The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-11
ALL THE RAILWAYS BLocKADEd
Immense Washout on the Northern
Pacific i'm the Cascades.
Some Of King County's Best Bridges
Gone-Kent and Slaughter Flooded
The Snoqua1mie, Black. White, Ce-
dar and Duwamish Raging-Naphtha
Launch Works Destroyed, Land
Washed Away and Much Other DAM
age in Tacoma.

Puget sound watershed on Monday the
harbinger OF torrent that has already done
many thousand dollars damage. The Chinook
breeze melted the snow stored on the mountain
sides, so that the channels of the swift noun
tain streams could not hold the water, which
burst from bounds, overlooked the bottom lands,
carried away bridges and railroad grades be-
sides destroying much private property. As a
result every railroad on the western side OF the
mountains and north of Tacoma was disabled
yesterday and no trains were run until night.
County roads in every direction had been rem
dered impossible by the washing away
of bridges and grades. The telegraph lines
were also seriously crippled.
The train thai left Seattle yesterday morning
ut o'clock for the South on the Northern Pa
cific got only as far as Kent The next regular
train left at O'Clock. and il also was unable 70
go any farther than Kent and returned to Sc
attic at noon. Passengers who came in on this
train reported that White river was higher than
IL had been since 1867. There was from three to
FIVE feet of water on the streets of Kent, and the
Kent mill was standing In about the same
depth of water Between Kent and Slaughter
three breaks in the grade were reported, the
track being inundated by several feet of water.
All of the section men of the Northern Pacific
between Seattle aud Kent were put on the
breaks, and they succeeded in getting train
through last night at O'Clock. This train
reached Seattle twenty-fonr hours late. The
train for Portland which pulled out at clock
last night is expected to get through all right,
as the water was rapidly going down late in the
afternoon.
superintendent Nadeau returned last night on
special from Kent. He said the water was go
ing down rapidly and that there would in all
probability be no delay of south bound trains
today. The washout on the main line at Croker
is the most serious on the line, and all through
Eastern passengers will go via Wallula Junction
until the break is fixed up.
North of Seattle the railroads report less dam
age, but all of the rivers are very high. The
skapit river was higher yesterday morning than
1t has been III many years before, and the Skyko-
misb, snohomish and Nooksack are all very
much swollen. Both the Seattle, Lake
Shore & Eastern and the Great Northern rail-
ways cross all these rivers, but none of
the bridges gave way, so far as is known. Quite
a number of slides occurred on the Great North
ern, but as the road is not yet carrying passen-
gers or freight they occasioned no trouble what
ever, and were easily cleared of by tho ballast
ing crews.
The bridge OF the Snoqualmie Mill Company,
on the spur from the Seattle, Lake Shore a. East
ern, is washed out, and large number of logs
and great quantity of lumber have gone down
the river.
Between Anacortes and Shannon's Point, on
the Seattle Il Northern railway, the track was
badly washed, but it is now reported as fixed up
temporarily.
big washout is reported on the Port Town
send Southern at Discovery Bay. As it hap
pened the company had an engine on both sides
of the washout, and there was no delay in pas
senger traffic.
The damage to the county from the loss of
bridges is very great, while the loss of personal
property will be much greater. While but mea-
ger reports have been received from portions of
the county whore there is no telegraphic CON-
munieation. still il is known that some of the
best bridgest in the county, new ones only re-
Gently built, lost. The report comes from
the south that ''every bridge on the Duwamish
river but one. and all the bridges on the White,
Green and Black rivers are washed away and the
valley lands covered with water"
County Commissioner John Wooding, whose
home is at Slaughter, telephoned to Auditor
f. A. Twichell yesterday afternoon that White
river had oyerfiowed its banks and in the town
OF Slaughter there was three feet of water. As
near as he could learn the situation in the
county further south was distressing.
Commissioner Gasch, Auditor Twichell and
Superintendent Won Broeklin, learning that the
three span county bridge across the Duwsmish
six miles from the city, was threatened hurried
TO the scene ana with force OF ten men went
to work clearing on, jam OF logs which had
formed against the bridge. With the aid of a
small steamer portion of the jam was cleared
away and the pressure against the structure
was reduced and in a measure, the danger of
being swept away was ayerted The jam is
composed OF saw logs. trees and stumps, which
wedged together in a solid mass from six TO
twelve feet deep, and extend over area equal
TO ten acres Ia the Jam is about $500 worth OF
hop poles The river flooding the hop fields
further south had carried away the poles, and
all day three men vera at work pulling the
poles out of the water for the purpose of selling
them. In the jam is the wreck OF the White
River bridge at McCullochs, which was swept
away Monday night The bridge was built less
than month ago at cost to the county of
sl,700.
ABOVE the Jam at the bridge is another Jam
which has formed near Braun's brewery" said
Mr.. Gasch last evening. ''fhe probabilities are
that this jam viii break away. and il it does
nothing can save the Duwamish bridge, which
is me biggest and best bridge owned by the
county. from destruction. crew of men were
quartered az the poor farm tonight, and at day
light in the morning they will commence to try
20 clear out the jam at the bridge. The river at
the bridge is at least eight feet higher than 1t is
usually. While we were At work the water fell
about foot. and by tomorrow morning We ex.
ect tn fiud IL considerably lower. We have re.
cetyed no authentic Official reports from the
north, but understand the Snoqualmie is on a
tear, and has caused Il great deal OF damage"
message from Snoqualmie states the Sno
QuaiInte Lumber Company's big bridge above
the falls, which cost s2,000, had been washed
away. and the county bridge At Hop Ranch
which was completed SIX weeks ago at a cost ol
s24l0. was destroyed, and had gone over the
falls. seyersl buildings at Hop Ranch werC
swept from their foundations by the swift cur
rent, aud had joined the general wreekage below
the falls
The scenes in Kent and in the White river
valley yesterday were such AS would make
yenetians feel az home. People went about thu
At p,
or on rlanks ana RATS. One man at Kent, who
had pair OF high rubber boots, thought he
would venture lus0 the street alooG He got
along all right until he stepped into ditch and
Ne went in over his head and was obliged e
swim for his life. Nearly oil of the hop poles q
the valley were swept away into ;he Duwanisl
river. At oBTicn's u large quantity Of wbea
stored in some barns IN the valley WAS moved {,
building on an elevated mound Just IN time 4
pfeyent It's destruction. Small buildings wers
seen floating down the river, sEd az o'Rrgen's
messenger noticed Il frank floating ia The tor
rent carrying q lone passenger large cat
In the Puyailup valley the damage is supposed
20 have been equally extensive, baE only
rneaTer reports have SIS yet come IN from there
TIE following special from Kent shows n,
situation there;
krNr. Nov. I0-ispeeial White river hai
bssu giving new settlers an IDEA OF what she car
a. ia tho way 81 q tiood under sudlcAent provo
ratin,. anst reminds the pioneers 81 eaSly days
h Il good reminder Of the great Hood twenty
faur wears ago Then where the town 81 keo
paS stands was = Swirilng sea, ana iSruler
sN.s,,.a their horses which were swimming
sh5nt. and picked up their pigs and lewis ireU
aoatias logs and trees.
The prevailing rains for the past Two week
have sapt tbs river rising until last nag AZ shes
A oveffawud its banks south OF Kent. The eFsai
making Its wing draw 10 the west side OF th'
railway tracks. causing considerable damage Il
tbst locality. s,,.-
rattlns usHles, an old.timer in the valley
viii tas assistance OF Q nsighbor named M