The evening times., 1896-11-17
SWEPT by THE blizzard
Oregon, Washington and British
Columbia Ravgad.
UNUSUAL FALL OF SNOW
Rivers Out of Their Banks and Some
Towns Ten Feet Under Water.
Steamers Navigating on Farm
I,apds-RaiIroad Traffic at
Standstill.

Portland, ore, Nov. ia fierce snow
storm ragged over the Willamette Valley last
night and snow still continues to fall heav-
iIy Such a blizzard has net been seen Tor
three years, and at this season IL is remark
able.
The willamette River is still rising and
water is spreading over the lowlands be-
low the city, carrying everything before 1t.
No trains arrived on the Northern or South
ern Pacific yesterday owing To Hood. All
wires are down Oh the Northern Pacific and
how serious the washoutS are ON that line
cannot be told.
The overland trains on the Southern Pa
cific Railroad are practically stalled anI
although the oregon Railway and Naviga
ton and Union Pacific trains succeeded in
getting through, the tracks along the CO.
lumbia River are threatened by high water
The flood has torn out the wires in all di-
rections and communication with interior
parts of the State Is very difficult.
TOWN UNDER WATER.
The town of Woodland, WASH, is ten
feet under water, as result or the freshet
in Lewis River, and unless the storm abatcs
soon the entire Lewis River valley will be
devastated or the other valleys on the
Columbia, CowlitZ, on the Washington side,
has been inundated, and the inhabitants OF
Castle Rock were forced TO flee TO the ad-
jacent hills.
Several ,restlcs have been washed out by
the flood, and the Grau Opera Company,
which was to have given a performance in
Portland last night is storni-bound between
Kalalna and Tacoma AT Cottage Grove,
Greg, several houses were washed away
and many families compelled to seek safety
in the highlands. The few incoming travel
ersiastn.ght stated that hcay snow storm
is raging up the valley and regular blizzard
.-..1- 4 pr.
OF damage is reported in the Mill Creek
Valley and adjacent territory.
Seattle Wash, Nov. 1.-THE storm
which has swept Northwestern Washington
and British Columbia for the past forty
eight hours is the most severe i'll the history
Of the country. II Is estimated that the
damage TO railroads alone in Western Wash
ingtun will exceed $500. 900, and the loss
10 private property VIII be fully Is great.
SHUT OFF FROM THE WORLD.
While atmospheric conditions have i'm
proved slightly, the railroad situation is
worse than ever. The city is absolutely
shut off from communication by rail with
the outside world, and from midnight
Sunday until about o'clock yesterday
afternoon all the telegraph lines were para
Iyzed.
The Northern Pacific overland express,
which left Tacoma Sunday night, encouu-
tered n huge landslid. near Easton, un the
eastern slope Of the Cascades, and re-
turned to Tacoma yesterday afternoon
4 few miles be vond EJstUn the Yakima
River bridg': is wHsned AWAY. The damage
beyond that point is not known, ,Comnullicd-
ton being interrupted. sl
The Portland branch Of the Northern
Pacific is likewise disabled by a big land
slide in Cowlitz valley, fifty miles south of
Northern Railway is
the heaviest sufferer, and all its lines On
this side of the Cascades are in Il deplUra-
Bile condition.
From Snuhomish to Skyhomish in the
Cascade Mountains, distance or nfty-
two miles. the road Will practically have
TO he rebuilt, rs it has been nearly all swept
away and the bridges washed out At In
dex the big railroad bridge was swept from
from its piers and carried down the Sky
hOrnish River for distance OF half mile.
STEAMERS CRUISING ON FARMS.
At SnohomiSh City the river is higher
than ever before known, being from six
10 ten miles wide in places. The water is
over a foot deep IN the Great Northern DE-
pot, which stands eight feet above the level
Of the track. Yesterday steamers were
cruising about over farm lands, picking UP
rancherS and stock.
Mount Vernon, in Ska get county, is in a
sad plight, the Ska,;ct river being unprece
IDENTIFY high and the dykes are about to
give way. Avon, a village near by, is un-
der water and the Pcavcr and Olympia
marshes are Inundated. Many OF the farm
houses have water several feet deep in
them. The SnOhumish river At Everett is
seven miles wide and the Seattle and Inter
national bridge has been rendered unsafe
by the great lam of drlftw0Od.
Near Lowell the river Is two feet above
high wafer mark, and the railrCad track
has been washed away for miles. Three
feet Of watcris standing in the Everett and
MUntecristo tunnel for the entire length of
zoo feet. New Whatcom is shut off from
communication entirely. 10 trains having
arrived or departed from there for four
days. The NonkSack river has overflowed
its banks. flooding hundreds of acres of
valuable farming property.
In British Columbia the Canadian Pa.
CiIic, for distance of 100 miles east OF
Vancouver. has been seriously damaged
graphic communication with the East has
been interrupted for thirty-siS hours.
Spokand. W ash. Nov. II. 7.-Cnprecendented
floods are prevailing throughout this
section OF the northwest. Mountain streams
which three days ago could be waded, are
now raging torrents. All the transcOnti
mental railroad lines running through here
are washed Out in dozen places, both east
and west, and several bridges are gone.
No trains arrived yesterday and none
are expected for several days. Much dam
age is resulting to settlers a,ong the valleys
and lowlands in Northern Idaho, Western