Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-19
THREE HUNDRED BODIES HAVE
BEEN RECOVERED.
Two Hundred More Are Missing
Property Loss Will Also Be snor'
uous-Rescue Work Is Rushed
sickening Scenes at the Morsue-
Hail 6 Feet Deep on the Streets.

Sunday night. and 200 more are miss
ing. Property loss of 100000 is suf-
fcred. To add to the terrors of the
situation still another cloudburst, for.
tunately not attended by loss of life,
swept away property valued at s10,-
900. Heppner where thousands of dol
lars of the wealth of Morrow county
has been gathered for years, and
which was thrown into nearly com.
plete destruction by the immense
cloudburst of Sunday night, presents
one of the most notwithstanding scenes
that have come to any part of the ma
ton for years. The mighty current
moved its way directly through the
center of the town, leaving standing
only the buildings on the hillsides of
the canyon. The path of ruin covers
a stretch from $50 yards in the narrow
est part of city to 800 yards in the
widest part.
The work of searching for the dead
is progressing under intense pressure.
Three hundred bodies have been re.
covered, and it is estimated that 200
are still missing. The dead have been
taken from New Fallon creek, and the
work is concentrated on the hundreds
of piles of debris throughout the zone
of destruction. The loss of property
can not be estimated, but it is thought
to be 100000 or much more.
Never in the history of wreckage
of flood was such great disaster
wrought in such a short time. 1t was
all brought about in less than two
hours. The torrent which brought
death, ruin and destruction to this
quiet but prosperous town, came from
Willow creek. This canyon, which is
to the south of the town, never carries
water only in the springtime. 1t was
perfectly dry up to only few min
utes before the flood came. The cloud.
burst came six miles above, and it was
of such magnitude that when it came
down it covered an area of three
square miles.
Willow Creek canyon is fed by mum.
erous small gulches, and this aided to
fill the canyon with an ocean of wa
ter. The water moved in solid body.
The mouth of the canyon, just at the
town, is exceptionally narrow, and
when the water reached there it piled
mountain high, resting for moment,
then lunging forth. 1t gave no warn
ing, and while families were preparing
to spend a quiet Sunday evening, the
hand of death was on them.
The greatest ruin was near the creek
proper.
Jam after jam was created by the
larger buildings and trees which stood
in the path of death and ruin. In the
jams the water would pile sometimes
40 feet high, rest for moment and
then leap forth to another place. Build
ings were shattered like matchwood,
poles and green trees to the thickness
of 20 inches were snapped off as easily
as the breaking of a pipe stem.
Crushed by Shifting Timbers.
The leaping of the water and the vic.
lent and rapid shifting of timbers are
what created such long list of dead.
People trying to make their escape
were in many instances killed instant.
ly and not drowned. Some people who
were knocked to the ground; others,
Just as they We're grasping helping
hand. were swept from their feet and
lost in the tide. Although the roaring
of the flood deadened almost every
sound shrieks of sorrow and terror
could be heard family on every side,
At the Morgue.
Probably the most sickening point
of the present activity is at the
morgue, Roberts hall. Every few min
utes a new victim is brought to the
place in rough, heavy wagons, which
are constantly driving to the great
piles of debris. When brought in the
victim can only be recognized as that
of human body. The bodies are COW
cred with mud, slime, grass and weeds.
Fully so men and women await at the
! hall to hurriedly dress the bodies,
which are Immediately carried away TO
the cemeteries. People looking for
missing relatives are in waiting. and
as the wet earth is gradually cleaned
from the faces of the victims shrieks
of pain agony and terror can be heard
from men and women. Brave women
are giving assistance at the morgue.
People who at other times would
swoOn before such sights, do the work
calmly and with only an expression
of agony and sorrow on their thln
faces. The bodies are quickly bathed.
wrapped in coarse white cloth, placed
in rough boxes and then carried to the
| burying ground where n large crowd