The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-22
Floods Hold the Duwamish and
Snohomish Valleys.
IMMENSE LOSS TO RAILROADS.
Great Northern and Monte Crist0
Swept by Torrents.
ALI Bridges Gone and Great Washouts
All Along the Lines-Northern Pa
cific Resumes Trafic-Rain Still Fall
ing and Water Reluctant to Recede.

As the reports of the damage caused by
flood slowly come in past the distractions
which it has created, the terrible extent Of
1T becomes known and the rain which
poured down the greater part of yesterday
gives ground for the fear that the worst is
yet to come. At best no abatement is to
be hoped for as long as the present rain
fall continues.
The water has left the White and Stuck
river valleys, but it is still monarch of all
the broad lands of the Duwamish and
Black river valleys. 1t cut a way through
the railroad bank, and when this was re-
paired sapped the new fill near Black river,
thus renewing the blockade. Trains car
ried on communication by transferring at
the scene of danger. 1t has made a new
channel to get past the Duwamish bridge,
which still stubbornly withstands the
pressure of five acres of drift of
all kinds, matted together by the mad
eddies, while the county commissioners
try to break it up with dynamite. A gov
ernment snagboat lies idle, though it could
do the work in an hour, red tape forbidding
it to move. From up the valley come
stories of people driven from their homes
by the sudden rush of the torrent, cattle
drowned and crops destroyed. and from
Renton come tales of the town being
flooded and farmers flying to the hills with
their cattle.
The worst news, however, is from the
new railroad lines. The rivers, suddenly
transformed into destroying monsters,
swept all before them. The bridges are
all gone from the Everett & Monte Cristo,
the grade is washed out at frequent inter
walls, the track only lately completed is
wrecked and half the work has to be done
again. The Great Northern main line has
suffered similarly, though the extent of
the disaster prevents the particulars from
being obtained from great part of the
road. The track on the lower end is under
water, the bridge at Snohomish is still
threatened by an immense jam, one bridge
is gone on the upper end, another Is be-
lieved to have gone and third is badly
damaged. The grade is washed out for a
mile at stretch, and Sultan and other
towns along the line are up to the second
story in water, the inhabitants looking
out on torrent rushing through the
streets, carrying drowned cattle down over
the ruined ranches in the Skykomish val
ley below.
The Snohomish river is broadened to
width of several miles, covering the sites
of prosperous farms, roads, railroads and
streets of the town. Cattle either float
drowned in the current or stand in the
water not knowing where to seek safety.
The Stiilaguamish has calmed after its
outburst, and the Skagit has fallen, after
doing much wrecking along its course.
After three days paralysis the Northern
Pacific will send trains East today, and
| the Canadian Pacific has also resumed
| traffic. But the line between here and Ia
| coma is cut in two, and connections can
only be made by transfer. The Great
Northern coast line IS tied up since Fri
day, but may be opened today. The Co.
| lumbia & Puget Sound is blocked by the
Black river difficulty. The Seattle s.
| Northern has not recovered from the loss
| of its motive power in the wrecks of Sat-
urday night.
| The loss to the counties, the farmers and
| the railroads will run INTO hundreds of
| thousands of dollars.