Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-25
Seven Persons Known to be Dead,
More Reported Killed. and
5000 Are Homeless.
RIVERS ARE ON THE RAMPAGE
UnprcccdcntcdIs Heavy Rains--Wagon
Roads Washed Away and Rail
way Travel lmpcded.

Fort Worth Tex, May 24.--SeVen
persons are known to be dead. 5000
| are homeless and a dozen on more
| are reported to have been killed in
| Forth Worth and North Forth Worth
as result OF the greatest rise in
the history Of the Trinity river, which,
beginning at 1880 o'clock Saturday ev-
ening, reached climax at o'clock
this afternoon. Five of the deaths
occurred today and two last night
Following the torrential rains of
Saturday and today volume of seven
inches, the river went three inches
above the record breaking food OF
1889.
Stock valued at many thousands of
dollars. including $500 sheep penned
up in the stockyards in North Fort
Worth, was washed down stream and
destroyed The property loss cannot
be estimated as yet.
The paralysis of railroad service is
almost total. The lnterurban has
discontinued service between Fort
Worth and Dallas. The Rock Island
made no attempt to operate trains.
Neither did the Fort Worth & Dem
yer The Frisco railroad detoured.
In fact, not a road escaped more or
less damage.
Row boats from Handley White
City and Lake Coamo hauled to the
scene of overfiows on street cars, wa
CONS, and in patrol wagons, figured
prominently in the work of rescue.
A woman. a child. and three men
represent the known victims of the
flood. The dead body of the woman
fioated past the foot of East Fourth
street about daylight today and Great
ed panic among negro refugees.
ni,f usuG
mothers arms in the Rock Island
yards and has not been seen since.
An unknown white man was drown
ed One mile from the Long bridge.
His coat, containing a note of fare
well. was found lodged in a treetop.
negro attempted to pilot two men
in buggy through deep water OPP
posite the city park gate: he was
thrown from his horse and his body
has not been recovered. A German
in North Fort Worth was caught in
the swift water and drowned.
Many persons are missing and the
police authorities believe this Is only
the beginning of a long list Of deaths
in the flood. Not until the water has
receded will ii be possible to tell the
exact loss in life and property.
Not vcstige of the big wagon
bridge over tho Trinity near the steel
foundry was visible at 5 o'clock this
morning. Piers grders and abut-
ment were swept down stream, and
| for a time threatened the lives of
| thousands of sightseers congregated
on the city park bridge and APP
! proaches
| Relief camps have been already es-
tablished by Manager Green of the
| bureau Of charities.
Mayor W. ID. Hart of Fort Worth
| issued proclamation calling upon
| the less unfortunate citizens to help
the homeless. The Salvation Army
| also cared for many. Food and raj
| ment will be dispensed tomorrow.
The river is rising at the rate of
| one inch per hour,
NOT A TRAIN MOVING.
Muskogee. Okla, May 24.--Not a
railroad in Oklahoma is in operation
tonight as result of the heavy rains
and cloudbursts that have occurred
in various parts of the state during
the past three days. The last road
to suspend operations was the Mis-
souri, Kansas & Texas, which was
forced to quit at noon today. when
the bridge on the main line at En-
faula went down. To add to the dis
aster, the main supplying natural gas
to the Indian Territory part of the
state was carried away with the
Clarksville bridge late today and the
eral other cities in the southeast part
Of the state has been entirely cut off
Officials of the gas company say 1t
will be week before repairs can be |
made so that the gas supply can
again be carried. As natural gas is
used for light and heat business will
be suspended in a measure. Elevat- |
ors have been forced TO stop running
and hotels and restaurants have |
practically been put ont of business. |
During the past 10 hours there has |
been a rainfall Of 90 inches in this
section Of the state. The previous
fall during the past three days of more |
than 10 inches contributed To the |
damaging food. The Chicago Rock |
Island g. Pacific suspended operations |
Saturday and a mile of its track IN
the Seminole country was washed |
away. The ST. Louis & san Fran
cisco did likewise early today, and
soon after the Midland Valley and the
Missouri, oklahoma g. Gulf suspend
ed train business. The last train
over the Missouri. Kansas & Texas
road was No. 4, northbound. which
crossed the Canadian river at Ia
o'clock this morning, Two hours
later the bridge Went out The flyer
on the same road Is safe, but No, s.
northbound. is IN q washout south of
Eutslua, Dozens OF bridges Oh these
roads went out today,
NEAR HIGH WATER MARK.
Guthrie Okla May 24--All West |
Guthrie Is inundated with from seven
to 10 feet Of water rushing through the |
streets. The Cottonwood river tonight |
s within four feet Of the high water |
mark registered on May 6. 1907. and |
is stlll rising. II Is not expected how
ever. that the high mark viii be reach !
ed, Residents Of the lowlands, fearing |
a recurrence 1of the 1897 foods, when I
seven Of eight people in the valley losl |
their lives, began leaving their homes /
last night and as far as possible trans
ported their household effects 10 the |
higher ground, some distance from the |
channel of the stream, No attempt Is |
being made TO operate trains east aud !
west from Guthrie. while the Atchi- |
son Topeka x Santa Fe south Of Guth- |
rie is impossible at Seward, between |
here and oklahoma city.
CANADIAN RIVER UP.
Denlson. Ten May 2A-+rlaiu service |
north of here on the Frisco and Mis- |
souri, Kansas a Texas virtually IL sus-
pended because OF Washouta, The rail- |
WAY approaches to the south ON the |
Missouri Kansas q 'raxug aud 'Eriggo