Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1903-06-17
HORROR At HEPPNER
Graphic Description by a Man Who
Witnessed Same.
WAS AWE INSPIRING.
Residences We're Swept From Their
Locations rs II They We're Me-
Atoms and Hundreds Of
Occupants Drowned.


David McAlee. business man OF Hepp-
ner. whose residence Is on a branch
above Heppner. was an eye witness to
Sundays cloudburst. Ia company with
Frank spauldlng ne left Heppner about
$50 o'clock Sunday night on horseback.
ION Sunday afternoon" said Mr.. Me
Alec. there had been severe rain
storm. accompanied by much wind and
lightning. I was standing In my house
and noticed that a cloud OF remarkable
denseness approached the top OF the hill
on the east side OF the canyon. turned
for a moment. when a roar caused me
20 look again az the hill. I saw
wall OF water. whose height l would he
afraid 20 gauge. rushing down the
mountain. carrying immense trees and
tlmbers on It's crest and tearing every
rock from It's foundation. This terrific
storm struck the upper part OF town
first. The residence 81 Thomas Howard
was the first to fall. and his entire
family was drowned In the Krug home
also every person was drowned. as was
the ease at ID. Hale's and Stilling's
home. These houses were about four
blocks from the business center. The
house Of Abraham Hamsick was COM
pletely demolished The Palace hotel
was the FIRST building to stem the tide
and all It's guests were saved. but all
houses below the Palace hotel were
blown out into the street. overturned
and wrecked The residence OF G. A.
Rhea was carried away and his en-
tire family. consisting OF his wife. three
daughters and Miss Adkins. "A cousin.
was lost. Mr.. Rhea himself was absent
at Portland attending the Masonic con-
vention. G. T.. Redheld. whose house
was completely destroyed. was also
absent with Mr.. Rhea. Mr. Redheld's
wife AMI baby were drowned. The body
OF Mrs. Redheld has been recovered A.
G. Gieger's residence was carried away
and Mrs. Gieger drowned. His family
II In the east. George COnsers house
was next, but his family succeeded in
saving their lives by rushing TO the up
per stories, the house being carried
down the creek three-quartsrs OF a
mile. when reached by rescuers. they
found the house had been cut in two
and Mr. Conser standing In water up
60 his neck. holding his wife upon the
roof and keeping her from slipping with
outstretched arms DR.. McSward and
J. Ayres. who were living In the same
residence. were drowned. Oscar Miners
house was next demolished and Mrs.
Miner drowned. The rest Of the family
succeeded In saving their lives by cling
ing 10 the roof All OF the Wells family
but two we're lost and the house was
carried away. with the Wells residence
went the house OF George Swaggert.
Mr.. Swaggerts two married daughters
were drowned. with their five children.
The Mallory house was carried $50
yards and found lodged against a store
and Mallory. a crippled old man. was
found safe holding the baby. Jim
Matlock's' house was next Mr. Mat
lock was drowned. but his family was
saved. DR. Hlggs' house also went
Here one child was drowned. but the
rest OF the family escaped. Mrs. Elder
was drowned IN her residence. The
houses Of Mr. Boyd and Mr.. Walton
were also destroyed and both families
lost.
"Perhaps the greatest loss 81 life oc-
CURED In the Heppnor hotel This
house. which r. run under the manage
ment Of Jones a Ashbaugh. was ear
ried away. 10 is supposed there were
about sixty guests in the hotel. all ~
whom are reported 10 b. lost. The
proprletors themselves were saved. but
their families are among the dead.
"The houses OF Ben Patterson. Mr..
Dunn and Mr.. Noble were entirely de-
mollshed. All persons In these three
families were drowned. as were the
families OF James Jones and Henry
Blair. The barn Of Or. Swineburn and
the big livery stable 81 Whites &
Meadows were entirely destroyed. r. ].
Farnsworth and Philip Cohen were also
drowned
The entire residence portion u Hepp-
ner was destroyed. but the business
houses. being on higher ground and
being generally built u brick and stone
was not 90 badly damaged. The school
house and courthouse, which stand on
the side of a hill. we're saved. but two
churches. Methodist and Presbyterian.
were completely wrecked.
Around the depot the rising water
left great heaps Of driftwOod piled
higher than the roof Of the station and
rescuing parties were forced 10 demol-
ish these pyramids by dynamite In or
der to eXtricate persons who were
buried underneath. Many drowned
bodies we're carried by the rushing wa
ter down the valley"
No Systematic EFFORT has yet been
made to find the dead who are un-
doubtedly strewn along the canyon
Every available man from a radius Of
sixty-hve miles has been pressed into
service az Heppner itself Gangs OF
men are az work clearing away the
piles Of debris. rocks and tlmbers which
lie piled IN heaps In ieppner's streets.
and taking out corpses which are thus
concealed. owing 10 the entire abence
OF proper facilities FOR caring for the
dead victims progress II slow.