The morning call., 1894-06-04
NOT FALLING YET.
Reports From the Flooded
Districts.
DANGER GROWING HOURLY.
Portland's Gas Works Are in
Great Peril.
DANGER GROWING HOURLY.
RAILROADS HoPELRssLY TIED UP
Wires Are Down and No News Has
Been Received From the Upper
Columbia.

PORTLAND. Or. June 3.-This has been
a busy day in Portland. All day long
merchants in the flooded districts have
been at work moving oct goods or raising
them on platforms above the water.
The river continues TO rise. and every
hour renders the situation mors Derilous.
The weather has become cooler west of
the Cascade Mountains, butno reports can
be had from Eastern Oregon and Wash
ington, the source of all the food.
Telegraph wires north and east are pros
trated. and it is impossible TO obtain any
news of the situation along the Columbia
River.
water. and every twenty-four hours adds
10 it from to u inches.
Three-fourths of the wholesale district
is under water from two to ten feet and
the water is fast encroaching upon the
best part of the retail district. Hundreds
of small houses on the flats which are sur
rounded by water up to the second story
have begun to turn over and further rise
of foot will take them out.
Many merchants are unable to get lum-
Der with which to build platforms where
they can keep their goods above water.
Every available boat in the city has been
hired and boatmen receive from s. 10 S.
per hour for their services. The Western
Union Telegraph Company's main Office is
surrounded by six feet of water, and in
order TO Keep up communication with the
outside world the battery has been moved
to the second story.
On the west side of the river the water
extends almost to Washington street on
Sixth, within one block of the Oregonian
building on Sixth and Alder streets.
This evening the water has reached the
first floor of Lipman & WOlfes, the largest
dry-goods store in the city. On the sast
side many Of the elevated roadways lead
ing to the river are submerged, and the
Madison-Street bridge at the south end il
the city is the only bridge open to traffic.
a rise of six inches more will shut of
the gas supply of the city. The Union
depot is two feet under water. and the
Union Pacific car-shops in Albna are
surrounded by five feet The Southern
Pacific is the only railroad running trains
in TO Portland. and they are compelled tC
stop at the end of the city. being unable tC
reach either of their depots. The Unior
Pacific is hOpelessly tied up, both by raj
and boat.
An effort was made to-day to take the
steamer Harvest Queen up the river ovel
the falls at the Cascades, but as there /.
no wire to the scene it is not known
whether or not the attempt was success
full. The Northern Pacific makes regular
trips with the transfer boat Tacoma be
tween this city and Kelso, Wash.
1t is learned from persons arriving her,
by boat that the storm last night did great
damage along the Northern Pacific be
tween Kalama and Tacoma. Houses and
| trees were blown down, and at Chehalis
and Centralia much damage is said to hav,
| been done.
In this city hard rain fell most of tht
day, which prevented sightseers from
visiting the flooded district in as larg
numbers as on the past few days. Labo
is in great demand here and men are get
ting from 80 cents to 81 an hour.
The food will interfere with the election
tomorrow, as many Of the polling-places
are under water. No estimate of the dam
age by flood is possible. but it will b,
something appalling when reports from
the upper and lower river are received
| The Dalles, town of 1000, cannot b
reached by wire. but II is known from the
height OF the water here that nearly all th
business portion OF the town is unde
water. There is a strong current in thu
Columbia at that point and great damag
has certainly resulted.