The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-11
THE FLOOD AT TACOMA.
The Turbulent Puyallup Does $50, 900
Worth of Dana re to Northern Pacific.


TACOMA, Nov. 1o.-tspeciaL 1.-The swollen
condition of the Puyailup river has caused
much alarm here. as there has been imminent
danger during the day of the dam built by the
Tacoma Land Company to change the course of
the stream, being swept aw9f and filling in the
steamboat wharf channel, which was dredged
out last season, at a cost OF $300,000 Besides
the St Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company's
mill on the tide flats may be washed away If
the water does not subside within tweuty-four
hours. Already the Naphtha Launch works.
adjoining the lumber company's mill, has been
partially destroyed by the high water,
the damage done aggregating fully $4,000
Part of the works collapsed, necessitating the
removal OF ten launches and machinery. Sew
eral launches could not be removed. The water
continued 10 rise and the machinery was sew
era feet under water at high tide shortly after
noon. superintendent Hull, of the works,
claims that they would not have been under
mined had not the land company thrown the
dam across the Puyallup. He opposes rebuild
ing on the tide fats. ana may begin action for
damages against the land company.
No such food has been looked for here and
of course the industries on the fats were IN
prepared. The Puyaliup has never been known
10 run SO high or so rampant At the very high
est tide il is less than twentyone feet above the
low water mark. Today with the channel OF
the river running very rapidly, ii 20 feet and
11a inches above the extreme low water mark
No white man has ever seen the Puyallup so
turbulent ut this season of the year, ana but
few have the assurance 10 say they ever saw il
so swollen. The Puyaunp Indians say not in
twenty years has the river been SO high
Heavy rains-unprecedented November rains
followed by the warm Chinook winds, which
| melted the heavy fall of snow in the mountains
| on sunday and Monday, have done the work
| Along the line OF the Northern Pacific as far
! east as Eagle Gorge there have been numerous
washouts, and worse still there have been several
heavy iandsiides during the past twelve hours
especially in the vicinity al Eagle Gorge, where
/ the track is covered with earth. Except on the
| Portland division, the Northern Pacific is not
| running any train from Tacoma today Indeed
the company has not succeeded III getting the
! overland train OF yesterday through the noun
! tains, and although every obtainahle laborer
| has been pressed into the repairing gang there
is little prospect tonight OF resumption OF traffic
on the Cascade division before Thursday.
The overland train which left yesterday has
| returned from Orting. A correspondent OF the
/ sT-ISTELLI6ENCER interviewed many of the
| passengers, and all report the roadbed greatly
! damaged by washouts. No attempt was made
| this morning TO make up and start the usual
overland train. Some of those who returned by
| yesterdays train will go east via Portland, ana
/ il is expected that the overland trains due here
yesterday and today will take such of their pas
/ seugers desiring iInmed late transportation to
| Paseo and forward them via Portland one of
| the west bound overland trains arrived at
/ Ellensburg this morning,
Superintendent McCabe went East yesterday.
| and Will superintend the repairing OF the road
! bed in the Cascade mountains.
Assistant Superintendent Brimson has a force
| at WORK on the Tacoma, Olympia & GRAY 5
/ Harbor branch near Gate City where several
! bridge approaches have been washed away Ii
! viii require ten days or two weeks 10 put the
! track in permanent repair.
Many OF the men who would otherwise
| he worked with the repairing gangs are
busy replacing telegraph poles which we're
| pulled down by big Or trees which the wind Of
| Monday slew upon the wires. Both the North
| ern Pacific and Western Union wires were great
| " damaged, s. they We're the side OF she
| track from which the Wild WAS blowing The
/ Postal Telegraph wires being il some instances
| on the other side OF the ttaek, escaped damage,
/ except IL a few eases
Between this city and Puyallup the county
| road is IN maay places inSan impossible condi
| ton, and much damage is feared II the water
does not receds by midnight
last night and today a force OF men has been
| kept busy repairing BREAKS in the PuyaIlup
| river down on the tide nats- Openings filed
with rock. brush snd grain sacks filed with
| earth. This dam was constructed by mutual
! consent by the Tacoma Land Company, other
| parUes cooperating. for the double purpose OF
| preventing the water OF the Puyailup from
| Washing into the deep wAter channel opened by
| the land comp Say from the present steamboat
! wharf ~ Fifteenth street., AMI also for the pur-