The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-06-17
THE
HEPPNER DEAD
Hundred Cloudburst Victims Inferred
In Wooden Crates.
PORTLAND SENDS COFFIEs.
Death List viii Probably Exceed
Four Hundred-Harrowing story
OF sundays Disaster Told
by an Eyewitness.

TIC bVulte OF @bU NicumS OF SUNDAY
nights disaster have been found. Two
hundred more are supposed to be hid.
den in the ruins or TO have been swept
down the valley by the torrent. An
estimate places the total number of
dead at 400.
Word has been received here that 300
collins are needed at Heppner. The
weather is warm, and it is necessary
that the dead be buried at once. One
hundred collins have been sent on the
Oregon Railway and Navigation over
land train, and 100 each will be sent
from The Dalles and Portland.
Every available man from q radius
Of sixty-fiye miles has been pressed
into service at Heppner. Gangs Of
men went to work clearing away the
debris, rocks and timbers which lay
piled in heaps in the streets, and they
took out many corpses that had been
thus concealed.
Elias Conner, stock raiser of lone,
has returned from Heppner.
1T Is now known said Mr., Conner,
"that at least 275 Or 800 people were
drowned ll5 corpses have been hastily
buried in wooden crates and some
were merely wrapped in blankets.
There were still several wagon loads
Of dead on their way to the cemetery
when | LETT. Heppner itself has now
been pretty well searched, except in
piles of debris, where it Is thought
great numbers Of bodies viii be found.
Between lone and Heppner,n said
Mr.. Conner, there are great piles Of
debris, but the food passed SO quickly
that the roads have not been seriously
damaged.
1T looks strange to see the heavy
steel rails bent and twisted like cork
screws and the heavy timbers spin
tered like matchwood.
In Heppner itself the flood swept al
clean path a mile long and two blocks
wide through the town. following gen
orally the course Of Willow creek"
story of an Eyewitness.
A dispatch from Echo, Ore, quotes
n. l. Tooker Of Portland, who witness
ed the Heppner disaster as follows:
From the time the food came until
it went into the regular channel Of the
creek flowing through the town was
about two hours 1t was about )
o'clock when the storm first started t.
gather TO the west of Heppner 1t wa.
small, dark cloud at first, but ii rap
80
heavy wind and lightning. 1t was un.
doubtedly the last heavy crash of light
ming that caused the water to fall in
such an immense body 1T struck fair
Is in the canyon Of Willow creek, six
miles above town, and there was no
warning until the mighty wall Of wa
ter had reached town. AS it came
rushing down the creek bed it tore
down everything in its path. When it
reached Heppner the water was more
than fifteen feet high, splashing, fail
ing, leaping and creating mighty,
roaring, rushing flood.
''Those who were on the streets
shouted warnings as they rushed mad
" to the hills for their lives They did
not dare to turn back or they, too,
would have been swept away.
Fathers Leave wives and Children.
Fathers left wives and children to
perish as they had not moment Ia
spare. In some cases men returned to
save members Of their families, but Il
was too late, and many were carried
to their death while returning. Those
who had reached the banks in safety
Immediately formed themselves into
rescuing parties and started in to save
those that could be reached. Ropes
were the only means that we had It'll
was useless to attempt to use other
means. Those who were in midstream
could easily be seen. Their cries fol
help could be heard, but nothing could
be done. We could only stand ana see
them 90 to their death.
1T is estimated that the damage
done to property alone was 100000.
Some Of the brick and stone buildings
were moved from their foundations
THE goods in several buildings were
saved. When these merchants opened
for business they sent word to the re-
lief committee to come and take what
goods were wanted. People were COM
ing In from all directions to the assist
ance Of the suffering. They could not
come by rail, for nine miles Of the
track below town was washed away.
All wire communication was pros
trated
Leslie MatIock. young man, was
the hero Of the day. When the food
first came he mounted a horse and
rode at breakneck speed down the can
yon, in front Of the rushing water, to
notify the people Of Lexington, a
small town nine miles below. He had
to 90 over a rough and stony road and
the night was dark and stormy. He
arrived at Lexington just few min
utes ahead Of the flood. The people
were warned and Immediately left for
the hillside. When the flood had |
passed only tive houses were stand
ing"
A Cheerful Gathering.
Saratoga. NJ u. June IL. The New