Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-11-16
UNPARALLELED FLOODS.

property Destroyed Business Su, pended
"eavy Loss Of Property-Com munication
'nterrupted-Rumored Loss Of Life-Gov.
Mead Directs Officers Of the Washington
Uuard to Aid Citizens in Relieving Distress.
The flooded district in Western
Washington this month is unparal-
ieled. Several hundred square miles
In King aud Pierce counties are under
water, the homes of over 5000 families
have been placed in imminent danger
ot being damaged, aud at least $780,
ooo worth of property has been de-
stroyed. 1t Is reported that several
lives have been lost. Manufactures
In the flooded district have close,
wire communication has been serious
ly interrupted. The waters of White,
Green, Black, Duwamish and Stuck
rivers have contributed their flow to
this appalling disaster. The Northern
Pacific bridge on Stuck river was
washed away. Wednesday,, suspe nding
railroad traffic between Seattle and
Tacoma. Earlier the same day the
lnterurban had suspended service from
overiiowed tracks. The Northern Pa
cific service East has been by way of
Portland.
The waters of Green River are re-
ported two feet higher than during the
exceptional floods of 1903. when rail.
road traffic WAS suspended fortnight
or more. Three other bridges are re-
ported to have gone down at Buckley,
Hot Springs and Lester.
The Great Northern is likewise q
great sufferer from washouts of track
and landslides.
The Tacoma Eastern has suspended
traffic from a weakening OF the bridge
at Elbe, over the Nesqually.
The devastated district is reported
to stretch out in the form of . Y,
from two miles south of Georgetown
to Auburn, about Is miles to the
south and to Meeker in a southerly
direction. It is from two to six miles
wide, embracing in its area dozen or
more towns.
Eight passenger trains are reported
to be held at Leavenworth, on the
Great Northern route, three belonging
to that company and five to the North.
ern Pacific, which were en- route from
Spokane to the Coast, owing to the
floods on that road. A Great North.
ern train came very near going into
the river near Leavenworth. The
bridge had been washed out, but the
engineer discovered it in time TO stop
his train and avert q fearful disaster.
The Snohomish river is likewise
quito high and lowlands are flooded,
but the loss has not been very heavy.
All streams flowing from the Cascades
are very high, including the Snoqual-
mic. the Skykomish and the Stille.
gnamish.
Trains from Spokane for the Sound
are now being sent to Pasco aud over
the o. r. & N. Co.'S route via Portland.
So serious has been considered the
situation that Gov. Mead has directed
the Washington National Guard to
render all the service within their
power to the civil authorizes in re.
lieving distress.
Yesterday afternoon, the Tacoma
|
the bridge across the Cowltz had been
so weakened as to be unsafe, and
trains had ceased running. A train
had come in from Buckley being un-
able to 60 any further than Prescott,
the water being so high over the tracks
as to put out the fires of the locomo-
tive. Tacoma, Seattle, this city, and
indeed the whole Sound country is cut
off from the remainder of the world by
PROSTATE wires.
The cause of this remarkable food
can be attributed only to the wide
spread nature and continuity of the
rainfall the past fortnight. It is not
the season for the warm wave that
melts the snow on the mountain
ranges, and to arrive of true under.
standing OF the rare phenomenon will
be to discover the cause or nature of
the meteorologic conditions that have
resulted in such q general precipita.
ton.