The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-17

" 4O>aA .SS -
. Total deaths IL battle. United Q
. States troops. spaaish-Amcricaa .
. War. 2io. O
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The Dalles. Ore. June IA telephone
message from lone states that the latest
md in the ruins OF Eeppner indicates that
the loss CT lie Will be much greater than
ct hrst supposed.
The casualty list will foot VI 80 and many
| Of the bodies vii never be recovered
The property loss and destruction Of BULL
| inss alone will aggregate probably mil
( lion dollars. This is regarded as con-
! servatlve estimate.
One hundred and fifty Of the best resi-
derces were swept from the earth
The debris IS Piled along the railroad
! track the height OF freight cars. TIE relief
work Is progressing at Il satisfactory race
RODE OK ROOFS.
Among the incidents o, the catastrophe
was the saving Of three lives by Julius
kelley. 70 years old. who rode one mile and
! a half on the roofs Of houses ard pulled in
the, people from the food ..
James Herman. the O. r {: " r.. agent
met his death by remaining too long al the
telegraph key. trying 10 raise Portland TO
| INFORM the outside world OF the impending
calamity. His little daughter. Katie. was
saved by remaining n the station house.
her father and mother being lost IN the
| whirl Of the mad waters.
Katie stood by while her father was call
Ing the Portland Office when the food
swept in the lower floor and curled around
him. Mrs. Herman rushed out OF the house
and started for a high point o. ground.
Herman brave'y sought TO save his wife and
both were lost.
One Of the thrilling adventures was that
OF Tom Shuler. who; with his family, was
carried downstream in his house for a mile
and a half. His wife and two children
the house S was Shot across ms c2esg Town
west side. where /, lodged in debris III
y2Tds from the canon bank.
MS shoulder and swan 400 yards in TIE
boiling torrent. He landed the children and
then ne struck out to the house for his vile
The Mcbride family went down In their
house The daughter screamed aud beck
who. with his family. ran out rom Their their
house in the nick of time to escape. hin
ney saw the whole McisriGe family perish.
DIGGING GRAVES
A force OF seveaty-4ve men are digging
graves on the hillside. Prompt measures
are being taken to prevent a plague. The
weather threatens to become hot. ind a re-
lief corps to clean the town is urgently
needed.
II. Il. Baird of Portland lost his wife and
thee children. They were visiting her
father. Mrs. Clarence Andrews anil three
children of Seattle are among the :ost Her
husband dis is Il Sitka. Alaska. She is a SIS
Three men who survived the flood at
beppner-R. D. Ball. J: J. Kelly AID A. P.
srac6vry-have arrived at Penileton. aft
M eeFIr ,;E,,,
Mr.. Kelly said:
The storm was something fearful 1t
people were gathered in their yards and on
their porches 10 witness the display of the
The rain was not falling in Heppner. but
could be seen some distance away. Sharp
flashes of lightning were accentuated by the
bowling thundcr.
OMNIBUS SILENCE.
Then suddenly the thunderstorm died
away ard left an ominous silence. Then a
low rumbling noise was heard, very faint 3.
first. but growing louder.
The city is situated on Willow Creek,
which makes a sharp turn above the city.
As the noise grew louder ard louder. the
people became frantic. But in a moment
the van of the food burst into view around
the cabins and houses which stood in its
path:
The people made rush to the hills but
were too late. The food was upon them.
The little river is ordinarily 10 feet wide
and inches deep. In five minutes it was
transformed into roaring torrent 400 feet
vice and - feet deep. Houses were
| lifted from foundations and carried on the
swirling waters. Resistance was impossible.
Everythns was swept before the rush of
the fCod. Peop,e We're caught in their homes
and forced to crawl TO the roof. Then,
"a TIE house moved down the stream, they
caught onto trees and hung there until
morning when the. rSSPnai
The depot was left standing. also the
two warehouses containing 2.5c00oo pounds
OF wool
WAGON LOADS OF DEAD.
Elias Conner. a stock raiser of lone. re-
turned to lone from Heppner to-day. He
left the scene of the disaster at o'clock
last night and brings 'the latest news.
1t is now known said Mr. Conner.
that CT least 800 persons were drowned:
Us corpses have been hastily buried in
wooden boxes and some were merely
eral sEcn loads Of dead on their way 10
The cemetery when left the town. Heppner
Itself has row teel pretty well saarshed
except IN piles Of debris. where it is thought
great numbers OF bodies Will be found
Between Lore and Heppner," said NJ.
the food passed 50 quickly that the roads
have rot tecn seriously damaged The rail
rosd track, however. from Lexington or. is
1T looks strange to see the heavy steel
rails bent and twisted like coTkscrews ana
the heavy tirnbers splintered Ike match
wood.
In HeprEer itself the food swept clean
Path 4 mile long and two blocks vide
through the Town following generally the
course 81 Willow Creek.
Leslie Latlock. a young mar vas the
hero cf tie day. When the food firs; came
lie mounted horse and rode nj break
neck speed down the canon IN trent Of the
rushing water 10 notify the peops OF Lex
ington. 4 small town nine miles below. He
had to go over A rough and stony road. AMI
the night was dark and stormy.
He arrived at Lexington just few
minutes ahead OF the food. The people were
notified and Immediately left for the hill
side. When the food had passed only two
houses were standing.