Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-18
NORTHWESTERN FLOODS sunsIpE.
Three Days storm Abntcs and Rnil-
rnnhs mcRLn To MnNc Trnins.

PORTLAND, Ore. Nov. - The storm
which prevailed over the no : It for three
days past has abated an : night the
weather is clear and cold 3 impossible
TO estimate the damage b. : Is to rail-
roads, numbering interests = farming
lands which has resulted = southern
Oregon to British Columbia 1t will an
doubleday be many thoust of dollars.
The Oregon Railway and alton COM
pany and Southern Pacific h stored con-
ncCtiou and trains are ng again,
though the Southern Pacific mpclcd to
uso the West Side road. Y rthcrn Pa
chc is still blocked at Win Wash, The
greatest damage appears to have been on
the White and Black river valleys and in
Skagit and Suohomish counties Washington.
SPOKANE, Wash, Nov. l7-Spokape has
been practically cut off from railway com
munication with the outside world for
twenty-four hours. No Northern Pacific
trains ran either east or west yesterday.
The trouble on the Rocky Mountain division
prevented the weStbound Overland from ar
irving, and the carrying away of a span
Of the NatChe2 river bridge near Yakima
prevented any train arriving from the west.
The Great Northern is tied up In a similar
manner and has run no trains since yester-
day except one as far as Leavenworth.
Traffic to the Couer d'Alene country is sus-
pended by reason of the high water.
SEATTLE, Wash, Nov. l7,--The Canadian
Pacific is the only road moving thus far 1t
is claimed that the Great Northern railroad
will push its coast line train out tomorrow
morning and railway men say that the
Northern Pacific Overland will probably be
in tomorrow night. but this is hardly
thought possible, The rivers are still very
much swollen.
The steamer City of Champagne came
down Skagit river last night from Mount
Vernon and arrived today. The captain re-
was forced by the current of the river over
the dyke and went floating over delta
ranchers farm. The steamer was got back
amid drift into the stream again and reached
the sound without mishap.
The news reached Seattle today Of the
drowning at North Yakima Of Martin
Feildslesd and William Davidson in Yakima
river, which stream is also very high. The
men were attempting to save two compan-
ions when they lost their lives. The storm
has reached it's limits and the waters are
at standstill. Before night the streams will
all be subsiding.
A Observation-Disclosures special from Mount
Vernon says the present food in the Skagit
valley is the worst in its history. The whole
valley is under water and great damage
will Cnsue to the farmers through the loss
of hay stock and fences. The country be
tween Mount Vernon and Laconner Is sub
merged while to the south there is one
vast lake. At Mount Vernon the water IS
fifteen inches hlgher tnan ever known, ana
the town has been saved only by great cNer-
tions of the citizens. The dykes were
manned all of last night and 1t was not
until this morning the flood began TO re-
CCdc.
a special from Elso says the CowlItz
river is higher than ever and Is still rising.
All log booms have broken loose and thou
sands of cords OF single bolts have gone,
The valleys of the White and Black rivers
are covered with water and the loss TO the
farmers will be large.
TACOMA, Wash. Nov. 17.--This city Is
still isolated from the world, as far as rail-
road traffic 10 concerned. Up to noon today
not train had left or arrived. An attempt
TO get passengers through to Portland was
abandoned last night when the trlin which
left Tacoma yesterday returned. The wash
out at Winlock prevented even a transfer,
and other washouts farther down the line do
not permit trains from Portland to reach
that point The White river bridge on the
Seattle branch is still down and no trains
are running on that line. All travel be-
tween this city and Seattle is carried on by
Sound steamers. On the line to the east
several washouts east of the mountains pre-
vent trains running. The crews are at
work constantly and with cooler weather and
subsidng floods the promise is held out that
traffic will be resumed tonight. No eastern
mail has arrived for three days. only letters
coming from local points by boat.