The record-union., 1894-06-02
WATER STILL RISING.
The Columbia River Higher Than
Ever Before Known.
LAND INUNDATED FOR A DISTANCE
OF SIX HUNDRED MILES
Crops Ruined, Houses Washed Away
and Stock Drowned = The Water
for Miles and Miles Over Telegraph
Poles - Two Thousand Families
Homeless in the Fraser River Coun-
try-The Situation In Colorado.
Special to the REcoap-US1ov.

the indications are that the worst is yet to
come. Yesterday the upper Columbia at
several points was at standstill, but re-
ports to-day show that the river is again
rising about one foot in twenty-four
hours. The river is more than a foot
higher than ever before known, and the
damage will be immense. The fertile
bottom lands along the river from the
Rocky Mountains to the sea, distance OF
600 miles are all inundated. Crops are
ruined, houses washed away and stock
drowned.
The flood has come gradually, which
has given residents time to move house
hold goods to places of safety, and in
some instances stock has been driven to
higher ground. The salmon-canning
business has been almost annihilated.
Fish wheels and canning establishments
along the river for distance OF 200 miles
are under water. 1t is estimated by cam
merry men that the loss so far will exceed
| Sl00, 600. Telegraph communication to
| the north and east is cut Off, except by a
roundabout way.
For miles along the river the water has
risen over the tops of telegraph poles.
Along the Union Pacific from this city to
|
under water. They have established
steamboat service, which enables them to
carry the mails and passengers. The
| Northern Pacific does not attempt to
| operate its line between this city and
! Globe, a distance of forty miles, but
makes connection by the large transfer
boat
In this city the water has risen into
easements as far back as Ninth street,
and more than half the elevators in the
| city are stopped for want of power.
To-day's mail from The Dalles brings
the information that the Government
| locks at the Cascades are ia danger.
About 400 sacks filled with sand were
sent from The Dalles to the locks, where
they will be used TO stop any break that
might occur in the dam being constructed
around the head of the lock. The water
is within four feet OF the top of the break
water. Should break occur, the entire
works would be destroyed, unless the
| immense granite heads for the gates
should hold.
Sauvies Island, few miles below Port
| land, is almost entirely under water.
Many buildings have been lifted from
their foundations and are afloat. Crops
are ruined, and other property is seriously
! damaged. Ia ~ss2d 6nts have nearly all
! fled to higher ground. Those that remain
are living in the second story of their
| houses. Damage on the island will proba-
/ bly, amount TO a quarter of million dol
lars.
| TWO THOUSAND FAMILIES HOMELESS.
! VANCOUVER (B. C.), June Frazer
! River is three inches above the highest
| historical mark. The flood is still rails
| ing. Frazer Valley for over 100 miles is
devastated. 1t is estimated that over 9. 200
families are homeless and the property
| loss is So, 100000. Though no more lives
! have been lost, there have been many
narrow escapes. The flood will stop all
farming operations along the Frazer this
season. The natural result will ~ a fear
full trade depression at New Westminster
and Vancouver.
! WATER HIGHER THAN EVER KNOWN.
TACOMA, June I.-Ninety-five miles of
Northern Pacific track between Horse
Plains, Mont, and Hope, Ido., are under
water Definite flood news was received
late this evening on arrival of three de-
layed Northern Pacific overlands. Col
onel T. d. Huestis, the railroad builder,
| was passenger. Ha says the water was
still rising when the train left Hope yes
terday. Hundreds of farms along Clark S
| Fork never overflowed before are devas-
tated under four to six feet of water. Set
tiers rushed to the high lands, but hum
dreds of horses and cattle were drowned.
| Some bridges have been washed out, but
| these have been repaired, and trains will
run as usual when the waters subside.
The overland due Saturday has been
abandoned at Horse Plains, Mont. Seven
work trains, with full crews, are repair
ing track in that vicinity. Overland
traffic on the Great Northern is sus-
pended on account OF a great washout
west of Great Falls, Mont. The Canadian
Pacific to-day began transferring passen-
gers by steamer on the Fraser River from
| Ruby to Mission, a distance of thirty
nine miles. Between those points there
are washouts, and portions of the track
are under water.
| SEVERAL TOWNS PARTLY WASHED AWAY.
BOULDER (Col.), June 1.-The pipe fac
tory, five houses, the railroad tracks and
| all the city and railroad bridges have
been washed away by the flood in Boul-
der Creek and Poverty Flats are SUBJ
merged. The Sunset branch Of the Gulf
Railroad and the mountain road are en-
tirely gone. Crisman and Salina, min
| ing camps in Boulder Canyon, are wiped
out of existence. They had population
| of about 200. No lives were lost. Many
placer mines are ruined.
The losses in and around Boulder are
estimated at $4,000. Boulder had no
communication with any outside point
since Wednesday until to-day, as the tel
egraph wires were down and the roads
4 impossible.
! Fifty bridges between here and the
| mountains have been carried away. The
! towns of Copper Rock and Sugar Loaf
are gone, the Prussian and Corning mills
| flooded and six of their outbuildings
swept down the canyon. Springdale and
jamestown suffered greatly, but no par
ticulars can be had except that the
Springdaie Hotel is in ruins. Several
other small towns along the canyon have
| been partly destroyed, but nothing def
mite regarding losses are to be had until
communication with these districts has
! been re-established.
RAGING TORRENT.
DENVER, juno 1.-The Platte River
continued to rise until 3 A. NJ. to-day,
and a raging torrent is rushing through
| the city. In Jerome Park, Colfax and
| the river bottoms in the city $50 families
were compelled to flee to higher ground.
One boy was drowned. The ernbank-
ment and railroad tracks were washed
away at several places. The damage is
not heavy, but the Inconvenience is great.
1t will be several days before trains can
run on schedule time. There are seri-
| GUS washout on the Rio Grande and
Santa t'e roads. Thirty miles of the
South Park road in the Platte Canyon are
| inundated. The loss TO railroads is the
heaviest experienced in the State.
/ Five hundred families are made home
less by the flood in and around Denver.
/ Over leo persons have applied to the
County Commissioners for aid.
Forty families are imprisoned in a
/ school house at Jerome, but it is not
thought they are in danger.