The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-24
THE WATERS SUBSIDE
Rivers Retire to Their Beds
From the Saturated Land.
HEAVY LOSS ONTHE skYKoMISH
Damage to the Great Northern-Excit-
ing Scenes at Snoqualmie-A
House Over the Falls.


subsiding as the rivers return to their normal
level. The Duwamish and Black rivers were
yesterday almost within their banks and the
land appeared again. The Snohomish fell four
feet from Tuesday night to o'clock last night
and was expected to fall two fee. more by mid
night
The first train to run over the Great Northern
coast lines since Friday left the city yesterday
morning, and traffic is now fully resumed.
Transfers Will have to be made ct the bridge
near Ssmish lake for day or two but other
wise ali the damage has been repaired.
The repairing OF the wagon road and bridges
on the Monte Cristo road is in active progress,
and work will be carried on es far as the lower
end OF the railroad is concerned.
George W. Chapman, OF the Seattle & Tacoma
electric road. returned home yesterday. after
walking through the flooded valleys. He said
OF his observations o. the flood:
/ was W the valley from week ago last
Thursday till saturday night and went out
again On Sunday. Green river rose first, then
White river and Cedar river last The water
from White river backet ~ into Black river and
caused the beginning OF the food, and then the
water at Kent had fallen before i, rose in the
Duwamish. At OBrien's it fell two feet from
Sunday night to 10 O'clock on Monday morn
ing, and during the same period it rose
eight inches at B!aun's brewery. To prevent
such foods in future in the White river valley
the river ought to be dyked and the Lake Wash
Black rivers. saw one ranch on Green river,
just above Slaughter, which was completely
covered with drift and ruined. 1t had been
fine hop ranch.
County Commissioner Gasch said last night to
observation-disclosures reporter IN regard to the
damage done by the food:
King county gets off with the loss OF hut one
bridge OF any size, that over the north fork OF
$500 The work ot clearing out the Duwamish
above the bridge Is going ahead nicely. and we
expect TO have it all clear by tomorrow night
The Northern Pacific lines are all now in run
ming order, according 10 the follow ing special:
TACOMA, Nov. 23.-[Special- THE temporary
bridge between Elma and Porter WAS completed
tonight and trains to Gray's harbor today
tor the first time since the food. The Northern
Pacific reports all its lines in good order.
The following letter from Sultan City tells of
serious damage and fatalities in the Skykomsn
valley and over the Great Northern road:
SULTAN CITY, Nov. c3-The severe freshet
which caused so much inconvenience to Sultan
last Friday night and Saturday has subsidized,
and the town Is beginning TO assume its normal
appearance. The principal losers, outside of
the Great Northern railroad. are Moffatt &
stone, the sawmiil men. Hall OF their miilslte
has been washed away, their mill is in ruins,
and they have lost five or six buildings, which
were used as warehouses by the different rail-
way contractors They rlsce their loss at not
less than 500. and il may reach much more
than that Patton & Nelson lose about $1,000
Henry & Co. possibly 1000 The butchering
firm OF Rice & Gardner lose SLIGO worth OF
hides, which were stored in one OF the ware
houses on the Skykomish. The loss of the bus
mess men OF Sultan is net great and consists
principally of flour, feed, etc, which they did
not have time to elevate owing to the rapid rise
OF the water. The county bridge has been
damaged about 500. Joshua Mummy had one
small house moved away and crushed by float
ing logs A building owned by man named
Mcdonald OF Seattle, was overturned and is al
most total wreck.
several farmers lose considerable stock. Jerry
McCarty, rancher on the south side OF the
Skykomish, lost over 500 sheep; o. c. Taylors
orchard was much damaged and several acres of
his meadow land were washed away. The jam
AT the railroad bridge turned the current across
the farm of 4. W. Graves and his house was
almost wrecked. Besides this channel, which
may become permanent one, was worn across
his fields.
If the freshet had lasted another day the Sky
konlish river would undoubtedly have changed
its course and would have been thrown almos:
into the business part OF the town. There is
danger of this taking place at the next ireshet.
Reports from up the line say hardly bridge
is left in place those that are not wholly washed
away being partially wrecked. A famine Is
likely to occur among the railroad camps II sup
plies cannot De got III from east OF the noun
tains. Food for both men aud horses will not
hold out much longer and 1t Will be Impossible
to take in supplies from this side ior weeks.
A tree fell across the camp or James Pars,
sub-contractor, near Stevens City, recently. and
killed three men, and seriously injured three
of Ed O'Brien, one of the men fatally injured.
Il has been raining constantly for twenty-four
hours and the rivers are rising again, bus are
still within their banks. However, the temper
ature has been lowered, which Will prevent the
snow from melting in the mountains, and IT'S
not thought there is any immediate danger oil
another serious overflow.
sultan CITY has o;.ly mad one mail since No.
yemocr Is, and the condition OF the roads be-
tween this place and SnohomIsh makes it prob
lematical when anything like regular service
will be resumed.
The PosT-INTELLIGESCgR correspondent at
Snoqualmie sends the following graphic de-
scrption OF tiood scenes at that town:
SNooUALaIE, Nov. 2S.--At o'clock on Satur-
day afternoon the COOK house belonging TO the
Sno0Ualmie Mil Company went float in the
swollen river The news suread over town ct
RAPID rate, and within a short time hall OF the
town, including the writer, was ON tie way 10
the falls. We all ran. and the most OF US We're
out OF wind, too, before the mile was made that
separates SaoqUaiaie from the talis Most OF
the procession reached the scene OF acton iuIIy
five minutes before the house came IN sight
Some OF the runners were Beginning 10 tnlnk
the building hal gone to pieces when gong
around one OF the many curves IN the eaoquai-
mics course III thi. locality. when the root and
snokcstaek were seen rounding curve about
3U0 yards up the river, aud IN a short time the
whole building was in sight; iae last
curve was rounded gracefully as by
a steamboat. From this curve o the falls
ii as about GO teet, the river being
straight aud terribly swift The water has kind
% II sH III lac .lS ocean Ht4u sAtsi al a"Au
''puil' 10 il shat log Will not stay on top half
the time. Everyone thought when the building
got In this current il Won j surely go 70 pieces,
but not So Ii kept exactly in the middle OF the
river and went straight through without max
Ing break. At the suspension bridge, which
Is 100 yards above the ialls, the Rouse rode very
low. just clearing the structure, save the smoke
stack, which was knocked OF and rolled down
tie root Into the wild waters
The building now came ou az a very rapid rate
II looked as though il was going 70 plteh OH llto
the AR. such, however. was Hot the case. IL
all held together until Il struck the large rock
in the middle OF the river al the p-eelplce, and
iben ordsa! the bui,d.Ag was 10 more. In
shor. time. far below, handful o; something
resembling toothpIcGs was floating around IL