Huntsville gazette., 1890-02-08
RIVERS away UP
Lower Streets in Portland, Ore,
Under Water.
The Like of the Present Flood
Never Known Before,

Considerabie Damage Already Done, and,
Should the Wafer Continue to Rise, It
| Will BE Enormous All Over
Rains and Melting Snow.
PORTLAND, Ore, Feb. 7.-Heavy rains
and warm weather melting the deep
snow on the mountains has ma lie the
Willamette and Columbia rivers raging
torrents. The water was several feet
deep on First street close to the river
front Wednesday afternoon. All traffic
was stopped and thousands OF doll ars
damage done. All residents are unani-
nous in the declaration that nothing like
the present flood has ever been seen here
and should the water continue to rise for
few hours, even at its present slow rate
of progress the loss to property would
be enormous Many of the buildings in
the flood portion of the city are fral,
nearly all being of wood, and number
are even now showing signs of collapse.
Rescued in Boats.
! The entire population Of that section
has moved TO higher quarters. Many of
these people stuck to their homes, until
to do SO any longer would have been
/ to risk their lives. One two-story
wooden house, on First street, was ten
anted by two families The people in
the lower floor were speedily driven up
stairs, where they remained until after
noon. Then the house.. frail wooden
structure, began to shake ominously and
William Straun, the man occupying the
upper floor, determined to save his wife
and three children. By this time the
water was fully three feet deep on the
ground floor and boatmen were rowing
about offering to carry water bound res
idents to places of safety. Straun hailed
one of these men, who pulled over to
the doorway and waited for the people
to embark. In all ten persons were
imprisoned in the house, and the boat
man decided on making two trips, his
craft being too small to accommodate
all at once.
+ The Lewis family was first loaded into
the boat and carried away, and then
Straun helped his wife and three chill
dren on board the boat. They were fol-
proceeded to get on board. He Is large
man. and the first attempt he made to
get into the boat tipped it over, and all
.foundered in the water for a minute or
two, and in the excitement 2-year-old
baby was almost drowned.
Another family further down the street
insisted on loading bureau into the
boat, which had been hired. The boat
was upset, the piece of furniture float
ing away before its owners could get
hold of it.
- Removed to Higher Ground.
L. 81
front and for two streets back from the
river have been compelled to suspend
business and move their stocks to higher
ground. The water rose 50 rapidly that
many of them were unable to move their
goods, and in consequence heavy dam
age will result.
Ist... n Communication Difficult.
| Telegraph wires in all directions are
badly damaged, and it Is only with the
greatest difficulty that press and COM
mercial messages are put through to the
east. = Nothing like an accurate esti-
at present, the financial sufferers them
selves being not aware of the extent of
their loss.
The Railroads.
The destruction of railroad property Is
probably the most serious feature of the
food, but as traffic over the roads is
almost entirely suspended the companies
will be unable to find out the extent for
some time. 1t is known, however, that
the Oregon railroad is heavy sufferer,
a number Of bridges having either been
washed away or SO injured as to neces-
, state much repair, and even rebuilding.
Depots along the line have also been q :
mOlished. and il is believed that whole
sections of tracks have been torn up.
No trains can run out Of the city,
, then tracks being either covered with
water or snow. It Is feared that the
railway bridge over the Willamette will