The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1894-06-07
WHOLESALE IRRIGATION.
Nature Turns Herself Loose In a Most
Abandoned Way.
YAKIMA ESCAPES WITH SMALL DAMAGE
Irrigation IL kinG and the Entire
Northwest Gets \ Thorough Soak.
Ing without the Aid Of Artificial
waterways.


Ing without the Aid of Artificial
waterways.
To tell where to begin in the story OF q
weeks ireshets, storms and disasters is
something Of a conundrum. THE HER
AIDS account last week left the country
sailing along smoothly, with no especial
fears Of the high waters, but the paper
was hardly dry from the press when the
report was circulated that the Yakima
and Natcheez rivers were rising rapidly
and the Mckee bridge was in danger
This was q startler, after We had been
lulled to rest, and men and teams were
hastily gathered together and put to
work, under the superintendent Of d. f.
Lesh and James Stuart, In an effort to
save this valuable and valued property.
Night and day shifts were utilized and
the men worked like heroes. Many
labored manfully, without expecta-
ton Of pay, excepting in the general
benefits which will be realized through
this highway which binds the Mckee and
North Yakima so closely together IN
business relations. Men experienced
in such work repeatedly lost hope and
said the bridge was sure to go, but still
the work was kept up until Tuesday,
q, an tho x;vo~ fouaxod about N foot anJ
the danger was past. II was costly
fighting, but at last 1t won and Messrs.
Lesh, Clark, Stuart, Stone, Burt and
many others are resting easy after their
gallant labors. Many teams were en-
ployed and not less than thousand tons
OF rock were dumped into the pier on the
Mckee side Of the bridge which the
treacherous current in the shifting chan
mel had repeatedly emptied. A crib, or
break water, on this side was the cause Of
much of the danger to the bridge, and it
would have been blown out with dyna-
mite but not cap could be found in the
city. Finally the high water carried it
away, to the great relief OF all and the
probable saving Of the bridge.
Perhaps, after this experience, which
has cost the county not less than thou
sand dollars, the commissioners will take
the necessary precautions for the protec-
ton of the bridge at the next low. water
stage.
The Electrical storm.
Yakima doesn't mind a little wind /;
she isn't averse to an occasional shower,
and thunder and lightning are novelties
which are so rarely experienced as to
have an attraction, but the good Lord de.
liver us from the combination of all Of
them that swept down on us on Saturday
evening last. No great amount of dam.
age was done, but how We escaped so
luckily is somewhat puzzling. The day
had been warm and pleasant, and the
first intimation OF the coming storm was
an immense whirlwind at the lower end
of the Mckee. 1t gathered up leaves,
paper and weeds in its capacious NAV
and sent them whirling and fluttering
heavenwards. Next a big black cloud
seemed to force itself through Union Gap,
and before we were we'll aware what was
coming it broke upon us in all its viruent
fury. 1t didn't come, as is usual with
such storms, in little cupfuls and puffs Of
wind, but it shot out with broadside that
swayed and strained everything that
offered an impedment to its freedom of
course. Great brick buildings staggered
and shook, while some OF the wooden
houses took on a weaving motion and
groaned as though in physical pain.
Many of the balm trees, weakened by
the boring of grub, snapped in two like
seasoned oat straws, while giant poplars
Of sturdy trunk were torn up by their
roots and hurled across the streets. A
couple of barns, Of Indifferent construc-
ton, were fiattened to the ground, and
two or three hop houses were moved from
their foundations. Other damages we're
Of minor nature, and, best Of all, no one
was hurt. A little girl was blown head
foremost into an irrigating ditch and
pulled out by the feet yelling, spluttering
and blowing mud and dirty water from
her mouth. There were some comicsl
sights Notwithstanding the fury and
terror OF the storm, for many were caught
out without warning. One woman, en-
deavoring to make home in the heart Of
the storm, picked up her dress, while
running, to throw it over her head, and
grabbing too much material scudded
along under bare poles. Hats were
tossed in all directions and some were
not recovered, having probably found q
lodgnent In one Of the adjoining
counties. In the language of the gam
mon it was "a scorcher," and the like
has never been seen in these parts be-
fore.
After the first fury had been spent the
rain descended in sheets, the thunder
sounded like heavy canonading and the
lightning played all sorts of devilish
pranks. making an electrical display as
fascinating as it was fearful. Along the
Northern Pacific, in the vicinity Of the
Cascade tunnel, the engineers were
blinded by the almost continuous fash Of
empyrean flame, and every train was
stopped for half an hour, not an engineer
daring to move his locomotive, being
unable to see and fearing to go sightlessly
ahead, as he could not tell what danger
he might encounter at any moment.
1t was a grand and awful storm, but
enough is as satisfying as feast.
TaiIinEs of the Great storm.
The storm was the heaviest in the
lnwar and of the eitv hain0 unhyoten hv