The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-17
BY MIGHTY. WATERS
HOUSES SWEPT AWAY AS THOUGH
THEY WE'RE STRAWS.
TERRIBLE FATE OF HEPPNER.
STORY OF DESTRUCTION TOLD BY
AN EYEWITNESS.

ness Man of the Oregon Town,
Overlooked the Section Devastated
by the FIOOd-He Describes the
Scene as the Waters Rushed Past.
Great ROar Preceded the Rush OF
to Allow Escape.
lone, Ore, June 16.--David McAtee,
a business man of Heppner whose resi-
dence is on a rise above Heppner, was
an eye witness of the disaster. In COM
pany with Frank Spaulding, he left
Heppner about 1920 o'clock Sunday
night on horseback.
ION Sunday afternoon" said Mr.. Nc
Aztec, there had been a severe rain
storm, accompanied with much wind
and lightning. l was standing in front
of the house and noticed that cloud
of remarkable density approached 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 l saw a wall of water, the
hight of which l would be afraid to
gauge, rushing down the mountain,
carrying immense trees and timbers on
its crest and tearing away the very
rocks from their foundations.
THE terrific storm struck the upper
part of the town first. The residence
of Thomas Howard was the first to
fall, and his entire family was drown
ed. In the Krug home also, every
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 center.
Hotel WithstOOd 1t.
1.-The house of Abraham Hamsick
was entirely demolished. The Palace
Hotel was the first building to stem
the tide, and all the guests were saved,
but the houses below that structure
we're blown out into the street, over
turned and wrecked. The residence OF
G.. A. Rhea was carried away and the
entirely family, consisting of wife and
three daughters and Miss Adkins, a
cousin, were lost.
&C. E. Redfield, whose residence was
completely destroyed, was absent, but
his wife and baby were drowned.
"A. c. Gieger's house was carried
away. and Mr.. Gieger was drowned
His family is in the East.
George sConsor's house was reached
next. but the family succeeded in saw
ing their lives by rushing to the up
per stories,' the house being carried
down the creek three-quarters of
mile.
"Rescuers found that the house had
been cut in two, and Mr.. Censor was
standing in water UP to his neck, hold
ing his wife upon the roof and keep
ing her from slipping with his out
stretched arms. DR.. McSaw and j.
Ayers, who were living in the same
residence, were drowned.
story of Wrecks and Deaths.
oscar Miners house was demolished
and Mrs. Miner drowned. The rest
of the family succeeded in saving their
lives by clinging to the 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 Swaggert.
Mr.. Swaggert's two married daugh-
ters were drowned, with their five
children.
THE Mallory house was carried $50
yards and was found lodged against
store. Mallory, a crippled old man,
was found holding a baby.
James Matlock's house was next.
Mr.. Matlock was drowned, but his
family was saved.
"Dr. Higgs' 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.
''Mr. Barton succeeded in saving all
persons in his residence, although they
were badly bruised. The house itself
was washed away.
Fifty Guests Drowned.
perhaps the greatest loss of life oc-
CURED at the Heppner Hotel. This
house, run under the management Of
Jones e. Ashbaugh, was carried away.
1T is supposed that there were about
fifty guests in this hotel, all of whom
are reported to be lost. The proprie-
tors themselves were saved, but their
families are among the dead.
1.-The houses of Benjamin Patterson,
Mr.. Dunn and Mr. Noble were entirely
demolished, and all persons in these
three families drowned. as were the
families of James Jones and Henry
Blair.
"The barn Of DR.. swineburn and the
big livery stable of White & Meadows
were entirely destroyed.
&c. j. Farnsworth and Phillip COIN
were also drowned.
The entire residence portion OF Hepp-
ner was destroyed, but the business
houses. being on higher ground and be-
ing generally built Of brick and stone
were not 80 badly damaged. The school
house and Court House, which stand on
a side hill. were saved. but two
churches. the Methodist and Presbyte-
rian, were completely wrecked.
Around the depot the rising water
left great heaps Of drift wood piled
higher than the roof Of the station, ana
the Fesoulng parties were forced 70 &C.
mollsh these pyramids u timber 10
order 10 ezfucsfe the oorpaes which
u.