The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-06-19
WEST GIVES LITERALLY TO
FLOOD SUFFERERS.
ARE STILL FINDING BODIES
Fifteen Recovered Yesterday Missing
and Unknown Lists Continue
to Increase.

Heppner, Ore, June 18.-The
number of dead recovered from the
flood ruins reached 153 bodies this
evening at o'clock, the fourth day
of the search. Fifteen were found
today from one to eight miles from
Heppner in drifts along Willow creek.
While the missing list is reduced by
the discoveries made today, the prob
abilities are that the missing and
unknown list will be further augmented
by transient strangers whose effects
were. found today The number of
missing remains in the neighborhood
of fifty-five or six Important finds
Of baggage of strangers in Heppner
on the day of the flood have been
made.
A list OF grips and trunks prepared
today establishes the fact that from
fifteen to twenty transients went down
in the flood.
The number of dead and missing
will not be less than 200 and will prob
ably exceed that number by twenty
five.
The work of clearing up the wreck
age is being pushed and while the
town is still in deplorable condi-
ton, it is thought by the end OF the
week the main streets will be pass
able ,,5
Relief Fund for Town.
Word has been received that many
thousands of dollars have been con-
tributed from all over the west for
the relief Of the sufferers here. About
$4,000 has already been received and
probably twice that amount has been
pledged.
Two thousand men and hundreds
of horses are at work this morning
rushing restoration of order out OF
chaos. Bodies of two Statler. children
have been found. The remains were
discovered today and were preserved
in hailstone banks, although badly
MANNED.
The city council has posted bulletins
asking those who are here for idle
curiosity only to make their visits as
short as possible.
No Fear Of Epidemic.
There is no fear of an epidemic
according to Health Officer Kisner.
Prompt work in improving the sani-
tary conditions has undoubtedly saved
the town from an epidemic. There is
considerable sickness, but it is not of
a serious nature. Physicians are kept
busy looking after women especially,
who are i'll from the effects of fright.
Much sympathy is felt for the Ash
baugh family. In the three bloodi
related families of Nose and Ed Ash
baugh and Pearl Jones, brother-in-law
to the two, seventeen members OF
these families were killed or drowned.
Four children in one family are miss
ing. Mrs. Nose Ashbaugh is one OF
the saved She suffers with attacks
of hysteria at intervals and is in a
pitiful condition. Mrs. Nose Ash
baugh is a sister-in-law of Mrs. Jones,
and when the flood came she started
to fee with two infants, one of them
being her own babe and the other
one of Mrs. Jones'.
Sacrificed Own Child.
She held an infant under each arm.
Buffeted by waves that raced around
her and twisted her skirts about her
limbs, the woman yaliantly contended
| to save herself and both children. Il
prayed aloud to God to save the little
ones if | should fall she said, "but
| my own poor little one was the one
| to go. Maybe He knows the cnoice OF
! the infants had to be made"
The agonized mother could hesitate
only an instant. The mountain OF
water bore down upon her. She IN.
| tended to sacrifice Mrs. Jones chilo
! for her own. In the excitement she
Inadvertently let go of her own baby
and reached dry grounu with Mrs
Jones' child. Dazed by the discovery
made shortly afterwards that the child
whose life she had protected was an
others, she would have plunged into