Arizona republican., 1903-06-16
0utCIaSSed in Loss OF Lite
the Topeka Disaster.
TWENTY FOOT TORRENT
Rushed Down Upon the Doomed Town
in the Night Number Dead Prob
ably 5OO-Bodies Recovered 500.

Portland. Oregon. June 15.-The most
appalling disaster in the history of this
state occurred last evening about 6
O'Clock when the town of Heppner was
almost entil ely destroy ed by a cloud
burst and probably 500 people drowned.
Heppner is the county seat of Morrow
county and has about 1,25O Inhabitants.
The most reliable reports at o'clock
this evening state that the loss of life
at Heppner will be at least 500, and it
is thought that the number of dead may
be larger. al telegraph and telephone
wires are down and no accurate in
formation car be secured.
A report from lone. seventeen miles
from Heppner. states that 300 bodies
have been recovered. A messenger who
arrived ct lone states that a wall of
water twenty feet high rushed down in
the gulch in which Heppner is situated
and carried everything before it. The
flood came with such suddenness that
the inha bitants were unable TO seek
places of safety and were carried down
10 death by the awful rush of water.
Almost the entire residence portion of
the town was wiped out, but some of
the business part which is on higher
ground escaped. Huge bouiders weigh
ing a ton were carried down by the
torrent and many people were killed by
being dashed against the rocky bluff.
Early in the afternoon 4 thunder
storm occurred covering i wide region
of country. and later a heavy rainstorm
set in, many of the small streams over
flowing their banks in short time
Bridges We're swept away like straws
and the darkness of the night soon
made the situation appalling.
As soon as possible after the terri
bic flood subsided the work of relief was
commenced by the citizens of the town.
Dozens of bodies were found lodged all
along the bends of the streams and in
several places they were piled over one
another. u, to ? o'clock this afternoon
200 bodies had been recovered almost
within the city limits. The buildings
which were not carried away were
moved from their foundations or top
pied over. Hundreds of cattle, horses
and sheep and hogs that had gone into
the creek bottoms for water perished.
News of the calamity did not reach
the outside world until this morning,
all means OF communication having
been cut off. As soon as possible news
was sent by courier to the nearby
IONnS ana H4tdSuIeS lOOhill6 " lllC &
lief of the stricken people were COM
menced. The oregon Railroad and
Navigation company started a relief
train from the Dalles shortly after
noon with rarty OF 100, including three
doctors. four nurses. fifty blankets and
supplies of all kinds. At 80 o'clock
this afternoon a relief train with doc
tors and supplies left for the scene from
this city The citizens of Portland
started a relief fund as soon as the
news of th4 disaster spread over the
city and within few hours $4,000 was
raised. Supplies will be rushed to
Heppner as soon as they can be as
sembled.
Fifteen buildings in the town Of Lex
ington. nine miles below Heppner, on
Willow creek, were washed away, but
there was n loss of life. The inhabit-
ants having had time to save them
selves from the surging torrent. At
lone, seventeen miles away. cOnsidera-
Bile damage was done TO buildings
throughout the town, but no loss of
life was reported from there.
Hepprer was the center of large
farming an stock growing country.
The town was built on the banks of
Willow creek in the neighborhoOd of
the converSlng point of four other
mountain stl leams which drain a large
area of rolling and hilly country that
reaches from three to twenty miles TO
the foothills and along the course OF
Willow creek itself for a distance of
twenty-five miles to the base Of the
Blue mountains. The major part of the
business and residence section of the
town lay to the west of the creek
in low hottor1, COVERING area Of
about 1900 by 12O0 feet.
Word was received here from lone
late this afternoon that 800 collins were
needed at once at HepPner. The wealth
er is hot and it is necessary that the
dead should be buried at once. One
hundred coffins were sent on the Ore
gon Railroad and Navigation overland
tonight and more will be sent from the
Dalles and Pendleton.
The Portland office of the o. r. and
y. this afternoon received the follow
ing message from Heppner via Echo:
ut is roughly estimated that almost
all the people living on the banks of
Willow creek were drowned. There is
need of relief in the shape of a large
body of men to help clear away the
debris and recover the bodies. Haste is
very essential, the weather is turning
warm and the dead must be recovered
before putrefaction sets in.
The damage to the track is unknown
further than that ten miles below here
two-thirds of it is washed out.
Agent Herman and wife are pre-
sumably dead, as they have not yet
been found.
The depot and all loaded and empty
cars are still intact, but the yards are
washed away"
HURRYING RELIEF.