The Dickinson press., 1903-06-20
FIVE HUNDRED DEAD
TOWN OF HEPPNER, ORE, PRAc.
TiCALLY WIPED OUT az
TREMENDOUS FLOOD.
Disaster Follows a cIoudburst and
Came With Such suddenness That
Places Of Safety-Three Hundred
Bodies Have Been Recovered and
Scores Of People Arc Missing.

Scores of People Arc Missing.
Portland. Ore. June 16.-Followins
cloudburst, wall of water twenty
feet high rushed down the gulch Of
Willow Creek at dusk Sunday and
drowned half of the 1880 Inhabitants
of Heppner, Ore. The furious water
carried the residences of Heppner
away. So great was the force Of the
water that boulders weighing q ton
were rolled along the gulch. crushing
everything in their path.
Wires, bridges and railroads were
swept away and complete reports have
not yet been received.
The most Trustworthy reports say
that the loss of life at Heppner will
be at least 500, though the number Of
dead probably is larger.
A report from lone, seventeen miles
from Heppner, says that 900 bodies
have been recovered. The food came
with such suddenness that the inhabi.
tants we're unable to seek places of
BY the awful rush Of water. Some Of
is on high ground. escaped.
Early in the afternoon a thunder
storm occurred, covering wide re-.
gion Of country, and later heavy
rainfall set In, many of the small
streams overflowing their banks in
short time. Bridges were swept away
like straws. and the darkness of the
night soon made the situation more
appalling.
Dozens Of Bodies Found.
As soon as possible after the doou
subsided the work of relief was be-
gun by the survivors.
Dozens Of bodies were found lodged
along the bends Of the stream, and in
several places they were piled two or
three deep. Up to 2 o'clock Monday
afternoon 200 bodies had been recov.
cred within the town.
Many of the buildings. which were
not carried away. were moved from
their foundations or toppled over.
. Hundreds of horses, cattle, sheep
and hogs, that had gone into the
creek bottoms for water. perished.
Fifteen buildings in Lexington,
nine miles below Heppner, on Willow
Creek, were washed away, but no loss
of life is reported. the Inhabitants
having time to save themselves from
the surging torrent.
Damage was done buildings at lone,
though no loss OF life is reported.
Word was received from lone late
in the afternoon that 800 cofIlns were
needed at once at Heppner. Tho
weather Is hot and It is necessary that
the dead should be buried at once.
One hundred collins were sent on
the Oregon Railway and Navigation
overland train at night, and 100 will
he sent from The Dalles and Portland.
The Portland office of the o. r. and
from Heppner, via Echo:
Need Aid to Recover Bodies.
Need relief in shape Of large body
Of men to help clear away debris and
recover bodies. Haste is essential, as
he weather Is turning warm and the
dead must be recovered before putre.
fication sets in.
Damage to track unknown, further
than ten miles below here. which to
that ponit Is more than two-thirds
washed out.
agent Herman and wife are pre-
snmably dead. as they have not yet
been found.
depot and all loaded and empty
cars still intact. but the yards are
washed away"
The Oregon Railway and Navigation
company has received information
that horseman rode ahead of the
flood and warned the people Of Lexing.
ton and lone, and by this means the
loss of life at those places was pre-.
vented.
A number of wool buyers from Bos-
ton are supposed to have been at
Heppner when the cloudburst occurred
and are supposed to have perished.
r. D. Ball rushed into the torrent
and rescued Mrs. Elizabeth Matlock,
but her husband. James Matlock, per.
ished. John A. Herman, the Oregon
Railway and Navigation agent. wired
the news to lone and then attempted
to escape from the rushing wall Of
water but he was carried down to death.