White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1933-12-28
PRIEST RAPIDS VALLEY is ONE
OF FEW DISTRICTS TO
ESCAPE

Ravaged by the flood waters OF the
Cascade slopes, nearly all OF the Pacl-
fic Northwest was desolate today, With
the sun again shining through the
clouds and with colder temperatures
holding back the snow high IN the
mountains.
Abnormal rainfall and high winds
which melted most of the snow on the
mountain slopes swelled the normal
flow of Washington and Oregon
rivers, inundating farmlands in the
valleys, isolating cities and towns and
hating rail and highway traffic.
From the Pacific ocean to western
Montana and from British Columbia TO
the Columbia river on the south, Hoods
which began last week continued until
the first of this week, when colder tenn
peratures prevented more snow from
melting and rivers began gradually TO
recede leaving destitute families and
large property damage in their wake
Last Thursday the Yakima and
Naches rivers left their banks, Wlplng
out small bridges, sections OF rallroad
track, and tearing through highways
Families living near the banks Oh the
rivers we're forced to leave their homes'
and a large amount of livestock was
killed. Conditions grew worse during
the latter part of the week, with wafer
reported several feet deep IN the main
streets of the city. The Mckee brluge
was closed to traffic as were the nigh
way bridges at Union Gap and on the
Ellensburg highway.
Late Sunday the flood waters OF the
Yakima river covered the highway pc
tween Richland and KenneWick, cutting
off transportation facilities between the
two communities for several days. The
highway between Benton City ana
Kiona was also under water, all trafnc
| between KenneWick and the Priest
, Rapids valley being routed by way OF
Prosser, although conditions there were
also bad
Reports state that B. l.. Clark, VINO
several months ago traded property aC
White Bluffs for place northwest Oh
Yakima, had lost his house and belong
ings Earlier reports had stated that the
water was about ten feet over the top
of the house. The Clark family were
forced to leave their home Friday, pc
ing taken to safety by boat.
At Cashmere the waters OF Mission
creek and Peshastin creek rose rapidly
Thursday washing away ABOUT Illty
houses, causing hundreds OF people 10
q flee for their lives and destroying tele-
! phone and telegraph communications
= to all points.
y The Columbia river, while rising
: RAPIDLY, caused no damage IN eastern
Il Washington From The Dalles, Oregon
q to the mouth of the Columbia, how
ever there was considerable property
8 damage. and transportation and COM
,s nunication facilities were temporarily
n destroyed.
= Hundreds of holiday tourists were
d stranded in Ellensburg when foaas
a were blocked in all directions by the
"a rising Yakima river Only the Inland
,r Empire highway was open from that
citv. at one time there were fifteen
70 buses halted at that point.
4 Nineteen deaths in the NORTHWEST
at were caused by the floods and property
ye damage is as yet undetermined. IL Il
M estimated that damage to state h1gh'
v WAYS in the Yakima valley alone Woult
or amount TO a quarter of million DOL
lis lars.
A resume of conditions at the peal
nd of the floods is as follows:
ne Western Montana: Train schedule
e. disrunted and travellers delayed
lib Northern Il O.: Mullan, Burke
en- Wallace and Kellogg isolated by nood
I'll from cloudbursts Water SIX feet Gee
ny in some streets. Several blocks IN Lew
iston were flooded when dixie oroK'
on Eastern Washington: Spokane, low
10 lands flooded by Hangman creek; wall
ho Walla. surrounding loWlands nooded.
yer Central Washington: Ellensburg, a
en roads except Inland Empire highwa
!lo closed. holiday travellers maroonee
ne Cashmere. Mission and Peshastl
afe creeks flood lowlands, causing damage
Gle Elum, traffic blocked by sildes al
'l4o raging Yakima river.
Oh Southwest Washington: LongVle
I'VE and Kelso. rivers seven feet over noe
Inc stage Kelso covered to depth
me six feet by water; Aberdeen and III
dye 90 80. ,ou,,ands flooded.
ork 49,. sound. Tacoma. isolated
raging rivers and high tides; olympl
both north and south traffic halte
user Seattle surrounding lowlands part
Mr. inundated and transportation faciliti
ars impaired Auburn, Kent and Rento
MI. flooded. LaConner, under water; re
Angeles. several industrial plants forc
yed to shut down.
". British Columbia: Heavy damage
ported.