The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-03-04
NEARLY ALL RIVERS IN WASH.
lNGToN HAVE OVERLOOKED
THEIR BANKS.
COUNTRY IS GREAT LAKE
Flood Conditions Are Reported From
Almost all Sections Of the Northwest
to Make the Situation Still Worse
Trains Have Much Trouble.

Seattle. March 3.--Most of the rivers
their banks today. and the water con
,inues to rise. high temperatures melt
ing the mountain SNOW. The weather
forecast Is for warm weather through
cut the state OF Washington and light
rain for Puget sound.
All the lowiands between Seattle and
Tacoma are submerged. making an in
land sen miles In extent. The lines
of the White Black and Duwamish
rivers are lost In the smooth sea that
covers the land The flood came SO
gradually that no less Of life or cattle
occurred The ground has been like
soaked sponge for more than week
and depressions were already filled
with surface water when the swollen
streams slowly Tapped over their banks.
Currents formed through the already
inundated country when the rivers
broke from the channels and the water
crawled IN inch by inch until the
valleys were vast seas linked together.
Many farmers have moved into the
upper floors of their houses and 60
about their business in boats. In Lewis
county and along the chehalis river
all the way TO Gray's harbor similar
conditions prevail
The Northern Pacific Is having
trouble In keeping liz line open on
the west slope of the Cascades, Green
iirare being raging torrent. The
Northern Pacific does not speak hope
fully of the prospect of maintaining the
service To Portland. The rainfall has
been very heavy In Cedar river valley.
threatening 10 cut off Seattle's water
supply. The Milwaukee railroad.
which by turning the course Of Cedar
river endangered the city acquadnct.
l. making n hard fight to control the
river
Water Recedes.
colfax, Wash, March s-The flood
waters Of the Palouse river have re-
coded five feet since noon yesterday
and the recession reveals even worse
conditions than first reported. The
business section of the city is In awful
condition. Foundations of some build
ings have been undermined To such an
extent that extensive repairs will be
necessary; mud covers the streets I'm
some places to "A depth of several feet
and the floors of some of the principal
stores and warehouses are theily COW
cred with "A Shiny ooze.
The streets are in II depiorable con-
dition. and 1t will take many thou
sands Of dollars to restore them In "A
number of places sewers collapsed and
will have to be rebuilt,
Some sections of the city are
without water. but this condition Is
expected 10 be remedied In day or
two. In the meantime provision has
been made for supplying ali with fresh
water by means OF water carts, which
will deliver water 10 consumers MS
required. A survey of the city today
indicates that the loss will exceed yes
terday's estimates. Good & Co, con-
tractors. estimate the loss within tie
city limits Mt from sa5O,0OO to $4,000
while the loss In the outlying cOun-
Try. principally To tile railroad. Will
perhaps exceed that amount, The
Oregon. Railroad & Navigation com
pany IL In II deplorable condition be-
tween this city and Portland and 1t
may be several weeks before that por-
tion Of the road viii be restored To
normal condition.
Famine Relieved.
The fuel famine was relieved today
in "A slight degree by the gift Of a
carload of coal to the city by Super
intendent NJ. j. Buckley, of the o, r.
& ", who Is In the city superintend-
ing repairs to his road. The fuel Is
being doied out in small quantities to
those to whom II Is an absolute neces-
sity. In response TO n message from
Mayor Lippitt of this city. Mayor
Pratt Of Spokane shipped carload of
provisions to colfax, but 1t is stalled
beyond Tekoa by washouts and II is
not definitely known when Ii will get
through. Superintendent Buckley has
big repair game at work and hopes
that the line can be cleared by morn
irr.
In the meantime the people of Gar
field have sent part of a carload of
provisions.
There are estimated to be 400 per-
sons In colfax dependent upon the
hospitality of the residents of the
town. These included transents and
persons whose own homes have been
destroyed or who have been driven
out by the high water. The mayor
has, had sworn In many special po-
licemen who are patrolng every Sec
tion Of the town, People are not per-
mtted on the streets after nghtfall