Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-26
SITUATION At HEPPNER, ORE.
IMPROVING SANITARY CONDITION
GOES ON RAPIDLY.
Two Persons Have Gone Insane From
the Effects of the Disastrous Flood
More Dead Found-17o Bodies All
Told So Far-HeIp In Way Of Labor.
ers and Money Wanted.

Heppner, Ore, June 22.-The bat
effects of the great disaster at Heppnel
are now being felt on the residents OF
this city. Word has reached here that
Mrs. Sarah Stamp of Heppner, who
was visiting at Prescott, Wash, a
town a long distance from here, has
been committed to the insane asylum
at Medical Lake. She became insane
week ago yesterday. 1t is said that
while in Prescott she heard prophecy
of fortune teller that all Heppner
would be destroyed by a great flood.
The news to her was SO fearful that
she could not stand up under it and
she was driven into maddening rage,
and had to be sent to the insane hos
pital.
Word also comes from Willow juno
ton that John Gaglimo, French
sheepherder, is raving maniac. He
was just below Heppner when the
flood came. He rushed to the hillside
only in time to escape and see the men
who were with him perish by floating
down with the tide. Many people,
especially those who have lost all their
earthly belongings by the great flood
of a week ago, have not yet awakened
to the great enormity of their losses.
They are still under great excitement
and will be until the greater portion
of the debris is cleared away, all bodies
recovered and after greater portion
of the people who have come in to give
assistance have left.
Time after time can be heard on the
streets the prediction that people will
go crazy, commit suicide or commit
some rash act. Some Of the most
heavily afflicted have said they are
afraid their minds will become de-
ranged.
Work of improving sanitary condi-
ions is conducted rapidly under direc-
ion of DR.. Smith of Pendleton. The
lrst work Of cleaning up will be the
out of mud and slime from
cellars, wells and other deep holes
illed at the time the water rushed
,ver them. Engines are at work day
md night pumping out these places.
These are the places where 1t is ex-
,ected more bodies will be found. The
,odies are found right in town in I'M
places, while ruins and wet
mud are being taken from the street
,eds.
The dead are arriving extremely
slow, only two being found, j. L. Ayers,
/ pioneer of the county and sheep
,wner, and W. A. Fisher, Of Spray.
This makes the total recovered and
Identified no. Estimates greatly in
,rease the number of lives lost. which
will reach $50 or 275. The
bodies found are badly decomposed.
Ayers was buried this afternoon.
A heavy rain prevailed here for two
hours. This retarded work consider
ably, but was godsend, as it will
probably be the means Of saving the
rest of the town from destruction by
fire. Many of the debris fires were
Store buildings and only partially
ruined residences are being moved
back to their places. Services were
held in only one church Sunday and
those by outside ministers. The meet
ings were well attended and more
than ordinary interest taken. There
were numerous supplications offered
for the dead and bereaved.
Aid continues to come, but the
magnitude of the wreckage and de-
struction grows as time goes on. More
help in the way of money and laborers
is needed.
The executive committee has ap
pointed H. C. johnson, ]. X. Carr and
]. A, Thompson to examine and mark
all buildings that have to be torn down
and hauled away, such as are beyond
any redemption and repair. There are
many such buildings. 1t will be two
weeks before even the bulk of the
debris will be burned.
New Chief.
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