The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1890-02-07
The Flood Of '6l Completely
0utdone.
THE DAMAGE is GREAT.
At Oregon City the River Rose to a
Point Three Feet Above That of
1861. Corvallis o. e.

The winter of 1S61-62 has always
been referred to as the "great flood"
time in Oregon. IF you begunNques-
tioning any old-settler about high
water, ETC., he would. always give you
an answer, with "but not up to 81 and
2" tackled on to the ending-of his
answer.
But what can he say nov'2
The first week in February, 1890,
has done him up, and the valley in
general.
With the foothills we'll covered with
snow, the mountains. still more so, and
the ravines chock full, then nearly
constant downpour of rain for ten
days, and the temperature moderately
warm, how could anything else but a
deluged country be looked for.
Such has been the case this time.
The Willamette river and all its trib
utaries began to tear loose on Saturday
last and at midnight on Tuesday the
highest notch at this city was reached
-2S feet and some inches. Corvallis
is 'sTHE HEART OF THE Valley" she
has escaped with but. scratch. For
three and four miles across the river
east Of here it was and yet is nothing
but vast expanse of wafer, with
few punches of timber sticking their
tops above the dirty liquid, and the
roofs of the houses and barns looking
as though wondering what they were
there for. A portion of the govern
ment works has gone and the princi-
pal current of the river is cutting
across probably mile from this city
very little driftWood has been seen to
go by here on this account. Mary's
river kept up with the 'prosesh" and
raised until she couldn't get any higher
overfowing the banks in all directions.
The bridge has stood the strain, only
the south end moving down stream a
foot or two and both approaches swept
away. The. principal curren5 cut
across the fiat, and it was water, water
everywhere, from Mornings wagon
shop, at south end of Main street,
across to the -four mill of H. f. Fisher,
and around to and in the residence of
Mrs. Arch Johnson, few hundred
yards south of Mary's river bridge.
In the northern portion OF the city
the water backed into the sawmill
covering the boiler and engine, flooding
everything along the river road, and
extending across the fields and pas
lures almost to the road leading out
from 9th street, covering the S. P.
track for several hundred yards to the
depth of three feet.
Lucky enough for all was it that the
steamer VIM. NJ. Hoag was above the
Salem and Albany bridges for she ar
rived here Saturday afternoon and
since that time has been kept busy re-
heving the warehouses above here,
which were liable to be flooded, of
their grain. Sunday she went up as
far as Peoria and returned with 200
tons of grain from Tyra Smiths place.
Tuesday she went to Finley's ware
house, over IA miles from here, and
returned with 5000 sacks of grain and
Mr.. Finley's family; the water was just
at the floor of the building when she
arrived. 1t was also 18 inches deep in
Mr.. F.'s house and the family had
been compelled to remain up stairs
since Sunday.
Telegraph communication with Al
bany has been cut off since Monday
morning, and the NJ U. line to Port
land worked only by spells during the
week. No report from Salem and east
side places could be had only by Inde-
pendence, and that very meagre.
The three-span bridge across the
Willamette at Salem gave way causee
by the undermining of pier and nov
the greater part Of that structure il
lodged few miles below that city ol
an island. Great damage is reports.
in other parts Of the city.
At Independence the city was flood
ed to their main street, several build
ings were washed away.
Wheatland, town l6 miles below
Salem on the Polk county side, wa
covered and every one left the place
lot IF wheat was bad1v danaOed