The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-03-03
THE DAM DISASTER.
Thrilling Narrative Of N Eye
Witness Of the Flood.
n FAITHLEss MESSENGER.
Sses Fer Az. Ne 1naalgss In . Dehaoch
"A Pssspsrsss's Hsrrov
KsraPs.


who arrived from the upper dam q Wal
nut Grove give the following account Of
their experience when the dam burst
Their names are Moses and Robert Moore,
two Sootchmen who recentiy arrived here
from Colorado.
When found they wsre engaged in
cleaning fish for their supper. stating that
they had secured enough fish from the
wreck Of the dam to last them ever since
the disaster. Many OF them were found
eighty feet above the Level Of the creek on
the sides Of the bluffs. The brothers say
they are the last two men Who ever made
the journey alive between the two dana
I'VE came 10 the Hasssyampa." be said.
from WickensbuTg. prospecting aii along
the river. We left Wicksnsburg i've days
previous TO the disaster. passing several
parties on the way who wese prospecting.
and who must inevitably have been lost
Three nights previous to the food We
camped with three men near the lover
dam They had freighttng outfit con-
sIsting Of several amin ais, and We after
wards learned that the men bad escaped
but lost their outfit Of animals. wagons.
clothing, etc. They had been compelled to
cross the river thirty-seven times between
the two dams.
I'VE were two daysscoming from the
lower to the upper dam. The last night,
which was "Wednesday, We camped about .
mile below the big dam with three men
named Fenshaw, Packer and sErenchy.
On Thursday 1t was raining heavily and
we came direct to Walnut Grove dam,
camping in the company's bunk-house.
Friday morning the water in the dam
was rising at the rate OF eighteen inches
an hour. with all the siuices open.
Superintendent Thomas Brown had fif-
teen men employed oil day in blasting out
the waste waterway to increase its capa-
city to allow the escape of the water. The
two big pipes 1T the bottom Of the dam
were also open and running TO their full
capacity. The water reached the bottom
of the waste waterway, which is several
feet lower than the top of the dam. about
4 O'Clock. and it rushed through it with
such force that il washed cut the sioes and
increased its size TO nearly double what IL
was before. II kept increasing its width,
washing mostly on the side next 10 the
dam.
water which went through this passage. it
still continued to rise in the dam until
O'Clock next night, when IL commenced to
pour over the top Of the structure, 1l0 feet
high. with whixzing. deafening weird
sound. like the ocean beating against the
rocks. At 3 O'Clock in the afternoon Su-
perintendent Brown, seeing the dam must
inevitably 60, sent message 70 the lower
dam to notify them Of thsir danger. but
he stopped At saloon on the road, be-
came drunk, failsd 70 deliver his message
rssuTntns 70 the wreck 0Gths dam next
morning.
The feeling against him was so strong
there that he Immediately left. Another
messenger was sent at 80 in the evening,
bat owing TO the biackness and fury of the
storm he could make but slow progress,
and was overtakcn and drowned by the
food just as he neared the lower camp.
Superintendent Brown. camped st the
dam all night. and watched the Irresistible
progress OF the food but was poweriess TO
do more than had already been done. We
had gone to sleep. but about Il O'Clock We
we're awakened by Brown calling to his
foreman, Mr.. Dwyer. Get up, think the
dam has broken.
Soon afterwards there was . tremendous
roar which Was perfectly indescribabie, and
We arose and looking out saw the water
rushing ont of the dam. Inside OF two
hours the water had disappeared entirely
from where IL was from sixty to ninety
feet deep. Dwyer took q lantern and
worked hrs way down along the precipi-
tous cliffs OF the river about mile. where
the camp of the miners had been located.
THE lamp attracted the attention OF .
man named Frances n. Parker, on the
opposite side OF the stream. who called for
help. He could not see him in the dark
ness, and IL being impossible 10 reach him
returned to the dam and We two, accom-
panied by q Mexican and an italian pro-
vided with ropes went down 10 rescue
him.
We remained there until daylight We
could see him away up on the side OF the
hill. eighty feet above the river, among the
brush. We called and motioned to him TO
come down to the stream. We threw .
rope to him. but he was afraid 10 r1sk cross
ing with it. He had nothing but his un-
dercIothes on and his feet were bare and
all cut and bruised from climbing among
the rocks. We tied matches 10 stone and
threw them TO him. When he warmed
himself, we motioned him 10 go up the
stream. which he did. and was assisted
across the waters and provided with cloth
ing. He stated that while himself and
partners had previously been afraid the
dam would break. they felt no fear what
ever this time. and had gone 10 bed feeling
that nothing would occur. During the
night they were awakened by sound - il
hat fx.l -
against their cabin. He heard one of his
partners jump out Of bed and exclaim. MY
God what is THAR" and never heard or
saw anything Of them afterwards. The
NEXT moment he was lifted against the
root of the cabin and he caught hold of
the raisers
The water formed an eddy where the
cabin stood. in little core. and the cabin
wss raised 10 the surface of the water. and
after floating around IN this eddy for .
while. the roof was struck hy a big ware
and driven in against the bsuF. when be
SEIZED some brush. and drew himself out
OF the water and rushed up the side OF The
bill over be sharp and broken rocks with
all possible speed.
He called and called for his partners.
bat the only answer that came back 81 him
vas the laundering roar of the torrent"
Continuing his owa story Moore said:
. Alter yescuiur Parker. we Continued our
se@rrh down the canyon. bat found noth-
ing bat dead iish and evidences of The
grea;ess devastation. The wsEer line along
;ae bluffs Was clearly marked. as every par
sir3e CT sod and vegesation has heen swept
away. leaving only rocks defining the differ
srs strata OF rock and is viii reEsaIn