The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-16
NEARLY ALL DROWNED
Few in the Floods Pathway
Had TINE to Escape.
A Long List of the known Dead
and Missing.

Portland Ore June 16.-A special to
the Oregonian from lone, Ore, says:
David McAtee, a business man of
Heppner, whose residence is on a bench
above Heppner was an eye witness of
the flood at that point. In company
with Frank SpauIding he left Heppner
about 1880 O'Clock Sunday night on
horse back.
ION Sunday afternoon. said Mr. Nc
Aztec. there had been a pretty severe
rainstorm. accompanied with much wind
and lightning 1 was standing in front
Of the house and noticed that q cloud of
remarkable denseness shrouded the top
of the hill on the east side of the can
yon I turned for d moment when a
roar caused me to look again at the
hill [ saw a wall of water. whose
height I would be afraid to gauge. rush
ing down the mountain carrying i'm
mense trees and timber on its crest and
tearing the very rocks from their foun-
dauons The torrent 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. as was the case in the Hale
and Sailing residences. All of these
houses were about four or five blocks
a boVe the business center. The resi-
deuce of Abraham Hamsick was entirely
demolished.
The residence of 6. A. Rhea was car
ried away and the entire family, con-
Eisting Of both wife and three daughters
and Miss Adkins. cousin. were lost.
Mr. Rhea himself was absent in
Portland. c. +. Redheld. whose resi-
dence was completely destroyed, was
also absent and his wife and baby
An ~ +1,c rz-slls es r,i4,- 4,,,+ +x,.r, ,,.e
lost and the house carried away. with
the Wells residence went the house OF
George Swaggart Mr.. SWaggart's two
married daughters were drowned with
their rve children.
Jim Matlock's house was next. Nh
Matlock was drowned, but his family
was saved
"Dr Higgs' house also went Here
one child was drowned. but the rest OF
the family escaped Mrs. Elder was
drowned i'm her residence The houses
or Mr. Boyd and Mr.. Walton were also
destroyed and both families lost
Perhaps the greatest loss of life oc-
curred at the Heppner hotel The
house was carried away. 1t is supposed
tnat there were about fifty guests in
ms hotel all of whom are reported 20
be lost The prOprietors themselves were.
saved. but their families are among the
dead The houses of Ben Patterson.
Mr Dunn and Mr. Noble We're entirely
demolished and all persons in these
]
the families of James Jones and Henry
Hlair =. j. Farnsworth and Philir
Cohn We're also drowned The entire
ieslderce portion Of Heppner was lie
stroyed. but the business houses bei,,.,
on higher ground and being generally
ol brick and stone. were not so badly
damaged. The school house and courl
mousse were saved. bur two churches
q" ere completely wrecked
Around the depot The rising water
leit great heaps of driftwood pil-,
higher tran the roof Of the station
snd me rescuing party were forced f..
demolish these pyramids Of tir1ber n
order TO extricate the corpses which
were tangled in the brush TTndoubted1v
many Of the drowned were carried bv
.is iuSnlne waters down the valley"
About 100 persons have been buried in
f1fppner's grave yard. Owing to the en-
slie absence of proper facilities for car
ing ioi the dead. the victims of the food
mon crates