Guthrie, Oklahoma Flood
April 29, 1897
THE GUTHRIE DISASTER
Thought That The List of Dead Will Not Exceed
Twenty-Five.
THE WORK OF RESCUE YESTERDAY
Two Thousand People Along the Line of the Flood
Homeless and Penniless – Much Suffering During
the Night -- Besides Those Known to Be Dead,
Many Are Missing.
Guthrie, Okla., April 29. --- Daylight in
the Collonwood valley found dozens of people
still clinging to trees, overturned houses, or
timbers, in positions which they had maintained
all during the weary night. Here and there
positions know to have been occupied when
darkness came on last night were empty this
morning, and the conclusion to be drawn was that
the luckless victims had dropped into the river
during the night. For miles along the scene of
devastation 2000 people homeless and suffering
from exposure and hunger, passed the miserable
night, and morning found most of them too weak
to be of much assistance either to themselves or
others.
During the night the water had receded
rapidly, and the work of rescue was more easy
this morning. When darkness stopped further
rescue last evening, every available man went to
work to fix up rafts for use today, and when the
first light of day broke, small parties started
out from different points and began transporting
people from their terrible positions to land.
The scene of the flooded district this morning
was one of demoralization.
The river is still bank full, but the water
has receeded [sic] from most of the inundated
districts. This morning most of the missing
people have been found, wither clinging to
bushes and driftwood in the stream, or scattered
in the various farm houses for miles around. It
is now believed that the death list will not
exceed twenty-five. The only bodies found this
morning are those of
MRS. FANNIE RAFFIN and five children,
all lost in a pile of driftwood. These, with
GEORGE OWEN, a
butcher drowned while rescuing others,
MRS. FRANK MYERS, MRS.
ELLA DUMAS, MRS. JAMES WATT, MRS. FRANCIS MOORE,
MRS. DRUMMOND, MRS. DENNIS and child,
and MRS.
WATSON, are the only ones know to
have been drowned, although fifty or more are
still reported missing.
Five hundred homes were swept away and their
contents ruined, and one hundred and fifty
houses were wrecked. Twenty streets were
devastated a thousand people are homeless, and
half as many more are destitute.
Systematic relief is now being carried on,
and ferries are being worked across the river,
so that supplies and clothing can be sent to
all.
It is now certain that the flood was caused
by a cloudburst about twenty miles up the
valley, and everything was swept before it. Had
it come two hours earlier, one thousand people
must have perished, but not reaching the city
until nearly 7 o'clock, and a general alarm
preceding, the majority were able to escape to
high land.
The banks of the river today are littered with
the carcases of horses, pigs and chickens. Among
these the people are searching for human bodies.
Every house, scrap pile and tree is being
examined to see if they contain any dead. It
will probably take a week to accurately tell the
number of lives lost. Many bodies are believed
to be under the surface weighed down by timbers
and wrecked houses and bridges. Fifteen hundred
people were fed and sheltered last night, and
additional relief committees were formed today.
The sun is shining brightly today, and wheat
fields have gradually been straightening up, and
it is thought that many will be partially saved.
Aspen Weekly Times Colorado 1897-05-01
Submitted & transcribed by Stu
Beitler Thank you,
Stu!
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