East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-12-22
Culverts Break in Rushing Wa
tiers of Wild Horse Creek
Leaving Chasm in Highway;
Track Remains Intact.
DAMAGE TO ROAD is
ESTIMATED AT $1,000
Injury to 70 Feet of Pavement
Only Known Damage to Tho
roughfares; River Lower;
90 Mercury Lessons Danger.

Undermined by the roaring torrent,
OF Wild Horse creek. paving at the
culverts of the crossing below Sake
station near Pendleton broke under
the strain at about 1890 Saturday
night forming n chasm filled with
rushing water. broken fragments OF
concrete, mud and stones. Seventy
feet of paving was damaged.
Today county bridge crew of 90
men is at work on temporary repairs
which will make travel to Walla Wal
la possible by this evening. Perma-
nent repairs will be made later. The
damage is estimated at $1,000 and is
the only known damage done to coun-
ty roads.
Residents of the SAKE station dis
trict say that the pavement had been
threatening to give way since p. m.
Saturday. 1t is thought that the un-
usual rush of water was in part due
TO the fact that the railroad bridge
above SAKE was unable to control the
water.
The water came down I'm two floods,
one on each side of the O.-W. r. & n.
railroad track, which remained in
tact In spite OF the breaks at either
cuIverts. then washed away the soil
beneath the pavement. Left without
support from beneath. the pavement
broke in two.' The jagged tear pre-
sented an unusual sight and all day
yesterday motorists made trips to the
scene Of the disaster
4s-asg Water lower To-day.
Word front the Ralph Tachella
ranch near SAKE today says that the
water Is considerably lower. Travel
ers are making detours by taking the
road from Lee street bridge, and then
coming onto the pavement beyond
SAKE. The reservation road is running
with streams OF water. Walla Walla
Pendieton trains are being routed by
way of Umatilla.
Along the pavement to SAKE. the
water yesterday ran in two swift
streams at either side of the road.
Running in the bitches at the sides of
the pavement. the water was kept
from inundating the road because of
snow at the sides. In some places
however. the water covered the pave
ment.
All ranches along the road have
suffered because of the flood and the
mark of the waters course can be seen
plainly. The streams came to the
very doors of the Chamberlain ranch
homo near Pendleton.
Signs of Flood Seen.
West Pendleton is nigh and dry to-
day. but the sign of the flood can be
seen In the mass of mud and rocks
washed into streets and yards by the
rising water. The two bridges at the
end of Webb street held. but there is
mud to the railings on each side. Wa
ter has receded from the Forshaw res
idence. The Oregon trail boulder,
erected by Ezra Meeker withstood the
ravages of the flood but is surrounded
by a sea OF mud.
Lower Temperature Helps.
The river and other streams are
much lower today and II is thought
that last nights temperature caused
lessening of danger of continued high
water. The mercury dropped to the
freezing point.
Farmers are regretting that the
thaw came with such rapiditv, as the
run-off Is great and the ground is
frozen beneath. Even where the
ground is flat they declare, the mois-
ture is not sinking in to any great ex-