and Oklahoma
City were washed out.
Tornado Kills Three.
GUTHRIE, Okl, May 4-A tornado
struck Foss. a town on the Choctaw.
Oklahoma & Gulf railroad at o'clock this
morning, completely destroyed thirteen
! residences and wrecking many outhouses
, Three persons were killed and a number
) injured, one, r. p Sail seriously. The
dead are F. NJ. slagel. wife and daughter.
The cloudburst reported last night AT
Yukon, eighteen miles west Of Oklahoma
! City, completely inundated the Canadian
valley, causing great damage to crops and
, stock, but no lives are reported lost
, ANADARKo, okl, May PA tornado
; struck Anadarko late Saturday night, com
: pletely demolishing hve residences and
E several smaller buildings. No one was in
tured. The blow was followed by a hard
rainstorm, and the Washita river is on
tear and rising steadily. large force
! of men is cutting on the sewer outlets To
keep the water from backing up into Ana
darko. Late reports from Fort Cobb ana
Latham state that a six-foot rise is COM
ing this way. No passenger trains have
been able to reach Anadarko IN twenty
four hours
Ell PASO. Tex. May 2I-In the White
Spur district OF New Mexico about ten
miles north Of FL Paso, the Rio Grande
Is out Of it's banks The river AT this
point is three miles wide. On the ranches
OF Zimpleman Brothers 5000 acres OF Rraz-
ing land are under water. Crops have been
ruined. A number OF men are working
continuously 10 prevent further destrue-
tion. Thousands of sacks OF sand and dirt
are being used to reinforce the levee. The
l. river is reported stationary there.
Much Damage at Oklahoma City.
OKLAHOMA CITY. okL, May 2-oL-
lahoma City was visited Saturday ana
q Sunday by the heaviest rain ever known An
this locality and damage estimated an
. 100000 was done Many feared a tornado
n and spent the night IN cellars ana caves
/ All day today and tonight more than hair
the city has Dsen under water ana I'm
some places water was three feet deep.
n II required boats to transport women ana
Z children to high and dry lands. Easements
u under many OF the big wholesale house,