The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1903-06-19
CITY Is BLOTTED OUT.
Awful Destruction Follows a
Cl0udburst at Heppner.
Hundreds Perish In the FIood-Im-
mense Damage to Property-No
Chance For Escape.


At $50 O'Clock Sunday evening ,
clOudburst occurred few miles ahov,
Heppner, Oregon, and swept down tn,
valley of Willow creek. which flow,
through that town, carving death anC
destruction in it's wake. The flood y
water came down the gulch so quickly
tnaC there was no time for warning &c
the doomed inhabitants of the prosper
Gus little city, and hundreds of people
perlshed IN the twinkling of an eve
Heppner Is so situated that the cloud
bursting as it did, just above the town
cut on all avenues of escape: and the
mighty rushing waters carried eyery.
thing before them The residence nor.
ton OF the city, which was located along
the creek banks, was completely de-
stroyed and large business houses were
moved from their foundations and
wrecked.
Ram had been falling almost all the
afternoon and the people of the quiet
little city were at home eniOying their
Sunday dinner. deafening peal Of
thunder aroused the inhabitants and
Chey looked out OF their windows and
doors Just IN time to see the great wall
OF water upon them. Before they had
ClLne TO think OF escape their homes were
PICKED up by the mighty waves and car
rled hlther and thither in the madly
racing flood. Human language is en-
tlrely inadequate to describe the scenes
which followed. Desolation and death
stalked about upon every hand as the
floods, which lasted less than two hours
receded. Miles of the o. r. e n. railroad
track were washed out and telegraph
ana telephone lines went down, cutting
the survivors off from all communica.
tlon with the outside world, save only
by cOuriers on horseback.
1t Is estimated that between 400 and
oOO people perished in the disaster. the
Ike OF which has never been known in
the northwest. A conservative estimate
OF the loss of property places the de-
structlon at close to $1,0OO,OOO. Fine
farms and cattle ranches, city residences
and business property, which once lined
the beautiful and productive valley of
willow creek, are now desOlate wastes
piled high with drifted debris. From
among the ruins wrought by the waters
the bands OF resCuers are bringing the
bodies OF men, women and children
drowned by the awful food. Never in
the history OF wreckage of a food was
such great disaster wrought in such
short time.
The torreRt which brought death, ruin
and destruction to this quiet but prOs
porous town, came from Willow creek.
This canyon, which is to the south of
the town, never carries water only in the
springtime. 1t was perfectly dry up to
only few minutes before the food came.
The cloudburst came six miles above.
and 1t was OF such magnitude that when
lt came down it covered an area of three
square miles.
Willow Creek canyon is fed by numer
GUS small gulches, and this aided to fill
the canyon with an ocean of water.
The water moved in a solid body. The
mouth of the canyon, just at the town,
Is exceptionally narrow, and when the
water reached there it piled mountain
high, resting for a moment, then Iunging
forth. 1t gave no warning, and while
families were preparing to spend a quiet
evening, the hand of death was
on them.
Ihe greatest ruin was near the creek
proper. Homes, stores and all buildings
which stood near the creek we're so com
pletely demolished that nothing of them
could be found save the scattered boards
which had been whipped into fine kind
ling wood. Buildings which stood far
away were driven with violent force
onto other buildings and each in turn
was demolished nearly beyond descrip-
ton. Nearly every house standing on
the creek was destroyed, and OF the few
that remain only portion of the upper
stories is left. In some cases only shat
tered roofs are seen. Livery barns.
saloons and stores were thrown with
violent force into residences, crushing
everything before them. Numerous
buildings are telescoped, parts of imple-
ments are in residences, chairs are found
IN barns, and hay lofts are found in
upper parts OF houses as the result of
the violence with which things we're
driven before the food.
Jam after jam was created by the
larger buildings and trees which stood
in the path of death and ruin. In the
jams the water would pile sometimes 40
feet high, rest for a moment and then
leap forth TO another place. Buildings
were shattered like matchwood, poles
and green trees to the thickness of 20
inches were snapped off as easily as the
breaking of pipe stem.
The leaping of the water and the vio-
lent and rapid shifting of the timbers
are what created such long list of dead.
People trying to make their escape were
in many instances killed instantly and
not drowned. Some people who we're
within one step of safety were knocked
to the ground, Others, just as they were
grasping a helping hand, we're swept
from their feet and lost in the tide. AL
though the roaring of the food deaden-
ed almost every sound, shrieks of sorrow
and terror could be heard family on
every side.
Probably the most sickening point at
the present time is at the mOrgue, Rob.
erts' hall. Every few minutes q new
victim is brought to the place in rough
heavy wagons, which are constantly
driving to the great piles of debris.
When brought in the victim can only be
recognized as that of human body.
The bodies are covered with mud, slime.
grass and weeks. Fully so men and wo-
men await at the hall to hurriedly dress
the bodies, which are Immediately car
ried away to the cemeteries. People
looking for missing relatives are in wait
ing, and as the wet earth is gradually
cleaned from the faces of the victims
shrieks OF pain, agony and terror can be
heard from men and women. Brave
of hn