Evening star., 1948-06-01
By the As,ocioted Press

PORTLAND, Greg. June l.
The Columbia River flood, which
already had taken a toll of at
least 20 lives and property loss
of more than $37,OOO,000, forced
mass evacuation today of a 100
mile section at the lower end OF
the stream.
The river already had caused the
Pacific Northwests greatest disaster
as it's crest approached the rich
farmlands from the Portland area
to the sea. Army engineers gave
the warning to evacuate, but said
many of the thousands of residents
already had fed.
The toll of dead will not be known
until the waters recede. No es-
innate of damage throughout the
area was available, but the Portland
Housing Authority said damage at
the destroyed war-houslng city OF
Vanport was s27,OO0,000. The only
other estimate was $10,000000 dam
age in the Kelso, Woodland and
kalama district OF Southwest
Washington. Those were only two
small areas affected.
Before the destruction OF Van
port Sunday, Army engineers hao
predicted the Columbia and its trlo-
utaries would cause total loss OF
s3OOoO,00O. The engineers now re-
fuse to make any kind of an es-
innate.
Downtown Portland Flooded.
The river, second largest in the
Nation in amount OF water dlS-
charged, is at flood stage for 750
miles. The crest will reach the
Portland area tonight or tomorrow.
Part of Portlands downtown area,
including the Union Station, was
under water today after the Will
liamette River topped the seawan.
The station Is Portlands only rail-
road depot, and trains were unable
to use it.
In North Portland, where more
than $4,000 persons were left home
less by Vanport's destruction,
the flooded area was tripled by the
bursting of two more dikes. On top
OF these two dikes were the ap-
proaches to the Pacific Highway,
principal north-south route.
The breaking of these dikes left
5 square miles under water. with
houses from Vanport pouring
through both gaps. Some OF them
turned end-over-end and all hope
zf or;, lost
No Bodies Recovered.
No bodies have been recovered
from Vanport. Some bodies might
be swept so far they never would
be found.
Army Engineers are investigating
the blow OUT of the railroad en-
bankment which resulted in the
Vanport disaster. The rail fill was
constructed 80 years ago. Com
menting on the fate of what once
was Oregon's second largest city, the
Portland Housing Authority an
nounced the agency feels terribly,
terribly bad that lives possibly were
lost, but all you can do is depend on
the advice of competent engineers"
SURVIVORS are SCdGIclCu AL l1Aodo-
ands of homes throughout the city,
in schools and churches. Most of the
separated families are getting to-
gether. But the Red Cross has not
issued an estimate of the missing.
The major threats downstream
from Portland were at Clatskanie,
Rainier, Woodland, Kelso, Longview
and Kalama. Those areas, where
much of the population is being
moved out by Army engineers, Ma
tional Guardsmen and civilian agen-
cies, are like vast swamplands.
In British Columbia, military au-
thorities were given power to con-
script citizens and requisition trans
port to fight the disastrous Fraser
River flood. Four thousand Cana
dian soldiers are in the area.
A gasoline tank containing 100000
gallons fell into the Columbia River
at Umatilla But Army engineers
discounted the danger of fire. assert