Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-17
Hundred and Fifty Bodies Already Put
Away in Wooden Boxes.
ARE cRAzED WITH GRIEF
Tear Madly Through Streets Seeking
Perished Loved Ones
THRILLING RESCUE SCENES REPORTED
TeleEraphist SACRIFICES Life in Vain
Endeavor to Give News 20 world
whole Families sail Away
in Houses,

HEPPNER, Ore, June ls.-The work OF
burying the dead who lost their lives in the
terrible calamity Sunday evening has prog
ressed steadily today and this evening $50
bodies had been recovered and buried. At
least $50 more are missing and at this time
the most reliable estimates place the num-
ber of dead at 800. All day long help in the
shape OF provisions blankets and men
has poured in. The oregon Railway and
Navigation track was opened as far as
Lexington, nine miles away. this afternoon
and from now on the work of relief can
proceed more expeditiousy, as the wagon
road from here to Lexington is good and
supplies can be brought in by team In
few hours after they reach the end of the
railroad. 1t will probably be several days
before the track is opened all the way, as
the roadbed is washed out for almost the
entire distance.
The scene from the hillside overlooking
the town is one of desolation. Huge piles
of wreckage in many places fifty feet high,
fill the canyon for half mile below the
town. AS the debris which is covered
many feet deep by mud, is cleared away
more bodies are found. Immense boulders
Weighing tons were rolled along by the
flood and deposited in the midst of the
town or lodged against buildings.
Craaed People Frantic.
THE DALLEs, Ore, June 16-A tele-
phone message from lone says:
A pail of devastation and death hangs
over Heppner. Frantic, half crazed people
are charging about the ruins hunting for
loved ones. Dozens of families have been
wiped Gus.
| In the fifty-foot wall of water that
swept through the town dozens OF bodies
were carried down Willow canyon for miles.
In the rush of subslding waters during
Sunday night cries of distress were heard
| in monumental piles of debris and the irst
| volunteers worked like demons to hunt out
and find perishlng wounded but in many
cases II was too late by the time the VIC
tins were located in the darkness:
Among the Incidents of the catastrophe
was the saving of three lives by Julius
Keithley 70 years old. who rode one mile
and a half on the roofs Of houses and
pulled in three people from the food
Jim Herman, the oregon Railway and
Navigation agent, met his death at the
telegraph key trying TO raise Portland to
inform the OUTSIDE world of the impending
calamity.
His little daughter, Katie, who was saved
by remaining in the station house. saw her
father and mother lost in the whirl of the
mad waters. Katie stood by while her
father was calling the Portland ONCE
when the flood swept in tho lower floor and
curled around him. Mrs. Herman rushed
out of the house and started for a high
point OF ground. Herman bravely sought
to save his wife and both were lost.
One of the most thrilling adventures was
that OF Tom Shutter who. with his family,
we're carried down stream In his mouse for
a mile and half. His wife and two child
rem stepped into the upper rooms. Be
low town the house shot across the creek
TO the west side. where It lodged in the
debris, $50 yards from the canyon bank.
shutter then took his two little ones on his
, shoulder and swan 200 yards In the boiling
torrent He landed the children and then
! struck out for the house and rescued his
: wife. The Mcbride family, which was lost,
went down in their house.
A force of seventy-hve men are digging
graves on the hillside. Prompt measures
: are being taken to prevent a plague. The
: weather promises to become hot and a re-
: lief corps to clean up the town is badly
2 needed
t Dead and Missing.
IONE. ore, June 16.-A list OF the dead OF
p,issing, as nearly as known. is as follows
JAMES MATLOCK.
: MRS TOM MATLoCK.
I 8 HOCKEL AND TWO CHILDREN
SON OF WILLIAM AYREs
w. wALLEN, WIFE AND DAUGHTER
MANDY JONES
MRS. JAMES JONES
A. CREIGER.
t PERCY DAWSON. BABY AND TWO
BOYS.
MRS. NORA FLOREIN.
: MRS. ADA CURTIS AND BABY.
MRS NJ. c. e. REDFIELD.
BLANCHE REDFIELD.
= -. HERMAN.
;, VAsHTI ANDREWS.
: PEARL JONES AND FAMILY.
LANES WILLIS.
. FRED KRUG. WIFE AND FOUR chill
n DREN.
. MR.. AND MRS DAWSON AND FoUT
CHILDREN.
STOLTER FAMILY.
: TOM HOWARD. WIFE AND THREE
CHILDREN.
MBRIDE FAMILY OF SIX.
HARTMAN. WIFE AND FATHER.
LIPTZ AND CHILD.
ABE WELLS AND WIFE.
n, MRS ASHBAUGH AND SIX chill
ct DREN.
70 DIR. MSWARD.