Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-07
THE OREGON DELUGE.
The Flood Reaches its
Highest Point.
THE WATERS NOW RECEDING
Damage to Portland Not as Great
as Expected, but Enormous
at Other Points.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD

point, and it was thought there would be
no further rise. Reports from Corvallis
and Oregon City said it was falling one
inch an hour there,
The water was apparently at stand
still this afternoon, but was still up to
the waist in front OF the Pacific Postal
Telegraph office.
The water reached its highest point,
twenty light feet four inches, at o'clock
this morning Since then it has fallen
four inches in the channel. This is the
highest water in the history of the city.
The water falls slowly in the streets, and
Is not perceptibly lower. but is running
through the streets with less rapid
current, and is free from heavy driftwoed
in the channel. The bridges are be-
lieyed to be safe, and there is no evil
dence of any serious loss to buildings.
The only loss id the business district
will be from the presence of water on the
ground floors of buildings, which will be
triAing.
Reports from points on the Willamette
river indicate that the river is falling
very rapidly. Detailed reports of the
damage above will be slow to come in,
on account of the interruption to teie.
graphic communication. The most
serious loss will be the destruction Of
bridges, which seem to have been swept
away everywhere The largest towns in
the valley are we'll above high water,
and only small and unimportant build
ings have been carried away.
The interruption to travel still con.
tinues, but the Oregon Railroad and
Navigation Company has established a
steamer service to the Cascade locks,
above which trains are running. Be-
tween the Cascade locks and here there
is succession Of landslides, entirely
obliterating the track in some places
The Southern Pacific sent out a train on
| the branch line west of here, but it got
| no further than McMinnville, fifty miles
| from here. No trains have been sent
| out on the main line. The Northern
Pacific is running to Tacoma and ie
carrying the mails. 1t is expected that
the railroad blockade to the Cascade
locks will continue some days, and that
| between here and San Francisco for
weeks, as the track and roadway have
been entirely destroyed for consider
able distance.
Meager advices from Ashland state
that the Southern Pacific railroad bridge
across the Umpqna river has been
washed out, and in Cow creek caflon the
railroad track has been virtually wiped
out. Many smaller railroad bridges
between here and Ashland are washed
away, and the company does not at
tempt to send out trains.
On the west side of the Willamette
river trains are running as far as Nc
Minnville. The Union Pacific is block.
AIDED by heavy slides between this city
and The Dalles, and no trains are ex.
pected to be running for several dave.
The Northern Pacific is still running
| AT Salem sixty houses have been swept
away and many parsons driven from
their homes, though as far as known nc
lives have been lost. Along the river
bottoms considerable live stock has been
drowned and large quantities of grain
and hay destroyed.
The damage to this city will not be sc
great as at first anticipated. The docks
and wharves, while being submerged,
have stood the strain of the current, and
now that the water is decreasing, it is
thought the danger is over.
The Columbia river at Vancouver
Washington, is falling. At Eugene
Ore, the large wagon bridge is gone
and one near Springfield went out today
also part of another bridge near that city
causing loss of about $4,000. A few
small buildings and large amounts oi
cord wood, fencing and other material
were washed away, and the aggregate
losses will foot up many thousand dol.
lars.
At Roseburgh, Ore., no trains have
arrived since Friday, and shortage Of
provisions is feared unless communica
tion is soon restored. The bridge across
Greek creek and the woolen mills have
been totally destroyed by the food.
The steamship State OF California,
which was to have sailed for San Fran.
cisco tonight with the mails, has been
delayed on account of the floods. The
steamer was unable to discharge the
cargo brought TO this port, on account OF
the wharves being under water.
The situation here tonight is more
favorable; the water has fallen several
inches, and is rapidly going down. Even
yet the only Means of travelling on Front
street is by boats, the wa,er heing too
deep to permit pedestrians to walk on the
street with rubber boots. At different
points along First and Second streets,
where the water has reached, crowds of
men wearing rubber boots could be seen
during the day wading il the middle of
the streets attending to urgent business
No correct estimate of the damage until
the river recedes within it's banks can be
made. Both bridges across the river.
which were threatened for two days past,
have stood the pressure, and are now
thought to be out of danger, as the river
this morning reached its highest point.
which was 2S feet 10 inches above low
water mark.
CHICAGO, February IA dispatch
from Portland, received here at 2 80 a..
M, reports the outlook still encouraging
and the water gradually lowering. 1t is
thought no further rise will occur.
TACOMA, Wash, February The
Willamette river is higher than in
twenty years past. Many bridges a,e
threatened, and there has been great
damage done IN the entire valley. The
revenue cutter Rush, with northern mail
from San Francisco was unable to cross
the Columb bia river bar, 80 came back to
Tacoma, and has taken the mails back to
San Francisco.
SLIDES AND WASHOUTS.
Am Immense Avalanche of Earth