The record-union., 1896-11-17
Less to Railroads and Private Property
Fully $1,00o,O00.
Seattle Absolutely Cut Off From
Communication by Rail With the
Outside World - River at Sno-
homish City, WASH, Higher Than
Ever Before Known, Being From
Six to Ten lilies Wide in Places.

SEATTLE CWash), Nov. 16.-Ihe
storm which has swept Northwestern
Washington and British Columbia Tor
the past forty-eight hours is the most
severe in the history of the country.
1t is estimated that the damage to rail-
roads alone in Western Washington
will exceed $500, 000, and the loss to
private property viii be fully as great
While atmospheric conditions have i'm
proved slightly, the railroad situation
is worse than ever The city is abso-
lutely shut off from communication by
rail with the outside world. and from
midnight last night until o'clock tins
afternoon all the telegraph lines were
paralyzed.
The Northern Pacific overland ex-
press which left Tacoma last night
encountered q huge landslide near AS
ton, on the western slope of the Cas-
cades, and returned to Tacoma this
afternoon. A few miles beyond Aston
the Yakima River bridge is washed
away. The damage done beyond that
point is not known, communication be
ing interrupted. The Portland branch
of the Northern Pacific is likewise dis
abled by big landslide in Cowlitz VAL
The Great Northern Railroad is the
heaviest sufferer, and all its lines on
this side of the Cascades are in de-
plorable condition. From Snohomlsh
to Skyhomish, in the Cascade Mount
aims. a. distance of fifty-two miles, the
road will practically have to be re-
built, as the road bed has been nearly
all swept away and the bridges washed
out
At Index the big railroad bridge was
swept from it's piers and carried down
the Skyhomish River for a distance of
half a mile.
At Snohomish City the river is high
er than ever known before, being from
six to ten miles wide in places. The
water is over a foot deep in the Great
Northern depot, which stands eight
feet above the level of the track.
Yesterday and to-day steamers have
been cruising about over farm lands
picking UP ranchers and stock.
Mount Vernon, in Skagit County, is
in a sad plight. the Skagit River being
unprecedently high, and the dykes are
about to give away. Avon, a village
near by, is under water. and the Beaver
and Olympia marshes are inundated.
is several feet deep.
The Snohomish River at Everett is
seven miles wide, and the Seattle and
International Railroad bridge has been
rendered unsafe by the great jam of
driftwood.
Near Lowell the river is two feet
above high-water mark, and the rail-
road track has been washed away for
miles. Three feet of water is standing
in the Everett and Monte Cristo tunnel
for the entire length of 100 feet.
New Whatcom is shut out from COM
munication entirely, no trains having
arrived or departed from there for four
days. The Nooksack River has over
flowed it's banks, flooding hundreds Of
acres Of valuable farming property.
In British Columbia the Canadian
Pacific for a distance Of 100 miles east
of Vancouver has been seriously dam
aged. Many bridges are washed out,
and telegraphic communication with
the east has been interrupted for thirty
six hours
WIDESPREAD DAMAGE IN ORE
CON.
PORTLAND (Or.), Nov. 16.-The
damage by wind and high water as q
result of the storm which has been
raging In this vicinity for the past four
days is widespread. The property loss
already amounts TO thousands of dol
lars, and is likely TO be much greater.
as all the up-coast region streams are