The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-06-16
cLouDsURsT ALMOST TOTALLY
DESTROYS OREGON TOWN.
FINDING DEAD IN HEAPS
Three Hundred Bodies Recovered
Within Limits Of city-sur.
rounding Places Giving Aid.

~
appalling disaster in the history OF
this state, occurred last evening about
6 O'Clock when the town of Heppner
was almost entirely destroyed by a
cloudburst and probably 500 people
drowned. Heppner is the county seat
of Morrow county, and has about 1880
larger.
All telegraph and telephone wires
are down and no accurate information
can be secured. A report from lone,
seventeen miles from Heppner, states
that 800 bodies have been recovered.
A messenger who arrived at lone,
states a wall of water twenty feet
high rushed down the gulch in which
Heppner is situated and carried ev-
erything before it.
No Time to Escape.
The flood came with such sudden
ness that the inhabitants we're unable
to seek places of safety and were
carried down to death by the awful
rush of water. Almost the entire resi-
dence portion of the town was wiped
| out, but some ofthe business part
which is on higher ground escaped.
/ Huge boulders weighing tons we're
carried down by the. torrent and many
people were killed by being dashed
against the rocky bluff.
Early in the afternoon a thunder
| storm occurred over a wide region OF
country and later a heavy rainstorm
set in, many Of the small streams over
flowing their banks in an incredibly
short time. Bridges were swept away
like straws and the darkness of the
night soon made the situation more
appalling.
Dead Piled in Heaps.
AS soon as possible after the terri
BILE flood subsidized, the work OF relief
was commenced by the citizens of the
town. Dozens of bodies were found
lodged along the bends in the stream
and in several places they were piled
over one another.
Up to 2 O'Clock this afternoon, 3O0
bodies had been recovered almost
within the city limits. The buildings
not carried away were moved
from their foundations Or toppled
over. Hundreds Of cattle, horses
sheep and hogs that had gone into
the creek bottoms for water persisted
News of the calamity did not reach
the outside world until this morning
all e of communication having
been cut off. AS soon as possible
news was sent by courier to nearby
towns and measures looking to the
relief of the stricken people were
commenced.
Relief for Sufferers.
The Oregon Railway & Navigation
1 company started a relief train from
I the Dalles shortly after noon witt
9 a party of 100 including three doctors
four nurses, fifty horses, blankets an
Z supplies of all kinds. At 1880 thi
afternoon a relief train with doctor
and supplies started for the seen
from this city.
The citizens of Portland started
relief fund as DON as the news Q
the disaster spread owe the city an
within a few hours $4,000 was raisec
Supplies will be rushed to Heppne
< as soon as they cal be assembled.
Fifteen buildings in the town G
Lexington, nine miles below Heppnel
on Willow creek, were washed ava
but there was no loss of life, the IL
10 habitants having had time to say
u themselves from the surging torren
At lone, II miles away, ~considerabl
damage was done to buildings, thong
no loss of life is reported from ther'
Call for Coffins.
Word was received here from Ion
late this afternoon that 300 CONN
were needed at once. The weathe
u is hot and it is necessary the dea
10 should be buried at once.
Seventy collins were sent on the I
r. & N. tonight and more will be ser
from The Dalles and Pendleton. Tn
Portland Office of the o. r. & N. n
= ceived this message from Heppner vi
\ Echo: Roughly estimated almost a
the people living or the banks OF WI
low creek are drowned.