The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-01-28
HIGHEST IN ELEVEN YEARS
Willamette and Mary's River Out OF
Their BaDks-Water Every
where.

Their BaDks-Water Every
where.
For the past two or three days,
the Willamette and .Mary's rivers
have been at the highest stage of
water reached since the great food
of 18e1.5 The highest point was
touched at two o'clock Monday
morning when the markings on
gauges along the river front in
dicated Fl Il feet above low water
or three feet higher than the late
freshets of the present season. At
this point, the water remained at a
standstill for three hours, and at
five O. clock slowly began to recede.
During the rest of the day, the
subsistence was constant, and at
nightfall, the stage of the Viii
Iamette was IS feet above low wat
er.
Accounts generally agree that
the highest point touched was IS
to "a inches short of the top mark
in the flood of February, 1891,
usually referred to as the flood. OF
90. Over at Fischer's mill there
is a certain mark, indicating where
the water went to in 1891, and an
other noting the highest point
touched Sunday night. Inc lat
ter is "a inches below the other.
At the electric light plant the
measured difference in similar
marks, is 1e inches. At the Hart
house in the north end of town, the
difference is IS inches. In the
Moore house, now owned by Mrs.
Beach, a certain blue pencil mark
indicating the highest point OF 1891
is exactly two feet. above the high
est point of Sunday night. A dit
ference Of 1S inches is reported at a
certain marked spot this side OF
of Mary's river bridge.
Sunday nights high water is be-
1ieved to have been about four feet
'IoWer than the top mark in the
historic flood of 1862. In the
house occupied by Fred B;.lIer, a
mile and a half Eseyond the Viii
1areettite, there is a mark that tells
the story of where the water went
to in the destructive inundation OF
forty years ago. It is four feet
above the floor, and Sunday night $
high water barely touched the lat
ter. A version that exactly agrees
with the latter is the statement OF
A. M. Witham. An old iron-axled
wagon, he. says, stood under
certain oak tree on the river bank
on this side of the Willamette al
the Terry landing during the flood
of 1861. The tops of the wheels
were barely visible above the water
when the river was highest. Sun:
day night, the water lacked sew
eral inches OF. reaching the foot O
the tree, fact that would indicate
that the difference between the two
floods was not far from four. feet.
All Sunday and Monday, th'
country east of town was hug
lake. Stretching four miles to sth'
eastward and FIVE miles north ant
south there was nothing but a vas
waste of water, with here and ther
a half inundated house, rising abov'
it. At the ferry house, the waite
reached the middle of the window
In John Beach's barn the waite
rose midside to a !, horse. Nine
horses were confined in the barn a
the time. and could not be removed
The water entered the barn Sun
day, rose steadily until the bodies
of the horses were half buried in it
remained so for three hours, and
then gradually receding, left the
animals somewhat chilly, but TN
harmed so far as known by theil
long bath of 80 hours or more.
On the same farm about forty
r - III v<.<l &rr