, 1923-10-16

SAA IVY
| So far. there has been no loss of
life reported. but numbers OF per-
sons are believed to be imperiled.
A swirling current with n power.
full undertow defeated efforts Of
firemen to reach is persons maroon.
ed in the Mulligan Grove distSct in
tho lowlands. Rowboats werA un-
able to breast the current and Of.
feet n rescue after earlier efforts
had resulted in the rescue OF SOW
| eral persons.
One man is said to be hanging des.
perately to n rafter In n church
while the angry waters sweep
through the structure below him.
A family Of IL. five of them small
children, also is marooned in n
house in the grove district. It was
reported.
In n small grocery store n man
and his wife, proprietors of the place
arc Isolated, awaiting the
who have been unable to reach
them.
Boatmhn succeeded in carrying
several persons to safety before the
swiftly rising water Isolated the
MulliEan Grove neighborhood. Re.
peated efforts to reach the helpless
flood victims will be made, but fire.
men who battled tho current there
said II wnT impossible to navigate
in rowboats.
Ordered TO places OF safety last
evening by city authorities. approx
imately 1900 residents abandoned
their homes in an area In the floods
path comprising 1T city blocks and
are being sheltered and fed by hast,
lily formed relief organizations.
National guardsmen are patrolllng
the stricken residential sections.
The surging waters battered thru
the dam embankments despite the
frantic efforts of workmen to save
them by hastily erected sand bag
%levees.
The west hank was torn open late
last evening. In n few moments
seven feet OF water was pouring
through. sending the rivers stage
to 20 feet. By midnight 800 feet
OF the bank had been carried away.
For two hours the 20 foot depth was
maintained.
Then the torrents furious attack
against the east barrier was victor
ious and almost tho fun sweep OF
water in the dam was released.
This sen the rivers crest to 20
feet, n height never before attained
and min feet above last springs dis.
astrous high mark.
with the additional rise. emer-
gency sirens in Oklahoma City
blared forth their warning signals
and evacuation OF the entire area in
the floods path began. At tho
sound OF the fire siren. streets south
OF Grand Avenue, n principal bust.
ness thoroughfnre. became choked
with refugees.
Relief stations were set up and
personal warning was broadcast by
the local. telephone company to each
Of Its subscribers in the threatened
district, Seven cars and volunteer
motorists. venturing TO the very
edge of the advancing waters, aided
in bringing the helpless and crippled
to Ravens OF safety.
A stream OF grim fnced refugees
trudged on foot. backs bent over the
burden Of pitiful little bundles Of
belongings snatched frantiNally from
their homes. which only n few min.
utes later were charged by tho
swirling waters.
Following n report Mt police head.
quarters lint n band of rs to 100
men were lootlng homes deserted by
refugees. n force OF specially dep.
utilized police were despatched to the
scene with orders issued by Mayor
o. a. Cargiil 10 shoot to kin any
persons found pi1laging.
with the coming of n cold. gray
dawn, the homeless ventured from
] their emergency shelters and the
streets were filled with them. Bread
Continued on Page Nine)