The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-06-26
FULLER DETAILS
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.
the Cemetery,

the Cemetery.
Later news from Heppner, Oregon,
show that the first reports Of the dis
aster were not exaggerated. The
casualty list will foot up 500 and many
a 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 us a conservative estimate.
One hundred and fifty Of the best resi-
denccS were swept from the earth.
The debris is piled along the railroad
track to the height of freight cars.
The relief work is progressing at !;
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 inl-
pending calamity.
: One or the most thrilling adventures
was that Of Tom Shutter, who with
his family, was Carried down stream
In his house for mile and half. His
wife and two children climbed into
the upper rooms. Below town it
crossed the creek TO tile 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 tho chill
dren and then rescued his wife.
HORRIBLE CONDITIONS.
n nF
bodies have been discovered or who arc
missing and believed to be dead as a
result Of the Heppncr flood, 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 Iunc, re-
turned from lIeppner ut , o'clock
Wednesday morning. He left the
scene Of the disaster ut 6 o'clock that
night.
1t is known" said Mr.. Connor,
that 1T least 275 or 300 people were
drowned, rs corpScs have been haSti-
ly buried III wooden boxes and some
were merely wrapped in blankets.
here we're still several wagon loads
OF dead on their way to the cemetery
when left, IIcppner itself has now
been pretty well searched, except in
piles OF debris, where it is thought
rcIt nu1flbors or bodies will be found.
-s3- Between lone and Heppner," said
MI Connor, there are great piles of
debris, but the flood passed so quickly
that the roads have not been serious
ly damaged. It looks strange to see
the heavy steel rails bent and twisted
like cork screws and heavy timbers
.Splintered like matchwood. In IIepp-
ner itself the flood swept clean path
a mile long and two blocks wide
through the town, going generally the
course of Willow crcck.o
AsURyIvoK's STORY.
Three men who survived the Hood
at fieppner ID. Ball, j. j. Kelley
and a. p. Bradbury--hayc arrived al
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 Heppncr, but could be seen
some distance away Sharp flashes Of
lightning were accompanied by the
howling thunder. Then suddenly the
thunder died away, and low noise
was heard, very faint at first but grow
louder. The city is situated on Will
low creek, which makes sharp turn
above the city AS the noise grew
louder and louder, the people became
frantic. Then in a moment the van
OF the flood burst into view around
the curve OF the creek, carrying on
It's crest the cabins and houses which
stood In It's path. The people made
rush to the hills, but were too late.
I'hc Hood was upon them. The little
river in five minutes was transformed
INTO 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"
lie SAW ITALL.
David McAtcc, Il business man of
lleppncr, was an eye witness of lie
disaster. In company with Frank
Spaulding he left dcppncr about O. 20
o'clock Sunday night on horseback.
On Sunday Afternoon" said Mr.. Nc
Atec, there had been Il severe rain
storm, accompanied with much wind
and lightning. l was standing in front
Of the house and noticed that Il cloud
OF remarkable density approached the
top of the hill on the east side of tho
(. canyon. | turned for a moment, when
Il roar caused me to look again at the
hill. saw Il wall OF water, the height
"of which | would be afraid to gauge,
rushing down the mountain, carrying
immense trees and timbcrS ON its crest
and tearing away the very rocks from
Their foundations. The terrific storm
struck the upper part of the town first
The residence or 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