The San Francisco call., 1896-11-17
Many North Coast Towns
Inundated by Rising
Waters.
Boats Ply on the Streets and
Over Great Tracts of
Farming Land.
Scores of Bridges and Large Sections
OF Railway Track Washed
Away.

SEATTLE, WASH, NOV. 1o.-1ne storm
of wind, rain and snow which is sweeping
Northwestern Washington and British
Columbia is by far tie most severe and
destructive to property in the history OF
the country. 1t is estimated that the dam
age to the railroads alone in Western
Washington will exceed $780, 600. The
loss to private property will be nearly as
much.
While the atmospheric conditions
around Seattle are little improved, the
wind and rain having given way to an un-
usually cold temperature, the railroad sit
uation is even worse than yesterday. The
city is absolutely shut off from communi-
cation by rail with the outside world, and
from midnight last night until about 4
o'clock this afternoon telegraph lines
were paralyzed. Owing to the crippled
condition of the railroads, the water trans
portation lines are doing great business.
The Northern Pacific overland which
left Tacoma last night at 8 o'clock had to
turn back on account OF landslide near
Aston, on the eastern slope lof the Cas-
cadeS. Beyond that a few miles the
bridge over the Yakima River is also
washed out The Portland branch of the
Northern Pacific is likewise disabled by a
big slide in Cowlitz Valley, about fifty
miles south of Tacoma. By tomorrow
this slide will probably be removed, as
will also one at Easton, and by transfer
ring at Yakima River the overland North
ern Pacific viii be put in operation again.
The Great Northern is the heaviest suf-
ferer and all of its lines this side of the
Cascades are in a deplorable condition.
s-k, Il
Cascades, a distance OF tifty-two miles, the
road will practically have to be rebuilt.
The roadbed has nearly all been swept
away and bridges washed out. At Index
big railroad bridge was swept fro m its
piers and carried down Skykomish River
a half mile. At Snohomish City the Sno-
homish River is higher than ever before,
being from six to ten miles wide in places
The water is foot deep in the Great
Northern depot, which stands eight feet
above the level of the track.
Yesterday and to-day the steamer Flor
ence Henry has been going about over
farm sites picking up ranchers and stock
Several one and two story farmhouses
were carried down the river.
An amusing incident came in the mids st
of the distressing situation on Sunday
evening, when two big black bears perched
upon huge log hoated leisurely down the
river past the town of Snohomish.
Mount Vernon, IN the Skagit County, is
in bad plight. Skagit River is higher
than ever known and the dikes are about
TO give way. Avon, a small village near
BY, is under water. and Beaver and Olym-
pia marshes are inundated, water stand.
Ing several feet deep in many farmhouses.
The Great Northern Railroad bridge near
Mount Vernon Is in q dangerous condi-
ton. West Mount Vernon is flooded and
residents have fed to the hills.
The Snohomish River at Everett is
seven miles wide, and the Seattle and In
ternational Railroad bridge has been rem
dered unsafe for use by great lam of
logs and driftwood. The water has risen
two feet above high-water mark, and at
Lowell the Great Northern and the Ever
EFT and Monte Cristo road beds have been
washed away for distance of several hun
dred yards. Three feet of water is stand.
ing in the Everett and Monte Cristo Rail.
road tunnel for its entire distance OF 7GO
feet Whatcom Is shut out from railroad
connection, no trains having arrived or de-
parted for four days. The Nooksack
River has overhowed its banks, inundat-
ing many adjacent farms.
In British Columbia the Canadian Paci.
tc for 100 miles east of Vancouver ha:
been badly damaged. Many small bridges
were washed out, and the telegraph sys-
tenn has been paralyzed for thirty-slz
hours.
The damage to the Great Northe m is
confined principally to King, Snohomish
and Skagit counties. Several very dlsas-
trous slides occurred on the coast line in
King County on Friday and Saturday.