The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-06-26
Of the Great Flood that Destroyed
Heppner Oregon.
DESCRIPTION BY EYE WITNESS
Wall Of Water Rushed Down Noun.
tain Side. Wagon Loads Of
Corpscs Are Castcd to
the Cemetery.

sS>10SA nSAS NV Sao6SShouSds dC
casualty list will foot up 500 and many
of the bodies will never be recovered.
The property loss and destruction of
buildings alone will aggregate prob.
ably million dollars. This is re.
garded as a conservative estimate.
One hundred and fifty Of the best resi-.
denceS were swept from the earth.
The debris is piled along the railroad
track to the height Of freight cars.
The relief work is progressing ut q
satisfactory pace. James Herman, tho
Oregon Railway and Navigation com
pany agent, met his death at the tclc-
graph key trying to call Portland tC
inform the outside world Of the i'm.
pending calamity.
One Of the most thrilling adventures
was that Of Tom Shutter, who with
his family, was carried down stream
in his house for mile and Il half. His
wife and two children climbed into
the upper rooms. Below town it
crossed the creek to the west side,
where it lodged in debris $50 yards
from the canyon bank Shutter then
took his two little ones and swan a
hundred yards. He landed the chill.
dren and then rescued his wife.
HORRIBLE CONDITIONS.
The names OF lS9 persons whose
bodies have been discovered or who are
missing and believed to be dead as a
result Of the Heppner Hood, have
been obtained. In addition to the
bodies Of seven Chinese, three Japanese
and 81 strangers and babies, names
unknown, go to swell the list. Elias
COnnor, Il stock raiser Of lone, re-
turned from lIcppncr ut , o'clock
Wednesday morning. He left the
scene Of the disaster at 6 o'clock that
night.
1t is known" said Mr.. Connor,
that at least 275 or 300 people were
drowned, rs corpscs have been haSti-
ly buried III wooden boxes and some
we're merely wrapped in blankets.
L here were still several wagon loads
Of dead on their way to the cemetery
when left. Hcppner itself has now
Z been pretty well searched, except il
piles Of debris, where it is thought
sS Z ietst t-n n1 bols of bodies will be found.
53ls, Between lone and Heppner,n sale
ts Mr.. Connor, there are great piles OF
debris, but the flood passed SO quickly
that the roads have not been serious
ly damaged. 1t looks strange to see
the heavy steel rails bent and twisted
like cork screws and heavy timbers
.splintered like matchwood. InIIepp-
ner itself the flood swept clean path
a mile long and two blocks wide
through the town, going generally the
course of Willow creek"
SURVIVORS STORY.
Three men who survived the flood
:at Heppner ID. Ball, j. j. Kelley
and a. p. Bradbury--have arrived at
Portland Oregon, after having wit.
messed the destruction Of the town
:and assisted in the work of rescue.
Mr.. Kelley said: 'rhe rain was not
falling in Heppner, but could be seen
some distance away Sharp flashes OF
lightning were accompanied by the
bowling thunder Then suddenly the
thunder died away, and low noise
was heard, very faint at first but grow
louder. The city is situated on Viii
low creek, which makes sharp turn
above the city. AS the noise grew
louder and louder, the people became
frantic. Then in IL moment the van
or the Hood burst into view around
the curve OF the creek, carrying on
its crest the cabins and houses which
stood in It's path. The people made
rush to the hills, but were too late.
The Hood was upon them. The little
river in five minutes was transformed
into a roaring torrent 400 feet wide
and 20 feet deep. Houses were lifted
from their foundations and carried on
the swirling waters. People were car
ried away in their homes and forced
to crawl out on the roof. Then as
the houses moved down the stream
they caught on to the trees and hung
there until morning. When they were
rescued"
HE SAW ITALL.
David McAtce, Il business man of
llcppncr, was an eye witness Of the
disaster. In con- pany with Frank
Spaulding he left IIcppncr about l 0. 30
o'clock Sunday night on horseback.
"On Sunday afternoon said Mr. Nc
Aztec, there had been Il severe rain
storm, accompanied with much wind
and lightning. l was standing in front
Of tic house and noticed that cloud
OF remarkable density approached the
top OF the hill on the east side Of the
canyon. turned for a moment, when
Il roar caused me to look again at the
hill. ] saw wall Of water, The height
OF which | would be afraid to gauge,
rushing down the mountain, carrying
immense trees and timDcrs on its crest
and tearing away the very rocks from
their foundations. The tcrrilicstorm
struck the upper part Of the town first
The residence OF Thomas Howard was
, the first to fall and his entire family
was drowned. In the krug home also
every person was drowned, rs was the
case in the Hale and Sailing residences
A II OF these houses were about four or
live blocks above the business centre.
The house OF Abram IIamsick was
demolished. The Palace hotel
WAS the first building to stem the tide
and all the guests we're saved, but the
houses below that structure were
blown out into the street, overturned
and wrecked The residence Of G. a.
Rhea was carried away and the entire
family, consisting OF wife and three
daughters, and Miss Adkins, a cousin,
were lost.
"C. %. Rcdtield, whose residence was
completely destroyed, was absent but
his wife and baby were drowned