Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-06-24
Heppner, Ore, Practically
Wiped Out in a Moment,
with Property Loss of
Fully 100000.
TORRENT SWEEPS A GuLCg
Bowlders Weighing a Ton Are Carried
In Current, Crushing Those Who Es.
cape Death by Dfoxuing-corpses
Piled Many Deep at Bends in Stream.

EhSu many OSCP az ee~uoo IA ouSchh'
( Word was received in Portland Mon
day that the little town of Heppner Ore,
was destroyed by waterspout Sunday
evening and that between 400 and 500
lives were lost. Only meager reports
were received, but as it was stated that
105 bodies were recovered by 8 O'Clock in
the morning, the belief was held that
the disaster is one of the worst known
in the Pacific coast States.
Quickly following the cyclones in Mis-
souri, and Iowa, the foods at Kansas
City, Topeka and other points, the cy-
clone at Gainesville, and the food at
Spartanburg, involving an aggregate l1ss
of 416 lives, comes the news of cloud
burst and consequent flood at the little
town of Heppner, Ore, by which nearly
400 lives have been lost Fatalities of
this kind have been so common during
the last four weeks that they almost
have ceased to attract more than pass.
ing attention. The world is becoming
familiar with horrors, so fast 10 they
tread upon each others heels.
Heppner is town of about 1850 in
habitants, the seat of Morrow County,
Oregon, at the terminus of branch of
the Oregon Railroad and Navigation
Company Farming and stock raising
are the chief industries.
Caused by CIoudbursts.
1 Willow creek, which is given as the
small stream and early reports indicate
the flood was caused By either one or two
cloudbursts. Ii is ~aid the waterspout
descended on the town shortly after O
o'clock Sunday evening. The torrent
rushed down Willow creek, causing the
stream to overflow its banks and spread
over the doomed village SO suddenly
that few of the Inhabitants had a chance
for their lives
News of the disaster came 10 Portland
from lone and Arlington which had tel
ephone communication with Heppner
The Oregon Railroad AMI Navigation
Company general offices received a tele-
gram from lone stating that the COM
pany's station at Heppner was washed
away by a flood and that many people
were drowned. Later advises from Ar
lington estimated the loss of life at more
than 400.
The food came so suddenly that escape
was impossible Rushing 6sewn the guleh
In which the town is situated, a twenty
foot wall of water engufed everything
but few business blocks GA high ground
Bowlders of ton in weight were car
ried down By the current, and many who
escaped drowning were killed by being
dashed against them. A heavy rain fol-
lowed the cloudbHrst, small streams over
flowed their banks bridges were swept
away like straws, and the fall of dark
ness made the situation still more APP
paliing-s
Though the town is the seat of Nor
row County and has a population of
1850, so complete was the destruction
and so difficult the roads that VS. of
the disaster did not reach the outside
world until ii n next morning. when
mounted couriers reached neighboring
The cloudburst had been preceded by
heavy rains all day, and about o in the
afternoon by violent electrical storm
The crashing of the thunder drowned the
roar of the approaching torrent which,
although it was seen before it actually
struck the town. was moying so rapidly
that escape was impossible.
AS soon as the water had subsidized
sufficiently the work of relief commenc-
ed by the surviving citizens. In the dark
ness and heavy rain it progressed slowly.
but with the dawn scores of bodies were
found AS soon as neigh boring towns
were notified help began to be rushed in
from every direction.
Town in Deep Valley.
Heppner is the center of large farm
ing and stock growing country The town
is built on the banks of Willow creek,
In the neighborhood of the converging
point of four other mountain streams
that drain a large area of rolling and
hilly country, reaching from three to
twenty miles to the foothills and along
the course of Willow creek itself for
distance of twenty-five miles to the base
of the Blue Mountains.
To the east anu west of the town, run
ming southwest and southeast, respec-
lively. until they empty into Willow
creek, are two deep gulches, which run
back some three miles along the foot
hills as they narrow to form the valley
In which the town is located.
II AZ IL