Wichita eagle., 1890-02-06
OREGON'S LATEST AFFLICTION.
Rains and Melted Shows Flood the Valleys
with Disaster.

CHICAGO, H.. Feb. 5.-For several days
past the city of Portland and other points in
Oregon have been practically cut off from
telegraphic communication. A telegram
received this afternoon is as follows: The
water is now flooding First street and is
knee deep. All traffic in the street is sus-
pended. as the only means of communica-
tion is by small boats The Pacific postal
telegraph office floor is covered with water
and the river is still rising. There is no
news from the south.
The situation at Portland is undoubted-
ly due to the rapid rise of the Willamette
river. 1t flows into the Columb bia just
above Portlsnd. For nearly a month past
the hills and mountains of Oregon, through
which this river flows, have been piled with
continually falling snow. The drifts in some
places were fifteen and twenty feet high
During the past few days, however, the
warm winds have melted this snow and
the Willamette river has become torrent.
Ga the Northern Pacific between Nixon
and Trout creek there have been several
avalanches since Saturday last and the
telegraphic lines are also interrupted
THE HIGHEST EVER KNOWN.
Gan hANOiS't, Sdl', CtD. ia lSpdUCn
from Jacksonville, Ore, says phenomenal
rain storm has prevailed in southern Ore
gon since last Friday which in connection
with the falling snow in the mountains
has caused the greatest flood known since
the country was settled. The damage to
southern Oregon can not be estimated, for
postal communication is so uncertain that
only surmises can be made of the ravages
on the line of the numerous tributaries of
he Rogue river.
GREAT LOSSES BY FLOODS
ST. PAUL, Mimi, Feb 5-The damage
from the snow blockades 10 Oregon. Cali
fornia and southern Washington seems to
dwindle to small proportions beside a
probably much greater loss by floods which
followed the snow. On last Friday heavy
snow set in, causing dangerously fast
melting of the snow. 1t is reported that
Portland is flooded and entirely cut off
from the outside world. but the public re-
ports of the Northern Pacific railroad Off
cials indicate otherwise. That the city is
not wholly under water appears from the
reports of the train dispatcher of the
Northern Pacific at 3 Paul, since
the passenger train due at Portland
today on that line arrived but four
hours and twenty-five minutes late. The
train due at Portland tomorrow afternoon
is also reported by the same officer as on
time, although II Is now west of the Idaho
boundary where serious trouble was ex-
perienced during the snow blockade that
existed on the Central and Union Pacific
lines in that region.
From another source information has
been received by the Associated Press to
the effect that the Southern Pacific Cali
forna line is still blockaded. The latest
information from Portland develops the
fact that the Union Pacific line Is again
closed, this time owing to the heavy rains
and snow slides along the Columbia river
between the Needles and Portland where
the road suffered so severely TWO years ago
from the same causes.
SOUTHERN OREGON ALMOST sUBN4ERGED.
JACKSONVILLE, Ore, Feb. "a pheno-
minal rain storm has prevailed IN southern
Oregon since last Friday which in connec-
lion with the melting snow In the noun
.ains has caused the greatest floods known
since that country was settled. The dam
sge TO southern Oregon can not be esti-
mated yet Much of the finest soil in the
lower valley has been washed down TO
gravel and bed rock and the spectacle of
helds washed out and bridges and culverts
demolished is common. The heart of the
Fal!ey has presented the appearance of a
turbulent sea for DAYS and commuu lea ZION
between its many towns has been almost
suspended. Bear creek itself has bcrae
along great deal OF wreckage besides out
buildings, fences and even barns and
houses and has wrought much destruction
Ia undermining and slucing off the deep
alluylum that compoSes its banks In the
Appiegate region many people were obliged
10 leave their homes for safety
Great damage has been done to the min
ing interests OF the section by the bursting
of dams and reservoirs, the breaking and
filling of drips and loss OF fiume boxes and
machinery.
The Oregon & California railroad trsck
in southern Oregon has been washed ayx,v
for miles and the ROAD bed is seriously
damaged along the whole line There has
not been mail from either the porti, or
south for several days No estimate of the
ICES can be made in the country in bridges.