, 1890-02-06
RAGING WATERS.
Great Damage to Property and
Mining Interests.
Railway Track Washed Away
and Bridges Gone.
Communication Cut off with
Points in Oregon.

the city of Portland and other points in
Oregon have been practically cut off from
Geographic communication. From a tele-
gram received this afternoon by the Pos
tai Telegraph company, at Montreal, by
G. B. Hosmer of the Canadian Pacific
and forwarded by him to the Associated
Press, it would seem Portland was in
danger from foods. The message is as
follows:
Water is now flooding First street
knee deep. All traffic in the streets is
suspended; the only means of communi-
cation is by small boats. The Pacific
Postal telegraph office floor is covered
with water. The river is still rising. No
news from the south, undoubtedly due to
the rapid rise of the Williamett river. 1t
flows into the Columbia Just above Port
Lind.
For nearly a month past the mills and
mountains of Oregon through which the
river flows have been piled with %continu
ally falling snow, and drifts in some
places are from fifteen to twenty feet
high. During the past few days, how
ever, the warm winds melted this, and
the Willamette river has become a tor
rent. On the Northern Pacific. between
Noxon and Trout creek, there nave been
several serious slides since Saturday,
Telegraph lines are also interrupted.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 5.-A dispatch
from Jacksonville. Ore, says a phenome.
nal rain storm has prevailed inISouthern
Oregon since last Friday, which. in con
nection with the melting SHOWS In the
mountains, has caused the greatest flood
known since the country was settled. The
damage to Southern Oregon cannot be
estimated as yet, (tOr postal communica.
ton is so uncertain and limited only to sur
mises) of the ravages of the water on the
Tributaries of the Rogue river.
Many small ranches have been badly
damaged. if not ruined. Miles OF fenc-
have been swept away and much of
the finest soil in the lower valley is washed
down to gravel and bedrock and the
spectacle OF fields flooded. roads washed
out and bridges and c%ulverts demolished
is common.
The fertile Bear creek region has es.
visitation. The heart OF the val
ley has presented the Appearance of a
sea for days and communication
between its many to wns is suspended by
swollen foothill streams. Bear creek It
self has borne along a great deal of the
wreckage, besides fences, outbuildings
and even barns and houses and wrought
much destruction in undermining and
off the deep allurium that COM
poses it banks. In the Apple Gate re.
gion there are few bridges lett. Many
were obliged to leave their homes
for safety. Great damage has been done
interests by the bursting of dams
and reservoirs breaking and filling bitches,
and the loss of 1ume boxes and ma
chinery. The Oregon & California rail.
road track in Southern Oregon has been
swept away for miles and the roadbed
seriously damaged along the whole line.
There has not been a mail from either
North or South for several weeks and no
estimate can be made of the loss to the
county in bridges and private property.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars will
not cover it.
PORTLAND, Ore, Feb. 5.-The Postal
Telegraph and Cable company furnishes
the following information to the World
regarding the unprecedented floods in
and Washington: The William
cite river at this city is higher tnan it has
been since the great flood OF 1861. The
rise is caused by the unusually heavy
and melting snow in the mountains.
In this city all merchants along the river
front and streets back from the river have
been compelled to suspend business and
move their stores to higher places. The
water rose so rapidly many OF them were
unable 10 get goods out, and in conse-
quenee heavy damage will be the result.
No less than ten millions of saw logs
have been swept away or the willamette
and Columbia rivers in the last few
days. Large quantities of sawed lumber
and a number of sawmills on the river
have also been carried away. The sltui-
ton on the Southern Pacific between here
and California remains virtually un
changed. All communication South and
East of here has been cut off for days
and no trains are arriving over the South
ern Pacific or | MON Pacific. Trains are
running to Tacoma over the Northern
Pacific, but a heavy storm in the Cascade
mountains has cut of communication to
the East. 1t is impossible to closely es-
innate the damage at present, but will
probably reach half a million dollars.
Many OF the sidewalks are floating and
accidents have occurred by pedestrians fall
ing through holes in the sidewalks. The
Oregonidn and Telegram were compelled
to move their business offices further back
from the river this evening, there being
at present several feet of water on the
first floor. The editorial rooms, which
are on the second floor are reached by
boats. Great anxiety has been felt for the
two bridges which spar the river at this
point. The Morrison street wagon bridge
Is liable to be swept away any moment
and in case this bridge is carried down
stream against the steel bridge OF the
Union Pacific railroad, the latter is almost
certain to go out.
The river at present is comparatively
free from drift, it having been carried
down before the water became so high
An Associated Press reporter, in order to
file dispatches was compelled to wade
through water three feet deep. A dis
patch from McMinDville, Ore. states the
town of Wheailand is almost swept away,
much stock drowned and a large amount
of grain destroyed.