The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-07-11
DISTRESSING
DISCOVERY
Clarence Andrews Sought His Dead
Wife at Hepprer and Found Her
Beneath Pile of Debris.


cry of the dead body of his wife under
heap OF flood Wreckage at Heppner,
Ore. Clarence l.. Andrews. so Well
known in this coy, arrived at the sad
knowledge that every member OF his
immediate family had been swept
down to death in that terrible catas-
trOphe.
Mr.. Andrews. with his wife and
three little daughters, lived for sew
eraI years in Seattle. their home being
III Edgewater, opposite the old man
sion of Z. NJ. Carr. whose wife is Mr.
Andrews aunt. He took an active i'm
terest in all the progress of the city
and was prominent in local politics.
being for several years the first as
sistant in the office of the county
auditor
Three years ago he went to Alaska
and entered the customs service, be-
ing stationed at Skaguay, where he
rose to the position of first deputy in
the office of the collector and made
himself a large factor in uphOlding the
boundary rights OF the United States
against attempted Canadian aggres-
siOns.
Early this spring his wife with
their three little children, went 10
Heppner for visit to her father,
George Swaggert, who was one OF the
earliest residents OF the town. When
the fatal food swept over Heppner
on June IA last, it was found that
Mrs. Andrews and her children were
among the missing. and a telegram
was at once sent to Mr.. Andrews at
SkagWay.
This message never reached him
and the mail brought to him the first
| information Of his loss. He started
at once for Heppner and on arrival III
| Seattle learned from his cousin, Clar
| ance b. Bagley, that the bodies Of mis-
three children had been recovered,
| Identified and buried, but that no
race OF his wifa's BODY had been
| found.
| On arriving at Heppner Mr.. An
| drews prosecuted a most exhaustive
and persevering research, but for
| many days without result. Last Fri
| day he was driving with a companion
| along the river bottom below the
| town in an almost despairing search
for some clue, when he was told by
a passerby that there was a heap of
| tangled wreckage a short distance
from the stream that might cover a
body.
| Driving to the spot. Mr.. Andrews
sent his companion to procure crow
bar and pickax, and while awaiting his
return he almost idly pOked among
the wreckage with his walking stick
He had hardly scratched the pile when
a wOmens hand was brought to view
and bending over he made the terrible
discovery that it bore the rings he had
given to his wife.
The following day the body of Mrs
Andrews was laid 10 rest in her fam
lily burial plot beside her three chill
dren and her sister, Mrs. Beard, and
the latter's two sons. all victims of the
common disaster.
This bereavement leaves Mr.. An
drews with no surviving near relat
ives. and last night he sailed for Skag-
way to take up his duties there with
no intention OF ever returning to the
states to live.
This is the third tragic happening
in the immediate family of Mr. An
drews In 1864, while he was an in
FAINT in his mothers arms. his father
died at sea while they were coming
from Pennsylvania to the coast. JUS
, after he became Of age he married
uied, and now has come into his life
this loss OF his whole family between
| a sunrise and sunset.