The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-06-25
Details of the Horror GiYen By Man
Who Was Present
RESIDENCE PORTION ANNIHILATED
Five Hundred Lives Lost at Heppner,
Oregon, By 4 Cleud-Burst Up the
Gulch on Which Town Was Stu.
ated-HorribIe Scenes.

Inc OreSOnlan from lone, Ole., sdSo.
Davir McAtee, a business man Of
Heppner, whose residence is on a
beach above Heppner. was an eye wit
ness Of the disaster. In company with
Frank Spaulding he left Heppner
about 1920 Sunday night on horse
back. ION Sunday afternoon" said
Mr.. McAtee, " there had been a severe
rain storm. accompanied with much
rain and wind. l was standing in front
Of the house and noticed that a cloud
of remarkable density approached the
top Of the hill on the east side of the
canon. l turned for a moment when
q roar caused me to look again at the
hill. l saw a wall OF water, the
height OF which l would be afraid to
guess, rushing down the mountain,
carrying immense trees and timbers on
its crest and tearing away the ROCKS
from the foundation. The terrific storm
struck the upper part Of the town first.
The residence Of Thos. Howard was the
first to fall and his entire family WAS
drowned. In the Krug home also, ev-
cry person was drowned, as was the
case in the Hale and Sailing residences.
All OF these houses were about four or
five blocks above the business centre.
The house OF Abraham Hoswick was
nearly demolished. The Palace Hotel
was the first building to stem the tic"
and all the guests were saved but the
houses below the structure were blown
out into the street, overturned and
whecked. The residence OF G. a.
Rhea was carried away and the entire
family, consisting Of wife and three
daughters and Miss Adkins, a cousin,
We're lost. .
&c. E. Redield, whose residence was
completely destroyed, was absent, but
his wife and baby were drowned. A.
C. Geigar's house was carried away
and Mr.. Gieger was drowned. His
family is in the East. George Conse:'s
house was reduced next. but the family
succeeded in saving their lives by
ruching to the upper stories; the house
being carried down the creek three
quarters Of a mile. Rescuers found
that the house had been cut in two
and Mr.. Concer was found standing in
water up to his neck. holding his wifc
upon the roof and keeping her from
slipping with his outstretched arms.
DR.. McSwatt and Ayers, who were liv-
ing in the same residence. were drowE-
ed. Oscar Minser's house was next
demolished and Mrs. Minser drowned.
The rest Of the family succeeded in
saving their lives by climbing to tina
roof. All Of the Wells family but two
were lost and the house was carried
away. With the Wells residence went
the house OF George S%waggert. MIR.
Swaggert's two married daughters
we're drowned with their five children.
The Mallory house was carried $50
yards and was found lodged against a
store and Mr.. Mallory. a crippled old
man, was found safe holding a baby.
James Matlock's house was next. Mr..
Matlock was drowned but his family
was saved. DR.. Pigg's house also went.
Here one child was drowned, but the
rest of the family escaped. Mrs. Elder
was drowned in her residence. The
houses Of Mr.. Boyd and Mr.. Walton
were also destroyed, and both families
lost. Nj. Barton succeeded in saving
all persons in his residence, although
they were badly bruised. The house
itself was washed away.
sDorh INC Tho ornotpGf 1nSc nF life Of
Cured at the Heppner Hotel. This
house, which was run under the man
agement of Jones & Ashbaugh, was
carried away. 1t is supposed that
there were about fifty guests in the
hotel. all Of whom are reported to be
lost. The proprietors themselves we've
saved, but their families are among the
dead. The houses Of Benjamin Patter-
son. M. Dunn and Mr.. Noble, are en-
tirely demolished and all persons in
these three families drowned, as were
the families Of James. Jones and Hen
~ Blair. The barn Of DR.. Swinburn
and the big livery stable Of White n
Meadows were entirely destroyed. f.
I. Farsworth and Philip Cohen were
elso drowned. The entire residence
portion of Heppner was destroyed, but
the buiness houses. being on higher
ground and being generally built OF
brick and stone. were not so badly
damaged. The school house and court
house, which stand on a side hill were
saved, but two churches, the Methodist
and Presbyterian, were completely
wrecked.
Around the depot the rising water
left great heaps Of drift wood piled
higher than the roof Of the station and
the rescuing parties were forced to de-
n,olish these pyramids Of timber in Or
der to extricate the corpses which were
tangled in the brush. Undoubtedly
many Of the drowned bodies were car
ried by the rushing waters down the
valley.
Gangs of men are at work clearing
away the piles OF debris. rocks and
timbers, which lie piled in heaps In
| the streets and taking out the corpses
which are thus consealed."
Collections For Capt. Even.