The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1890-02-07
MANY LIVES ARE LOST.
The Worst Flood for Years Re
ported from Oregon.

PORTLAND. Ore, February 6.-Thi
morning the river at this point is at I
standstill, and it il hoped that no furthe
rise will occur. At Corvallis and Oregon
City the river is reported falling at tn,
rate of one inch per hour. The water il
the city of Portland is the highest known
since 1875, but SO far it has been confined
to comparatively small district; ant
although causing uchinconvenience ha.
occasioned no serious damage. The water
last night was twenty eight feet abov,
| high water mark, and extended foul
squares back from the river front t.
Third street.
The food has been caused by the stimuli
taneous rising of the Willamette and
Columbia rivers, which are usually at the
high stage several months apart. The
main food has been in the Willamette
but the usual stage of water in the Co.
ming off as il usually does. More serious
damage has been occasioned throughout
the Willamette valley than here,
Bridges were carried away at Salem
and Oregon City, and many small houses
built near the river were washed away.
Communication with some of these
points is very uncertain, and the full ex-
tent of the damage is matter OF con-
lecture.
A large part of the territory flooded in
Portland is low ground. not occupied by
buildings; but in the business streets sub
merged, where the lower stories of q
number of blocks are flooded, the sub
sidcnce OF the water may reveal unsus.
pectcd damage to structures, as a strong
current is running. The greatest danger
apprehendcd is that one or both of thr
bridges crossing the Willamette river.
wooden structures. may he carried away
by the high water and driftwood. Should
this happen il is feared that the steel rail-
road bridge below would go out, as the
stage of the water is too high to permit
of any drift passing underit. Aside from
these contingencies, the real damage to
the city will be trfling.
The isolation of Portland from the east
for the past three days was not caused
by the floods but by land slides along III,
Columbia river, obstructing tracks and
destroying poles and wires on the Oregon
Railway and Navigation company's
lines. No trains have run out OF here ex.
cept to Tacoma. The only other travel
has been by Columbia river boats.
PORTLAND. Ore, February 6. via Van.
couvcr, Is. c., and Montreal.-At 10
o'clock tonight the water is believed t.
be at standstill and no further damage
to merchants in the city is anticipated.
The railway bridges are still in danger.
however, as the water in some OF tht
streets is waist deep and there is ten
mile current. The loss to the valley is
enormous. Telcgraphic communication
with the east is completely cut off except
by Vancouver, upon the Canadian Pa
citic system. There is no delay to traffic
on the Canadian Pacific railway over
their entire system. Up to O'Clock this
morning forty bodies had been taken
from the mine. Fifty or more still re.
maincd in the mine. The owncrs csti.
mated that 100 lives had been lost.
SPOKANE FALLS. WASH, February 6.
Late reports from Burke indicate that
no lives have been lost. Mr.. and Mrs.
Wise and Jack Wade and wife were bu-
ricd in q snowlide, but were all rescued.
At the Custer mine, however, the disaster
was worse than at first reported. Six
men were killed outright. Forty men
were employed at the mine in two shifts.
One shift was below and the other was
eating dinner at the time the avalanche
rushed upon the boarding house. Many
other avalanches have occurred in the
Colur d'Alcnc districts. The canyons
are full of snow, rocks and great trees.
People of that whole section are terror
stricken and did not sleep last night.