St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-06
AN OREGON VENICE.
Rise Of the Willamette River
Converts Portland's Streets
Into Canals.
The Flood Is Fully as DisaS-
trous as That Of
1854.
Big Bridges Swept Away and
the Raging River Is Still
Rising.
Avalanehes of Snow Destroy
Mining Camps in Idaho
and Montana.

PORTLAND, Ore, Feb. 5.-The Postal
Telegraph and Gable company furnishes
the following information to the world
regarding the unprecedented floods in
Oregon and Washington: The William
cite river at this city is higher than it
has been since the great food of 1861.
The rise is caused by the unusually
heavy rains and the melting of snow
In the mountains. In this city all
the merchants along the water front
and for two streets back from the
river havebeen compelled to suspend
business, and move their stocks to
higher places. The water rose SO rap
idly that many of them were unable
to move their goods out, and in con-
sequence heavy damage will be the
result. The only means of travel on
Fort street, the principal wholesale
street of the city. is by boats. Through
out the Willamette valley heavy losses
are reported. Many bridges have been
washed away and a large amount of
grain stored in the warehouse along the
river has been ruined. The wagon
bridges across the Willamette river at
Salem was swept away Monday night.
The structure was about 1,OOO feet long
1t cost In the neighbOrhood of $4,000
No less than
TEN MILLIONS OF SAW LOGS
have been swept away on the Willamette
and Columbia rivers In the last few
days. Large quantities of sawed lum-
Der and number of saw mills on the
river have also been carried away.
The situation on the Southern Pacific
road between here and California re-
mains virtually unchanged, and the
officials do not venture an opinion as to
when the road will he open. All COM
munication south and east of here
has been cut off for five days, and
no trains are arriving over the Southern
Pacific or the Union Pacific. The
trains sre running to Tacoma, WASH,
over the Northern Pacific, but heavy
storm in the Cascade mountain
has cut off communication to the east.
1t is impossible to closely estimate the
damage at present, but it will probably
reach half million dollars. The rain
has ceased throughout the Willamette
valley. The river is still rising
here tonight, though reports from the
south as far as Corvallis state that it be-
gan falling at noon, and the weather is
cold and clear. The water is rushing
through Front and First streets very
rapidly, ana this makes Navigation
by means of boats dangerous
Many of the sidewalks are floating, and
several accidents have occurred by
pedestrians falling through holes in
sidewalks. The Oregonian and Tele-
gram were compelled to move their busi-
ness Offices further back from the river.
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 and ladders.
Great anxiety is felt for the safety of
the two bridges which span the river at
this point. The Morrison street wagon
bridge is
LIABLE TO BE SWEPT AWAY
at 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, as the
space between the bridge and the
water is not sufficient to permit
any large drift to pass under. The river
at present is comparatively free from
drift, it having been carried down be-
fore the water became so high. The
Associated Press reporter i'm order
to file the dispatches is COM
PEELED to wade through water three
feet deep. A dispatch from McMin-
vile, Or, states that the town of
Wheatland is almost swept away, much
stock drowned and a large amount of
grain has been destroyed.