Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1903-06-19
AN AWFUL DELUGE
500 People Are Drowned at
Heppner,| Ore.
victims Carried TO Death by Cloud
burst which Destroys the Town
Bridges Swept Away Like
StraNys - Work of Relief
EHas Commenced.

Portlawl, Ore, June 16.-Five hun
dred people lost their lives in
cloudburst that almost entirely de-
stroyed the town of Heppner, Ore,
at o'clock Sunday night.
Heppner is the county seat of Nor
row county and had about 1850 in
habitants. All the telegraph and
telephone wires are down and no ac-
curate information can be obtained,
but the estimate of loss of life is
based on the most reliable reports
received up to last night. a report
from lone, II miles from Heppner, is
to the effect that 300 bodies have
been recovered. A messenger who
arrived at lone said that wall of
water 20 feet high rushed down into
the gulch in which Heppner is sit
uated, carrying everything before it.
The flood came with such sudden
ness that the inhabitants were un-
able to seek places of safety and
were carried down to death by the
awful rush of water.
Almost the entire residence portion
of the town was destroyed, but some
of the business part, which is on
higher ground, escaped.
Huge boulders weighing ton were
carried down by the current and
many people were killed by being
dashed against the rocky bluff.
Early in the afternoon a thunder
storm occurred, covering a wide re-
gion of country, and later heavy
rainstorm set in, many of the small
streams overfowing their banks in a
short time. Bridges were swept
away like straws.
The buildings which were not car
ried away were moved from their
foundations or toppled over.
Hundreds of horses, cattle, sheep
and hogs that had gone into the
creek bottoms for water perished.
| Heppner, Ore, June 17.-Estimates
of the loss of life by Sunday nights
cloudburst differ widely, but the
number of dead is certain to reach
800 and it may be swelled to 500,
when all are accounted for. One
! hundred and fifty bodies have been
| buried and it is known that 80 are
missing. Still others, who were
strangers in the town, are supposed
to be among the lost.
People are coming here from all
directions in wagons and on horse
! back and the work of recovering bod
les and burying the dead is proceed
ing as fast as possible.
Heppner, Ore, June 1.-THE most
reliable estimates places the number
of dead at 300. All day long help in
the shape of provisions, blankets and
men who have come to bury dead and
ha1, hoe IN,
The Oregon Railway & Navigation
track was opened as far as Lexington,
nine miles away, yesterday afternoon,
and from now on the work of relief
can proceed more expeditiously as
the wagon road from here to LeXing-
ton is good. 1t will probably be sew
eral days before the track can be
opened to Heppner, as the roadbed is
washed out for almost the entire dis
tance.
Portland, Ore, June IA special
from Heppner says: Terrible Willow
creek, which on Sunday wiped out
more than one-half of this town, has
shrunk to the size of an innocent
brook.
Portland, Ore, June 17.-Relief
measures for the stricken people of
Heppner We're taken up by the Mer-
chants Protective association here
yesterday. Donations of money and
supplies were large. Every city and
town within radius of 200 miles of
Heppner has started relief fund
and large quantities of supplies are
now on the way. The Oregon Rail
way & Navigation Co. is transporting
all supplies free of charge. Hun
dreds of people who have relatives at
Heppner have gone there to assist
the living or to bury the dead.