The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-08-05

Mr.. q. w. Clarno, residing mile
and quarter from the Clarno ferry
over the John Day river, in this
county, informs us that that region
of country was visited by Il water
spout on Sunday afternoon, 18th in
stapt, at about 3 o'clock. The water
was Z feet deep and l54 yards wide,
and struck Mr.. Carno's house, wash
ing it entirely away. Mr.. Clarno,
his two brothers and Alonzo Jones,
were in the house, (Mr. Clarno in the
act of shaving) when a dull rum
bling noise was heard, and the in
mates hurried out to ascertain the
cause. Mr.. Frank Clarno, brother
to our informant, ran some distance
from the house, saw the spout com
ing, and gave the alarm. Mr.. G. w.
Clarno hurriedly grabbed set of
harness lying in front of the door and
ran for the hills some distance away.
Seeing his little girl coming toward
the house he dropped the harness,
took her up in his arms and ran to "A
place of safety. Mr.. G.. w. Clarno,
when be left the house, in his excite
ment, left purse with $50 i'll it
lying on the bed. As soon as the
water struck the house it was com
pletelv demolished, and nothing could
be seen of it but the loose timbers
floating. This was no doubt caused
by the great force of the water and
the drift of juniper limbs and logs
which was carried along in the cur
rent.
Mr.. Clarno had corral near his
house, in which were his horses, five
in all. The first part oi the fence
was broken by the force of the cur
rent, and the water carried the horses
over the fence out Of the corral, and
they were all saved. One Of his
mules got caught in a fence adjoin-
ing the corral, and he managed to
wade in and release it.
Fortunately, at the time. Mr.. Clar-
nos wife and three children were Wis
iting at his cousins some six miles
distant, or else the swollen waters
might have been destructive To life
as well as property. His little girl
appeared on the scene but was res
cued ~ above stated.
The spout lasted about an hour and
half, and was very destructive TO
property on its route. The house of
e.. W. Clarno was situated in can
yon leading to the John Day river,
and was in the direct course of the
waterspout. He lost everything, ex
cept what he had on-house. bed
ding, clothing, money. and provis-
ions in house, and calculates his loss
at not less than $500. He saved his
horses, niue and wagon, the latter of
which was washed some 200 yards
from the house, wheel broken and
otherwise damaged. This is very
heavy on Mr.. Clarno. as he had Just
started his ranch, and hoped by in
dustrv to bald himself little home;
but now he is left houselcss, and
shelter for himself and family has to
be sought among the neighbors. Mr..
John Clarno, Il cousin of Mr.. G. w.
Clarno, living little distance away,
was great loser by the food. His
corrals and fences were carried oil,
all the soil in his orchard was washed
away, leaving nothing but the hard
rock; growing field of barley was
hattened to the ground, and the food
covered his land with gravel and
stones. Mr.. Henry Clarno lost one
$40 rifle, 800 in gold notes, cloth
ing, bedding, etc.
The sight is described as grand in
the extreme, as the vast body of wa
ter came rushing down the canyon,
rumbling and roaring like tornado,
and sweeping everything before it in
its onward course. 1t is supposed to
have struck butte about six miles
away, and then it had ample room to
vent its pent up force down this can
yon to the John Day. This is the
first disastrous waterspout we have
ever chronicled in Wasco county, and
we hope never to chronicle another.
Dulles Times. July 27.
The gross earnings Of the Northern
Pacific Railroad for June were S26l,-