Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1903-06-19

Then other buildings moved and
| joined the march of the flood. On,
on it came, tearing up buildings,
rocking them OH its bosom and
throwing them off to one side total
wrecks. At last the hotel was
reached. Then the guests began
running to and fro, and the women
tainted and screamed. All was
bedlam. While the confusion was
at its height a two-story frame
house struck the hotel broadside,
and the guests thought the build
ing was going along with the rest
of the town.
The frame building lodged
against the hotel and bridge was
made of ladders to the roof and
three people were rescued. Then
came another building to the corner
of the hotel. This one failed to
lodge and was seen going down the
river. R. D. Ball, another travel
ing man. lent valuable assistance
in rescuing the unfortunate. In
the face of the flood, when it was at
its height, he carried Mrs. Elizabeth
Matlock from her floating house to
a place of safety. He was in the
thickest of the flood all the time,
and says that the force of water
was something terrible. Darkness
added its terrors to the suffering,
and cries of distress could be heard
on all sides, and relief was not to
be attempted.
N. T. Tooker, of the Fairbanks
Morse Company, Portland, who
was at .Heppner when the awful
disaster happened gives a graphic
description of the terrible affair.
He said the rushing torrent came
at $50 p. IN. when the most Of the
inhabitants were at their evening
meal. All were taken so suddenly
that nothing could be done to save
those who were caught in the rush
1nS WdGOA'
"a low estimate places the dead
at 200," said Mr.. Tooker. "The
town has population of about
1900, but this morning only about
one-half of the people of the town
could be located, We do not know
where they have gone, unless they
have gone down the stream. They
may have gone to the hills, but
this is doubtful. The whole affair
was one horribly sickening scene
with death and destruction being
spread on every side. From the
time the food came until the flood
went into the regular channel of
the creek flowing through town, it
was about two hours.
''It was about 5 o'clock when the
storm first started to gather to the
west of the city. 1t was a small
dark cloud at first, but it grew
rapidly worse, accompanied by
heavy wind and vicious lightning
It was undoubtedly the last heavy
flash Of lightning that caused the
water to fall in such an immense
body. 1t struck fairly in the can
yon Of Willow Creek, six miles
above town. There was no warn
ing until the mighty wall of water
had reached the town. People did
not have time to get from their
buildings. Those who were on the
streets shouted warnings to the
people as they rushed to the hills
for their lives. They did not dare
to turn back or they, too, would
have been swept away.
Fathers left wives and children
to perish, as they had not moment
to spare in some cases. Brothers
to save members of their
families, but it was too late, and
they were carried to their death
while returning. Those who had
reached the banks in safety i'm
formed themselves into
small rescuing parties, and work
was at once started in saving those
that could be reached. Ropes were
the only means we had. 1t was
useless to attempt to use other
means. Those who were in mid
stream could easily be seen. Their
pitiful cries for help could be heard,
but nothing could be done.
"We could only stand," said Mr..
Tooker, "and see them go to their
death. The rescuing work was
still going on when l came away
At 9 o'clock Monday morning.
When l was leaving 80 bodies had
been placed in the Heppner bank,
where doors had been thrown open,
and was used as a morgue. We
placed a guard over the bank all
night When we allowed the
public in at daybreak the scene
was something awful. Women
came to identify their little babies, {
their grown children and their
husbands. Fathers came to see !
heir dead wives and children.
When the people came in, no con- /
srol could be kept over them at all.
Mothers tainted, wives tore their
hair and men cried like little {
children. Women tainted, at the {
same time tearing their clothes {
nearly from their bodies. AS it
vas impossible to keep order all {
lad to be excluded and a COM
nittee formed to identify those
hat it was possible to identify.
The worst could not be seen until