The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-04-14
APPROPRIATION FOR GONDOLAS
WOULD Be FIRST DEMAND
Downtown Streets Transferred
Into Raging Torrents in
BlOWtOwn Metropolis
(From Thursdays oklahoman J

thToni lHuiSudy OhldltolndH.
Oklahoma City, Okla, April IL
With the down town streets trans
formed into raging torrents, in some
places four feet deep, street car
traffic at standstill for over two
hours, telegraph and telephone wires
down. severing Oklahoma from the
outside world, and the railroads temp
orarily out Of operation, the cloud
burst Of Wednesday night, which did
thousands Of dollars worth of ire
parable damage to Oklahoma City is
a record breaker in the annals of the
state.
1t was estimated the loss of retail
ers and wholesalers would be $100,
o11.
Between the hours of 6 and p. m.
about four inches of rain fell an
amount unparalleled in local history
in a radius of 100 miles. Work has
begun Immediately to repair the
wholesale destruction performed by
the passing storm, and hundreds OF
men were employed to drain the
flooded easements OF down town bus
mess houses.
Throughout the state, Oklahoma
City being the storm center, suffered
the most heavily, the Easements OF
practically all business houses being
Hooded, and hand pumps being, requi-
sitioned to fight the rising flood.
Into every basement in every store
from Fou. tn street to Grand avenue
and from Harvey street to the Santa
Fe tracks, water poured by the hun
dreds of gallons. Sewers were clog
ged and the sewage ran into the
streets to augment the floating de-
bris. In water up to their hubs,
automobiles were stopped amid-street,
their drivers deserving in The face OF
he storm Time after time the po-
lice patrol wagon made hurry up
calls, the horses galloping up to their
bodies in water, TO rescue people who
thought themselves in danger of the
floods. Scores of additional men
were called out by the street and
sewer departments, who, with sticks
and scrapers, attempted 10 keep the
city drainage pipes in operation.
Salvage Work.
In spite OF municipal efforts, the
down town streets quickly became
rivers, impossible except TO the dar-
ing pedestrian, who took the chance
of being swept from his feet by knee
deep torrents All over town as the
extent of the storm became evident
telephone messages calling out en-
ployes OF the threatened business
houses for emergency duty sped, and
by 1880 p. m hundreds of men
were employed at salvage wok k.
Surrounded by four foot lake OF
water. the operator ai the Rock Is
land depot stated that all trains
north and south were delayed beyond
computation, and operators at the
other depots made similar reports
Wires down TO the northwest and
to the northeast. stated the Pioneer
Telephone and Telegraph company,
the damage at present unestimated
Traffic held up for two hours, was
the report Of the Oklahoma Railway
company. Rolling stock was dam
aged TO- q small extent.
Men In Need.
Failing to obtain sufficient force
of volunteers for the manning of the
salvage hand pumps, owing TO the
heavy rain driving people from the
streets, local merchants were offer
irg dollar an hour for labor, and
the demand was greater than the
supply proprietors OF stores saw
gallons Of water pouring through
basement openings on perlshabl6
goods without recourse. Help was
at all times scarce although the sur
plus population of West California
avenue was pressed into service by
the police
The secret service and police de
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