New-York tribune., 1896-11-18
FLOODS IN THE NORTHWEST
TOWNS INUNDATED OR ISOLATED AND
MILLIONS WORTH OF PROP
ERTY LOST.
THE FIG BRIDGE ACROSS THE sNOHOMlsH CAR
EIED AwAY-HUNDREDs OF MILES OF RAIL
WAY TRACKS WASHED OUT-THE GRAU
OVEEA COMPANY sNOwBOUND.

Wal IsAt rs WASHED Ut l-lfiE pNAN
oVEEA COMPANY sNOwBOUND.
Seattle Wash Nov. 1.-THE storm which has
swept Northwestern Washington and British
Columbia for the last fcrty-eight hours is the
most severe in the history Of the country. 1t is
estimated that the damage TO railroads alone IN
Western Washington will exceed SJoOOD and
the loss to private property will be fully as great
While atmospheric conditions have improved
slightly. the railroad situation is worse than
ever The city is absolutely shut off from COM
munication by rail with the outside world. and
from midnight Sunday night until about
o'clock yesterday afternoon all the telegraph
lines were paralyZed
The Northern Pacific overland express which
left Tacoma sunday night. encountered a huge
landslide near Easton, on the eastern slope OF
the Cascades and returned to Tacoma yester-
day afternoon. Few miles beyond Easton the
Yakima River bridge was washed away. The
damage beyond that point is not known. commu-
nication being interrupted.
The Portland branch OF the Northern Pacific
/, likewise disabled by a big landslide in Cow
litz Valley. fifty miles south Of Tacoma. The
Great Northern Railway IS the heaviest suf
fercr and all its lines on this side Of the Cas-
cades are in a deplorable condition From
SnOlOUlSn 10 SkN NUDlUlSu III lIt dS'duV .i'""
,ains a distance of hfty-two miles. the road will
practically have TO be rebuilt. az the road has
been nearly all swept away and the bridges
washed out AZ Index the big railroad bridge
vas swept from Its piers and carried down the
Skyhomsh River for distance Of half a mile.
At snohomish city the river is higher than
ever before known, being from six to ten miles
wide in places The water is over foot deep
q, bo Nor her which stands
eight feet above the level Of the track.
SAVING RANCHEROS AND STO,,K
Yesterday steamers werc cruising about over
farmlands. picking up rancheros and stocks.
Mount Vernon, in Skaget County. Is in a sad
plight. the Skagct River being unprecedent"dly
high. and the dykes are about to give way.
Avon. a village near by. is under water. and the
Beaver and OLYMPIA marshes inundated.
MANY Of the farrnhouses Rave water several feet
deep In them. The Snohomish River at Everett
ia seven miles wide, and the Seattle and lnterna-
fional hridg" has been rendered unsafe by the
great Jam Of driftWood.
Near Lowell tho river is two feet above high
water mark and the railroad track has been
washed away for miles Three feet of water Is
standing m tho Everett and Monte Cristo tun-
nrl for tn" entire length "f 900 feet
New Whatcom Is shut off from communica-
iipn entirely. no trains having arrived or de-
parted from there for four days. The Nook
hundreds ~ acre, Il VALUABLE farming prop
.rty
In British Columbia the Canadian Pacific FOR
a distance ~ ltn miles east Of Vancouver has
i..n r.riors'v damaged. Many ridges are
washo! out and telrgraphic communication
With the East has been interrupted for thirty
six hours
Portland. ore. Nov IA fierce snowstorm
RACED over tn. willamette Valley last night.
and snow stlll continues to fall heavily. Such
a blizzard has not been seen for three years. and
AZ this season It j. remarkable. The Willamette
r,ver * still rising and water is spreading
over 'h, lowlnnds below the city. carrying every
lining b.f,r. H. No trains arrived on the
Northern or southern Pacific Yesterday. owins
in IN. food All wires are down on the Nor'h-
err Pacific and how serious the washouts are
ON that lin" cannot b" told. The overland
trains on the southern Pacific Railroad are
practically stalled. and although the oregon
hallway and Navigation and Union racine
trains succeeded in getting through. the. tracks
along the Columbia River are threatened by
high water Th" food has torn out the wires
IN all directions. and COMMUNICATION win IN
terror parts ~ the state IL very diihcult
WOODLAND TEN FEET UNDER WATER.
The town II W ,odland. Wash. is ten feet un-
dor water. as result of the freshet In Lewis
River and unless the storm abatcs soon the
entire Lewis Riycr Valley VIII be devastated
of The other valleys on the Columbia. Cow
rtz on the WASHINGTON side. has been inun-
dafnd and the inhabitants Of Castle Rock nave
ba.n forced To flee to the adjacent mis-
several tresrles have been washed out by the
nnnd and the Grau Opera Company, whlcn
was 10 have gwen performance in Portland
lasf night is stormbound between IA anna anu
Tacoma. , ,. .r,
A. rottare Grove. ore. several houses were
,,aebod away. and many families compelled TO
Sock safety in the highlands
Tho f.w incoming travellers last nisn' salu
,ra, q heavy snow storm i. raging up ne val
le, and regular blizzard weather prevails
A. salon, = great deal Of damage Ia reported
in tho Mill Creek Valley and adjacent terri
tory. =,
Spokane Wash Nov. I-inpreceden'eh
coods ore prevailing throughout this section OF
the Northwest Mountain streams which three
d.vs AGO could bc waded are now raging Tor
ron,s All the transcOntinental railroad lines
running through here washed out IN ioH'h
nIarns both east and west. and several bridges
ar. gone No trains arrived yesterday, ana
mono ar. expected for several days Mu'h
damage Is resulting To settlers along me A"l-
lcvs and lowlands In Northern ldaho. "eS''"
Montana and in Washington
R2ytN TO WRITE BOOK.