San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-16
Torrent Takes Heavy Death
Toll in Lowlapds,
Officials Fear.
FLOOD AT STANDSTILI
Guardsmen Patrol Streets ;
Two Suburbs
Isolated.
BY the Associated Press.

Oklahoma City. Okla, Oct. TO-
The fury of the North Canadian river,
which dashed foaming nine-foot wall
of water nearly to the center of the
city's retail district, having reached
its climax, Oklahoma City today set
to the task of caring for 1900 home
less persons and waited for the
angry river TO recede and make pos
sible check of the damage sustain
ed.
Although the water stopped its
seemingly relentless march IN the
principal streets shortly after 8
o'clock. officials are undecided as to
when to anticipate q lnlaterial drop
in the flood due 10 q breal; In the
embankment at the city reservoir. ten
miles upstream, which. it is feared,
may drain the lake. 1000 acres in
extent and 80 feet deep. This water,
1t is expected. will delay for many
hours q decided drop in the river
here.
In the middle of the day the flood
WAS still roaring through the city. a
crushing. swirling torrent two miles
wide, with many currents ripping
new courses through the devastated
lowlands.
At that time efforts were being
continued after hours of futile trial
to reach several families marooned in
their homes, whose cries for help
came family over the rush of the
water and the crashing of trees and
buildings that fell before the mighty
sweep Of the flood.
No Loss OF Life Reported.
No loss of life has been reported
|but officials are apprehensive that
1.-THE flood has taken a toll OF death
from some who tarried too long after
1.-THE city fire siren at IL 80 a. m.
Isbrieked n long, terrifying warning
THAT the water in the reservoir had
|been loosed on the city.
MANY residents of the lowlands,
firm in the belief that their homes
would withstand this flood Us they
had oftimes before. refused to leave
and had to be taken forcibly from
their dwellings by police and ferried
| 10 land. And many OF the homes
that they refused to leave have since
been swept away.
One man is said to be hanging des-
|perately to rafter in n church wniie
the angry waters sweep through inc
structure below him. A family OF
twelve, five of them small children,
Falso is marooned in a house IN tine
1Grove district, it was reported.
lin a small grocery store man
land his wife, proprietors of the place.
||are isolated, awaiting the rescuers'
||who have so far been unable TO reach
Ithem.
Boatmen succeeded in carrying sew
0erai persons to safety before the swift
Qy{rising water isolated the Mu,henn
3Gfove neighborhood. Repeated ell
|forts to reach the helpless flood VIC
Htims will be made. but firemen' VINO
|ibattled the current there SAID that
1T is impossible to navigate 1t IN row.
boats.
$4,000 Abandon Homes.
d Ordered TO places of safety last
|evening BY city authorities. aproxi,,
|mately $4,000 residents abandoned
their homes in an area in- the fiood :
|patb. COMPRISING III city blocks and
are being sheltered and fed by hastily
Horned relief organizations.
/ National guardsmen are patroiing
|the stricken residential sections to aid
|civil authorities in possible rescne
INOTh anu 10 Dfcftntf ioSe'HS
merchants and traders are removing
|fheir basement stock and records to
|.places of safety.
The surging waters battered through
|the dam entertainments despite the
frantic efforts of workmen to, save
chem by hastily erected sandbag levees.
The west hank was torn open
ate last evening. In few moments
seven feet of water was pouring
through. sending the rivers stage to
|eS feet. By midnight. 300 feet Of
he bank had been carried away. For
wo hours the 23-foot depth was main
|tained.
4 Then the torrents furious attack
gninst the east barrier was victorious
md almost the full sweep of water in
he dam was released.
I This sent the rivers crest TO -
|heet- height never before attained.
Continued on next page.)