The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-12-03
THREE THOUSAND
MADE HOMELESS
GREAT FLOOD OF COTTONWOOD
RIVER IN OKLAHOMA.
WEST GUTHRIE SUFFERS
Hundreds of Residents Rescued by
Boats-RaiIWay Traffic Democrat
ized-coIorado Has
Heavy Snow.

Guthrie, Okla, Nov. 30.--As the re-
suit of 4S-hour downpour in the val
ley of the Cottonwood river and it's
tributaries, the Cottonwood overflowed
here Sunday afternoon. Several hun.
dred homes are partially under water
in West Guthrie and 5000 people are
homeless.
The river Sunday night was one foot
higher than ever before in it's history,
and rising IL inches an hour. Hun
dreds Of people who refused to get out
of the flooded district, believing that
the river would not rise as rapidly as
it did, fired shots of distress before
sunset and many boats with an army
of rescuers brought the tardy ones to
places of safety. 1t is believed that a
few persons are still in their homes.
So rapid was the rise in the Cotton
wood that 20 head of cattle in the af-
fected district were drowned before
they could be got out Of the waters.
Railroads Are Demoralized.
Street car service is completely at
standstill. The city's water plant is
under water. Five thousand dollars
worth of cotton belonging to the Farm
ers' Oil mill was washed away down
stream and 1000 bales are still in the
water. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe roundhouse and shops are inun.
dated.
All railroad trains in and out of
Guthrie have been annulled. Near
Seward, Okla, the Santa Fee tracks are
out and the railroad bridge at Red
Rock has been washed out. The Mis-
souri,, Kansas & Texas and the Fort
Smith G. Western railroads report
many miles of track out near this city
The Denver, Enid & Gulf train is wa
ter-bound at Crescent. The Eastern
Oklahoma railroad trains are being
held at Saltwater. According to re
ports reaching this city many miles OF
track on these two roads are either
washed out or so completely under
water that it is impossible to move
trains. .. ,.,. a- .,,... .....-
| ~ Heavy Snow In Colorado.
Denver, Col, Nov. 30.-Beginnins
Saturday night and continuing unit
late Sunday evening, the eastern por
ton of Colorado was visited by one o.
the heaviest, falls of snow ever expert
enced in this section, at some points
a new record being established. II
this city, tramway officials declare, the
snow was the hardest they have evel
been compelled to fight against, al
though the weather bureau report Of
actual precipitation here is only SO o.
an inch Every railway and every form
of snow pillow owned by the tramwaI
company was PRESSED into service, II
addition to large force Of shOvelers..
The snowfall seems to have beer
heaviest in Denver and the immediate
vicinity, although the entire PLAINS
country east of here was included il
tho visitation. 1t is there that thu
railroads experienced the creates
difficulty in fighting the storm. East
bound trains are leaving on time anC
passing Through the storm-rldden dis
tricts without much trouble.
Oklahoma, Nov. 30.-Seven ar,
known to be dead and several missing
in the floods in Oklahoma, Texas
Southwestern Missouri and Southern
Kansas. Rivers are rising and thu
worst food in years is expected
Five thousand are today reported
homeless. Scores of rescue parties
in boats are helping others to escape
from the submerged sections. Thirt!
hours of continuous rains are respon
sible for the condition.