The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-05-28
TEXAS is SWEPT
BY GREAT STORM
DAMAGE TO CROPS AND TREES is
WORST IN YEARS.
VILLAGES ARE INUNDATED.
Oklahoma Towns Flooded by Rains,
Train Services Stopped and
Natural Gas Supply
Is Cut OF.

Austin. Tex, May 25.--A terrific
wind and rain storm that at times de.
veloped into tornado swept Texas
from the Panhandle to the gulf early
Sunday. The destruction to crops,
trees and shrubbery was the greatest
reported In years.
In numerous places houses were un,
rooted and small villages and hamlets
In many instances were inundated by
the terrific rainfall which, in the space
of four hours, reached seven inches in
many sections. Austin was in the path
of the worst Of the storm and for
hours the streets were impossible
Electric light and telephone connec.
tons were disabled and many houses
were unroofed. t'&
Great Rainstorns In Oklahoma.
Muskogee, Okla, May 25.-Not a
railroad in Oklahoma Is in operation
as a result of the heavy rains and
cloudbursts that have occurred In yari.
Gus parts of the state during the past
three days. The last road to suspend
operations was the Missouri, Kansas
& Texas, which was forced to quit at
noon Sunday when the bridge on the
main line at Eufaula went down.
To add to the disaster, the main
supplying natural gas to the Indian
Territory part of the state was carried
away with the Clarksville bridge and
the supply of gas for Muskogee and
several other cities in the southeast
part of the state has been entirely
cut off. Officials of the gas company
say 1t will be a 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 measure. Ele.
vators have been forced to stop run
ming and hotels and restaurants have
practically been put out of business.
West Guthrie Flooded.
Guthrie, Okla, May 25.-All Wes;
Guthrie is inundated, with from sever
to ten feet of water rushing through
the streets. The Cottonwood river Is
25 miles wide in places and is still
rising. Not train arrived in Guthrie
Sunday.
Other Places Under Water.
Tulsa, Okla. May 25.-As a result Of
an almost incessant .downpour of rain
in Oklahoma for the past three days,
the Arkansas river has risen 13 feet
and is still steadily rising. At six
o'clock Sunday night the river had
reached the highest point In IA years
Parts of West Tulsa. and jerks. IA
miles south of here, are inundated and
the Inhabitants are moving from their
homes.
The water has reached the surface
Of the wagon bridge across the Arkan
sas river at this place and all travel
over the structure has been stopped
The river is full Of debris, includiag
wrecks of bridges from tributary
streams, which have been washed out
by the floods. 1t is impossible to es-
innate the damage done in the out
lying country as telephone and tele-
graph service is crippled. 1t is known,
however, that in the lowlands crops
are practically ruined and much live,
stock has been drowned. A consider.
able area has been devastated. So far
no loss of human life has been re,
ported.
Train service on the st. Louis & San
Francisco and Midland Valley rail.
roads is delayed by washouts. The
Missouri, Kansas 6 Texas is not run
ming trains south of Usage Junction
on the Oklahoma City and Guthrie d.
vision