The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1903-01-09
PUGET SOUND IS Flooded
WESTERN WASHINGTON HAS NO
RAILROAD CONNECTION.
Great Destruction of Property-Many
Persons Driven From Their Homes
During the Night-Several Towns
Suffer Great Losses-Water Subsid.
ing in Walla Walla Valley.


nothing doing on the Northern Pacific
Sunday.
To sum up the difficulties, the North
ern Pacific is now struggling with,
there are five washouts on the main
line between Castle Rock and Kelso.
There are innumerable slides all the
way from Cosmopolis to the terminus
on the Grays Harbor branch. The Au-
burn cutoff is under water for one
mile. Nearly mile Of track is gone
in one place on Green river. Five or
six other and minor washouts are re-
ported between Lester and Palmer.
The big washout at Martin is followed
by succession of washouts and land
slides all the way to Ellensburg.
The South Bend branch is under wa.
ter and covered with slides from Will
lapa to the terminus.
The Great Northern is in exactly
like predicament with the Northern
Pacific. The first effects of the chinook
were to again carry away the bridge
at Meadows creek. Trains were then
directed over the Northern Pacific, but
before they could be dispatched east
the Northern Pacific was blocked as
stated.
The waters in the mountains are re-
ported subsiding, but rising between
here and Portland.
At Castle Rock it is estimated that
about 10000 cords of shingle bolts
have gone down the river. The center
span of the Toledo wagon bridge is
gone and many smaller bridges Also
Communication with country districts
Is almost impossible and full details
Of the flood can not be learned.
All piling recently driven for a
bridge across the Cowlitz at that point
is also gone.
| Damage South of Tacoma.
| Centralia is under water, supplies
are getting scarce and restaurants
have raised prices. All teachers but
two are away on vacation and can not
return, consequently schools can not
open Monday.
The principal damage in Lewis coun-
ty was in washing out bridges and
plank roads.
Four bridges on the Great Northern
near Madison have been carried away
by snowslides and the towns of Sui
tan and Sylvania are under water, the
people using boats in the streets.
Water Ten Feet Deep.
Seattle, Wash, Jan. 5.-White river
overf1owed it's banks at O'Brien sta
tion at o'clock Sunday morning. The
people of the town, not fearing disas
ter, had retired last night, but were
awakened by the water, in many cases
creeping into their beds. Orillia, q
town on the White river, two miles
above O'Brien, was also flooded, but
the people were warned and many OF
them left their homes and secured
places of safety before the rushing wa
ters had surrounded their homes.
At O'Briep, however, little children
women and men were imprisoned In
their houses with eight and ten feet
of water about them. A relief train
was ordered from Seattle, and, on ar
irving with boats, the rescuing party
found several families, the women and
children of which were huddled on
chairs and tables in order to keep out
of the water that was more than two
feet deep on the floors. All persons
) were taken to places of safety. Nc
lives are reported lost, but much
household belongings, fences and
houses have been ruined or lost.
The cost of the flood to the Great
Northern for the past 10 days has beer
about $4,000 in labor alone. The Nor
thern Pacific is expending about $4,000
a day for labor.
N. p. Trains Over o. r. & N.
Portland, Ore, On account of wash
outs in the Cascade mountains al
through Northern Pacific trains wen
out Sunday over the Oregon Railroad
& Navigation companys tracks.
Walla Walla.-The flooded mountain
streams coursing through the Wall'
Walla valley are subsiding.