Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-15
Valley Towns Of Washington In
undated, Hundreds OF Farmers
Rendered Homeless.
THE RAILROADS ARE TIED UP.
VIII he Weeks Before Regular Train
Service Is Rcsumcd--loss VIII
BE Enormous.

Portland, or. Nov. l5.-Praotlcally the
last dispatch received from Seattle be-
fore all communication was lost was a
long special to the Morning Oregonian
telling Of the flood conditions prevailing
in that section Of Washington The
dispatch was fled early last night and
relates conditions existing since Tues
day night. when the first limitations
OF the real extent and possibilities OF
the flood were realized The dispatch
in part, Is as follows:
Floods in the White Stuck and Green
rivers, which began last night have
swept away miles OF railroad, inundated
all the valley towns, rendered hundreds
of farmers homeless and cost three lives
~. to date.
The three men lost I'm the foods were
drowned while fighting to break up log
jams that threatened railroad and
county bridges f. w. Kalmer OF Au-
burn, was drowned IN the White river
and two loggers employed by the Deck
or Lumber company lost their lives
while working In the Green river above
Auburn.
It will be two weeks before the North
ular train operations. The Great North
ern Is tied no for a shorter period, for
the trouble on that road is due To an
avalanche OF mud that swept out por-
ton Of the track.
Auburn, Kent, Obrien Benton, Orlllia
and half dozen smaller towns In the
valleys OF the three rivers are under
water Residents of Obrien were COM
PEELED at noon today to abandon their
homes and flee TO the hills. At Kent
a raging torrent is running through the
town ana Auburn will suffer extensive
damage unless the waters recede.
The employees of the Denny Ronton
Clay Works plant at Ronton were cut
Off by the flood this afternoon and had
TO remain co0ped up I'm the warehouse
until they could be rescued by boats.
Scores of farmers were saved by a
narrow margin but there may be some
loss OF life In the outlying districts that
cannot now be reached because Of the
prostration Ot all the telegraph wires.
The flood is the most serious known, ex-
ceeding In extent the DISASTROUS flood
OF 1903 that destroyed hundreds OF
thousands OF dollars worth OF property.
The Northern Pacifc's loss will be
enormous. Two steel bridges between
Hot Springs and Eagle Gorge, which
cross the Green river ans another
crossing the Stuck river near Dierin-
ger have been swept away. A great
deal OF trackage In the valleys IL under
water and may be washed away,
The complete tie-up o! the Northern
Pacific has stalled all trains here since
midnight last night. The North Coast
Limited did not succeed in reaching
Seattle last night. The Great Northern
Is unable 10 send out any trains Com
munication by boat at Tacoma enables
the Northern Pacific TO send passengers
south in that manner, The floods are
caused by a series OF rains lasting two
weeks and a Chinook wind that has
melted snow on the mountains.
Rain Is still falling and is expected
to continue Thursday.
At Kent the southern end OF the town
two miles wide was under several feet
Of water. In the heart OF the town the
White river has spread out for almost
three miles In width. leaving only a
small portion I'm the eastern end Of the
place above water. About o'clock this
morning the conditions OF the flood be-
came apparent and since thar hour the
water has risen steadily at the rate Of
two inches an hour, The business Sec
ton Of Auburn is still intact but under
water. The residence district IL en-
tirely flooded and In many parts OF the
city has risen so high that people have
fled to the hills for safety. Several
two-story farm houses swept away by
the raging torrent have iloated down
both the Green and White rivers. They
We're empty Though the rain IS still
pouring in torrents. huge bonfires are
lighting up the hills in the farming
country and about them are huddled
scores of families driven from their
homes and fighting desperately TO save
their stock and some OF their posses
sions The damage TO farming land and
the destruction 10 crops which has
been stored for the winter viii be enor-
nous
Danger Of loss OF life will be greater
tonight when in the darkness it will
be practically impossible for rescuers
TO lind the people huddled along the
river bank, and farmers who are still