The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-17
Later Reports of Heppner
Disaster.
Continued from First Page.)

The Palace Hotel was the first building
to stem the tide and all the guests were
saved, but the houses below that structure
weer blown out int 0 the street. overturn-
ed and wrecked. The residence of G. A..
Rhea was carried away and the entire
family, consisting ofwife and three daugh-
ters and Miss Adkins, cousin, were lost.
G. E. Re.fleld, whose residence was COM
pletely destroyed. was absent but his wife
and baby were drowned
| A. C. Giegcrs house was carried away
and Mr.. Gieger was drowned. His family
ism the East
Geo. Consor's house was reached next
but the family succeeded In saving their
lives by rushing to the upper stories. the
house being carried down the creek three
quarters of mile. Rescuers found that
the house had been cut in two and Mr.
Censor was standing in water up to his
neck, holding his wife upon the roof and
keeping her from slipping, with his out
stretched arm. Mr.. McSwat and j. Ayers,
who We're 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
clinging to the roof. All Of the Wells
family but two were lost and the house
was carried away. With the Wells resi-
dence 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
was found lodged against store, and Mr..
Mallory, a crippled man, was found safe
holding a baby. James Matlock's house.
Mr. of b,,E Z. l.,
was saved DIR. Riggs also went
Here one child was drowned but the
rest of the family escaped. Mrs Elder
was drowned in her residence The house
of Mr.. Boyd and of Mr.. Walton were also
destroyed and both families lost.
'Mr. Barton. succeeded in saving all
persons in his residence, although they
were badly bruised. The house itself was
washed away.
Perhaps the greatest loss Of lie oc-
CURED at the Heppnef hoLel. This house,
which was run under the management of
Jones and Ashbaugh was carried away. 1t
is supposed that Jnere were about fifty
guests in this hotel, al4 of whom are re-
ported to be lost. The proprietors them
selves were saved but their families are
among the dead.
THE house of BENJAMIN Patterson Mr.
Dunn and Mr.. Noble were entirely demol-
ished and all persons in these three families
drowned, as were the famlnes of James
Jones and Henry Blair. Inc barn Of DR..
Swineburn and the livery stable of
White and Meadows were entirely de-
stroyed E. ]. Farnsworth and Philip
Cohn were also drowned. The entire res
idence portion of Heppner was destroyed
but the business houses, being on higher
ground and being generany built of brick
and stone, were not so badly damaged.
The school house and court house, which
stand on a hill, were saved, but two
churches. the Methodist and Presbyterian,
were completely wrecked.
Around the depot tue rising water left
great heaps of drift wood ped higher
than the roof of the station and the res
cuing parties were forced to dcmohsh --e
pyramids of timber in order to extricate
the corpses which were tangled in the
brush. Undoubtedly many of the drowned
bodies were carried by the rushing waters
down the valley
Gangs of men are at work clearing
away the piles of debris, rocks and tim
bers which lie piled In heaps in the streets
and taking out the corpses. which are
thus concealed