Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-17

The depot was left standing, also tn,
two warehouses, containing $500, 900 pounds
of wool"
Eye witness Describes Scene.
PORTLAND, Ore, June ia special tC
the Oregonian from lone Ore, says:
David McAtee. a business man of Hepp
ner, whose residence is on bench above
Heppner. was an eye witness Of the dis
aster In company with Frank spauldins
he left Heppner about 1920 o'clock Sunday
night on horseback. .-..
ION Sunday afternoon" said Mr.. McAtee
there had been pretty severe rain storm
accompanied with much wind and lightning
l was standing in front of the house and
noticed that cloud of remarkable dense
ness shrouded the top OF the hill on the east
side of the canyon. 1 turned for moment
when a roar caused me to look again at the
hill. 1 saw a wall of water, whose height
would be afraid to gauge, rushing down
the mountain, carrying immense trees and
timbers on it's crest and tearing the very
rocks from their foundations. .
THE torrent struck the upper part of the
town first. The residence of Thomas How
ard was the first to fall and his entire
family was drowned. In the Krug home
also every person was drowned, as was
the case In the Hale and Sailing residences" Il"
Continuing Mr.. McAtee said:
All of these houses were about four or
ive blocks above the business center. The
tlrely demolished The residence OF G. A.
Rhsa was carried away and the entire
family, consisting of wife and three daugh-
ters and Miss Adkins, a cousin was lost.
Mr. Rhea himself was absent in Portland.
9. 70. Redheld whose residence was com
pletely destroyed, was also absent ana his
wife and baby were drowned -
All OF the Wells family but two were lost
and the house carried away. With the
Wells residence went the house of George
Swaggert. Mr.. swaggert's two married
daughters were drowned with their five
children Kim Matlock's house was next.
Mr. Matlock was drowned, but his family
DR.. Higgs' house also went Here one
child was drowned, but the rest OF the
family escaped. Mrs. Elder was drowned
The house of Mr.. Boyd and Mr.. Walton
were also destroyed and both families lost
Hotel il Swallowed Up. {
Perhaps the greatest loss Of life occurred
at the Heppner hotel 1This house was car
ried away 1t Is supposed that there were
are reported to be lost The proprietors
themselves were saved. but their families
are among the dead.
The house Of Ben Patterson, Mr.. Dunn
and Mr.. Noble were entirely demolished
and all persons in these three families
drowned, as were the families of James
and Phillip Cohn were, also drowned
The entire residence portion of Heppner
was destroyed, but the business houses
being on higher ground and being generally
of brick and stone, were not so badly dam
aged. The school house and court house
were saved, but two churches were com
pletely wrecked. ,.fll
Around the depot the rising water left
great heaps of driftwood piled higher thar
the roof OF the station. and the rescuing
party were forced to demolish these pyra-
mids Of timber in order TO extrieate the
corpses which were tangled in the brush
Undoubtedly many OF the drowned were
carried by the rushing waters down tho
valley. 5, -taH
About 400 persons have been buried In
Heppner's grave yard Owing to the en-
tire absence OF proper facilities for carirs
for the dead. the victims Of the hood were
for the most part inferred in common
crates.