Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1903-06-20

and couriers were sent to wire to out
side towns, All day people from Nor
row, Gillian and Umatilla counties
have been arriving and there is an Inn
mense crowd tonight and plenty OF
helpers.
Burial Supplies Scarce.
The burial of the dead is vital
question. There is no way to take the
bodies out. and there are no undertake
ing supplies. Neither are there any
facilities for keeping corpses, which
are in almost every remaining house,
and are lying around in warehouses.
Undertakers from Pendleton, Walla
Walla, Milton and other towns are en-
route to arrive tomorrow.
The first news got out to Arlington
by David McAtee. Heppner courier.
Travel anywhere is most difficult, how
ever, because unusually heavy rains
and numerous waterspouts throughout
these thinly settled districts have left
roads here and there almost impas-
sable. 1t is dangerous travelling at
night. though rigs are coming from
every direction.
A commercial traveller named Baugh
made several brave rescues, Elizabeth
Matlock, whom he pulled from a hole
in a lumber yard, being one. man
named Kelly this morning found 6
months old baby, stiff, wet and muddy.
All its relatives had been drowned or
killed, and it was apparently dead
itself. When washed, given brandy
and blown on, the infant revived and
will live.
Many of the dead are badly mangled
with limbs broken and faces bleeding
and crushed through contact with
whirling wreckage. Identification is
possible, however, in most cases. Many
people were at church.
The extreme suddenness of the dis
aster is its peculiar feature. The fair
Willow creek bottom south Of Heppner
for % miles down is waste Ranchers'
houses are swept away, orchards are
torn up, alfalfa fields and wheat are
ruined and stock drowned. Over the
whole area debris of all descriptions is
scattered. 1t was the second bad time
for Heppner within a week. Three or
four nights ago a waterspout came
down near town, drowning some stock
and doing other damage, but destroy
ing no lives.
Relief is offered from many outside
points. Fifteen hundred dollars was
on hand here for a Fourth of July cele-
bration, and this will probably be de-
voted to the sufferers.
Follows Thunder Storm.
Early in the afternoon a thunder
storm occurred over a wide region OF
country and later a heavy rain storm
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.
AS soon as possible after the ter
rible food 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 o'clock in
the afternoon 800 bodies had been re-
covered, almost within the city limits
The buildings which were not carried
away were moved from their founda
tons or toppled over. Hundreds OF
cattle, horses, sheep and pigs that had
gone into the creek bottoms for water
persisted.
Communication Shut Off.
All means of communication was cut
off. AS soon as possible news was sent
by courier to nearby towns and meas
ures looking to the relief of the strick-
en- people were commenced. The Ore
gon Railroad e. Navigation company
started relief train from The DalIes
shortly after noon with a party of 100,
including three doctors, four nurses,
80 horses, blankets and supplies of all
kinds.
At 100 this afternoon a relief train
with doctors and supplies started for
the scene from this city. The citizens
Of Portland started a relief fund as
soon as the news of the disaster spread
over the city, and within a few hours
$4,000 was raised. Supplies will be rush
ed to Heppner as soon as they can be
assembled.
Fifteen buildings in the town of Lex
ington, nine miles below Heppner on
Willow creek, were washed away, but
there was no loss of life, the inhabi-
tants having had time to save them
selves from the surging torrent.
At lone, II miles away, considerable
damage was done to buildings though
no loss of life is reported from there.