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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (June 16, 1903)
warn VOL. XLIIL NO. 13,264. PORTLAND, OREGON, TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1903. 1K1CK FIVE CENTS, WRITE US FOR SAMPLES AND PRICES OF nr ML 8 TING, PUCK HEADQUARTERS FOR ALL KINDS OF RUBBER GOODS GOODYEAR RUBBER COMPANY R, IL PEASE, 73 AXTt 75 FIRST STREET, PROMINENT OF THE F I L M ARE PA C K AND YOU CAN FOCUS THE CAMERA BL.UIV1AUER-FRANK DRUG CO, EVERYTHINa PHOTOGRAPHIC. 142 FOURTH STREET. SHAW'S PURE BLUMAUER & HOCH 108 and 110 Fourth Street Sole Distributers for Oregon and Washington. HOTEL PERKINS Fifth and Washington Streets EUROPEAN PLAN Ffrat-CInss Check Restaurant Connected With Hotel. i. V. CAVIES, Pre, St. Charles Hotel CO. (INCORPORATED). FRONT AND MORRISON STREETS PORTLAND, OREGON European Plan Rooms 50c to $1.50 First-Class Restaurant In Connection LOGGING EDGERS, TRIMMERS, STEAM FEEDS, SAW MILL MACHINERY of All Kinds CALL Smith & Watson FORCED DRAFT An application of mechanical draft, in which air under pressure is forced under the grates of the boiler increasing the rate of combustion. This form of mechanical draft is particularly advantageous in the case of small boiler plants, where the burning of the cheapest fuels is the chief deside ratum. Applicable to sawdust or wet-wood fuels. W. Portland, Oregon, U. S. A THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO ADVERTISE F. W. BALTES & PRINTING CALL UP MAIN 165 FOR IN FORMATION MITCHELL, LEWIS & STAVER CO., First and Taylor Illinois Troops Ordered Home. SPRINGFIELD, HI., June 15. Acting Governor McKonzle, at noon today, re ceived a telegram from Mayor Cook, of East St. Loins, stating that the troopa were no longer needed there, and ordered Ulajor Watklns to leave tonight with all the troops except tho naval reserves from Alton, who will be retained. . Strlclcen Dead In Church. NEW YORK, June 15. Arthur H. Ack erman, a well-known Sunday school work er. Is dead at Passaic, N. J., from apo plexy. Ho was stricken In church while walking up the aisle, in the midst of the children's day exercises. NGN President. PORTLAND. OREGON. ADVANTAGES LIGHT WEIGHT CONVENIENT SHAPE EASE OF HANDLING FILMS DO NOT CURL America's ORIGINAL MALT WHISKY Without a Rival Today MALT PORTLAND, OREGON Rooms, $1.00 to ?3.00 Per Day According to .Location. 3. W. BLAIX, Sea. and Treu. THE- ESMOND HOTEL OSCAR AXDERSOH. Haasgsr. Front and Morrison Streets, PORTLAND - OREQON rRZE 'BUS TO AND FROM ALL TRAINS. Rates European plan. tOc. 75c. J1.00, 11.50. COO per day. Sample rooms In connection. ENGINES ON US Iron Works Front and Half Streets G. McPKERSON CO. Engineers and Contractors AM) IN EST IX PRINTING. CO. Second and Oak Streets Portland, Oregon ALL RIGHT YOU ARE When your horse takes some un usually fancy steps, if you can de pend on Vehicle and Harness. We carry a complete line of both. In Vehicles: Moyer, Babcock, Mitchell, Bee Line A wide range of choice, including the best selling numbers in buggy lines. STYLISH COMFORTAP LE D CRAB LB IX HARNESS: THE STYLES, TRIMMINGS VARIOUS SIZES. SavlnRTs company Clones Its Doors. ST. THOMAS. OnL. June 15. The Elgin Loan & Savings Company has closed its doors for a few days pending an Investi gation, according to a notice posted on the door today. The total amount of per manent capital stock, according to the lost statement was $525,000. The liabilities to the shareholders on December SI, 1902, were J169.ee. Libertj- Bell Novr En Route to Boston PHILADELPHIA, June 15. Tho Liberty Bell was today started on Its Journey to Boston, where It wU be a feature of the celebraUon of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Vast Deluge Fails on Heppner, Or. CAUSE: CLOUDBURST Ruin and Death in Re sistless Cataclysm. NO WARNINGTO FATEDTOWN Gigantic Wall of Water Moves Down Willow Creek. BUILDINGS GO, MANY PERISH Rare Deeds of Bravery Result In Rescne of Drowning Persons Sad and Terrible Close to Snltry Snmmer Day. By A. Crofton. IONE, Or., June 15. (Staff Correspond ence.) A cloud which burst on tho hills a mile south of Heppner at about 5:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon let loose a hun gry flood of water, which swept down theJ miisiue in a wan a icet nign ana Mi yams wide. Reaching the bottom of tho can;. yon, the liquid avalanche reared its mighty front over the doomed town, and carried to destruction nearly every build ing and human being that lay in Its path, leaving a waste of desolation to mark Its trail. Tho destroying torrent raced down the narrow gorge of Willow Creek, in undating as It reached them the settle ments of -Lexington, Iono and Douglas, but lessening in fury and In volume as the thirsty alkali soU of the Valley drank up the water liko a'spongc. Behind it lay nearly 300 dead, drowned' like rats In a trap. Tho suddenness of the catastrophe gave the vlcUms no warning, overwhel ming them for the main part as they sat within their homes. Immediately after tho fatal flood had wiped the major portion of Heppner out of existence, swift couriers on horseback sped to warn the residents of tho Valley toward the Columbia of the coming peril. Leslie Matlock, son of an ex-Sheriff of Morrow County, rode a wild ride for 13 miles ahead of the raging waters. His horse dropped dead, but he secured an other, and again another, covering the 65 miles to Arlington in seven hours. To this Paul Revere of Oregon Is undoubted ly due the fact that the ranchers of the Willow Creek country below Heppner lost so little stock and property. David McAtee, a business man of Hepp ner. whose residence is on a bench above Heppner, was an eye witness of the dis aster. In company with Frank Spaulding, ho left Heppner about 10:30 o'clock last. night on horseback, arriving at Arling ton this morning at 5:30 o'clock. Mr. McAtee's Story. "On Sunday afternoon," said Mr. Mc Atee, "there had been a pretty severe CONTEXTS OF TODAY'S PAPER. Tlie Heppner Disaster. Great Celtic overcomes town of Heppner. 'Pago 1. Three hundred lives lost la Heppner flood. Page 1. Great damage to property la Lexington and lone. Page 1. Survivors reach Pendleton sad Arlngton. Paca L Rellet trains go from Portland and Tba Dalits. Pag 1. Electric storms alarm people of Eastern Ore gon. Page 1. Forelftn. Prince Peter Karageorgevlch Is unanimously elected King oi Servla. Page 2. Empress Dowager of China receives Admiral Evans and his staff. Page 2. Domestic. President Roosevelt will aid Jews In Russia, as far as potilble, without violating the principles of International comity. Page 2, Rio Grande flood threatens to force 10,000 peo ple to abandon their homes. Page 2. Kentucky witnesses In assassination case are In constant fear of their homes being burned. Page 3. Sports. Jack Plannery resigns as manager of the Helena baseball club. Page 3. Dissensions In Pacific National League may lead to displacement of President Lucas. Pago 14. Pacific National League: Butte beat Ban Fran cisco. S-7. Pace 14. Pacific Coast. Oregon State Supreme Court decisions. Page 0. "Work before the next Republican state con vention. Page 6. Commencement exercises al Oregon schools. Page a. Severe storm causes damage at Walla Walla, Pae a- CommerciaL Prune crop In this state will be larger than last year. Page 15. Oregon potatoes In demand at San Francisco. Page 15. Wheat advances at Chicago on bullish foreign neirs. Pace 15. New York stock market weak and lower. Page 15. Portland and Vicinity. Richard Williams re-elected School Director. Page 10. Pioneers rally for annnnl reunion tomorrow. Page 18. Portland Railway Company will build through East Side line. Page 10. Empire Theater opens. Page 16. Norman Saylor confesses tq wrecking O. R fc N. train. Page 10. Fourth of July committee has raised $3000 ' fund. Page 12. rain storm, accompanied with much wind and lightning. I was standing In front of the house1, and noticed that a cloud of remarkable densenes3 shrouded the top of tho hill on the east side of the canyon. I turned away for a moment, when a roar caused mo to look again at tho hllL I saw a wall of water, whose height I would be afraid to gauge, rushing down the mountain, carrying immense trees and timbers on its crest and tearing the very rocks from their foundations. The torrent struck tho upper part of the town first The residence of Thomas Howard was the first to fall, and his entire family was drowned. In the Krug homo also every person was drowned, as was the case In the Hale and Saling residences. All of these houses were about four or five blocks above the business center. The houso of Mr. Abrahamslck was entirely demolished. These houses were four or five blocks above the business center." Palace Hotel Stands. The Palace Hotel was the first building to stem the tide, and all the guests were saved; but houses below the Palace Hotel were thrown out into the street, over turned and wrecked. Tho residence of C. A. Rhea was carried away, and the entire family, consisting of his wife and three daughters, and Miss Adkins, a cousin, were lost. Mr. Rhea himself waB absent in Portland, attending the Ma sonic convention. C. E. Redfield, whose residence was completely destroyed, was also absent with Mr. Rhea in Portland, and his wife and baby .were drowned. The body of Mrs. Redfield is among the recovered. A. C. Gleger's house was car ried away and Mr. Gleger drowned. His family Is in the East "George Conser's house was next, but the family succeeded In saving their lives by rushing to the upper story, the house being carried down the" creek three-quarters of a mile. When reached by the rescuers they found that the house had been cut In two, and Mr. Conecr was standing in water up to his neck, holding his wife upon the roof, and keeping her from slipping with his outstretched arms." Dr. McSword and J. Ayers, who were living in the same residence, were drowned. Oscar Miner's house was next demolished, and'Mra. Miner drowned. T.he rest of tho family succeeded In saving THE OREGONIAN'S NEWS OF THE DISASTER. The Oregonlan has made most complete preparation, to obtain all the available news of the Heppner disaster. At its re quest, Malcolm A. Moody, of The Dalles, ex-Representative In .Congress for the Second District, went to the front as its repre sentative at noon yesterday on the relief . train leaving The , Dalles, taking with lilm a full corps of reporfurs, with a jphc tographer. Another train left Portland for Heppner at 1:30 P. M., and on this were dis patched three reporters and a photographer. The storm has played serious havoc with the telegraph service; but the read ers of The Oregonlan can rely on obtaining the fullest possible details of the event at the earli est possible moment. their lives by climbing to the roof. All of the Wells family but two were lost and the house carried away. With the Wells residence went the house of George Swag ger!. Mr. Swaggerfs two married daugh ters were drowned, with their five chil dren. Crippled Man Saves Baby. The Mallory house was carried 150 yards and was found lodged against a store, and Mr. Mallory. a crippled old man, waa found safe holding a baby. Jim Matlock's house was next. Mr. Matlock was drowned, but his family was saved. Dr. Hlggs' house also went. Here one child was drowned but the rest of the family (Concluded on Fourth Page.) the: IOXE, Or., June 16. (Special.) as follows: JAMES MATLOCK. MRS. TOM ilATLOCK. J. S. HOCKET AND TWO CHILDREN. SOX OF WILLIAM AYERS. W. W ALLEN, WIFE AND DAUGHTER. HANDY JONES. ; y MRS. JAMES JONES. . A. C. GEIGER. . PERCY DAWSON. ' . V", BABY AND TWO BOYS. . C- MRS. NORA FLOREIN. ' " MRS. ADA CURTIS AND BABY. MRS. C. E. REDFIELD. BLANCHE REDFIELD. . KERNAN. VASHTIA ANDREWS. PEARL JONES AND FAMILY. JAMES WILLIS. FRED KRUG, WIFE AND FOUR MR. AND MRS. DAWSON AND FOUR CHILDREN. STOLTER FAMILY. TOM HOWARD, WIFE AND THREE DAUGHTERS. M'BRIDE FAMILY OF SIX. HARRIMAN. WIFE AND FATHER, of Long- Creek. ' . LIPSIT AND CHILD. ABB WELLS AND WIFE. MRS. ASHBAUGH AND SIX CHILDREN. DR. M'SWORD. . CHRISMAN. GEORGE THORNTON, WIFE AND CHILD. ' MRS. KEITHLY AND GRANDSON. . - . .. MR. AND. MRS. GUNN. ' .;" MRS. PADBERG. MAUD LEFFLER. AND MOTHER. GROVER "WRIGHT. MR. AND MRS. LONG AND FIVE CHILDREN. ORA ROBERTS. . ' . , MAUDE KEITHLEY; - , MRS. ROBERT HYND AND TWO CHILDREN. FRED OXLEY. " ALICE BOYLUS. WILBER BEARD AND FAMILY. FLORENCE FRENCH. ZEDDA M'DONALD. NELLIE HOWARD. ; FRED WILLIS. ED ROOD. WIFE AND BABT. - PRES LOONEY. MRS. HANBY. R. C HART AND WIFE. JENKINS FAMILY. CHARLES MACLARYS CHILD, of Pendleton. In addition to the foregoing are 30 babies and strangers not Identified. ESI li FLO Wild Torrent Engulfs Hundreds. MBATTLE FOR LIFE Survivors Are Helpless to Give Succor. SAFETY. LAY ONLY IN FLIGHT Women Torn From Babies, Fathers From Families. HEROISM OF LESLIE MATLOCK Monnisa Horse and Speeds Down Valley to Spread Terrible Warn ing to Unsuspecting? People Gathering of Dead. PENDLETON", Or.. June 15. (Special.) The first new3 of the terrible disaster at Heppner was brought to this city this evening, when A. P. Bradbury, R. D. Ball and J. J. Kelly, all traveling men, arrived In tho city. They were guests of the Palace Hotel, in Heppner, Sunday evening, at the time the flood came on, and assisted In rescuing many people wnose lives were in danger. Mr. Ball res cued three women, one from a tree-top. They left Heppner yesterday at noon, and made the overland trip to Echo, where they took the train for thi3 city. The flood came on about 5 o'clock Sun day evening. The-day had been very hot and sultry, and heavy rcloufcaathered-bn the mountain crest above the city. But little rain fell in Heppner, none at the beginning of the flood. The people were enjoying tho cool evening breeze when they were startled by heavy thunder and sharp lightning. This was followed by a terrific roar and rumbling, which they could not account for. The water came rushing down the river in bulk. As seen from the Palace Hotel, It appeared to be about six feet higher in the middle than on the edges. A very bank of water it was, carrying on Its crest everything gathered in Its path. Tho water struck Heppner about 5:20, and in less than three minutes the streets were rivers from five to eIx feet deep. The little stream. Wil low Creek, which is ordinarily ten feet wide and six Inches deep, was trans formed into a raging torrent, 400 feet wide and 20 feet deep in about five minutes. Matlock.' Brave Ride. The people did not realize what had happened until the flood struck the town. Then it was too late. Houses were swept away on the crest of the river, and turned topsy turvey. In the Palace Hotel there was considerable water, but tho building had a stone foundation and the super structure was of brick, and did not moire. Leslie Matlock, a young man there, was the hero of the day. When the flood flrst dead and missing A list of the dead or missing, as near as could be ascertained last night, is MRS. ESTES AND SMALL BOY. J.' J. HARRIS. EUNICE BRIGGS. MRS. CLYDE WELLS. ANDREW PETERSEN, of Hlllsboro. . . KELLY. MRS. WOODWARD. MRS. N. DAVIS. MRS. ELIZA WILLIS AND DAUGHTER. MRS. ADAMS. FAMILY OF GEORGE SWA GG ART. B. JAMES. WIFE AND DAUGHTER. - J. L. AYRES. T. W. AYRES. " ; MRS. BEACH HYND. HAZEL HYND. MRS. GUY BOYD. . FISHER, of Spray. CHILDREN. MRS. C. L. ANDREWS AND FOUR CHILDREN.' DR. B. F. VAUGHAN' AND .WIFE. MRS. C X. RHEA. MISS LOYD ESTES. , . MRS. WM. AYRES. JR., AND FOUR CHILDREN; MRS. ABRAMSICK AND DAUGHTER. MRS. J. WOODWARD. . . BANKS AND WIFE. JOHN STEER, of Portland. W. A. PETERSON. WILLIAM COOLEY. ASSESSOR W. L. SALING AND WIFE. ' MRS. CHURCH. B. GENTRY. ; THREE JAPANESE. SEVEN CHINESE. t MRS. GURDANE. GEORGE KENTZLEY AND WIFE. MRS. O. G. BOYD AND THREE CHILDREN. . A. S. WELLS. - HARRY WELLS. .:Jj. GEORGE WELLS. f . U:-2-. - -. ; MRS. CLYDE WELLS. ".1JJ-, MRS. CURTIS AND CHILD. 1 MRS. NORA ADKINS. BABY OF J. K. CARR. MRS. DAVE HAMILTON AND TWO DAUGHTERS. MR. AND MRS. JAMES JONES AND TWO DAUGHTERS. HARRY HAND LEY, WIFE, MOTHER AND ONE CHILD. BERTHA FRISLOW. MRS. LUil SHEA. . JAMES WILLIS AND TWO CHILDREN. WILLIAM DAWSON AND WIFE. came he, mounted a horse and . rode at break-neck speed down the canyon In front of the rushing waters to notify the people of Lexington, a small town nine miles below. He had to go over a rough and stony road. The night wao dark and stormy. His horse leaped over bowlders, sometimes nearly throwing the rider, yet not once losing his feet he arrived at Lex ington just a few minutes ahead of the' flood. Tho people were warned and im mediately left for the hillsides, not having time to take anything with them. Every person escaped, but when the flood had passed only two houses were standing. Lexington has a population of about 40. lone was the next town down the line. The people there were warned by Mat lock by telephone. They left their homes, but as the town is built on a wide flat very little damage was done. No build ings were washed away, but some wre moved from their foundations. A. B. Bradbury was interviewed and de scribes the approach of the flood. Ho waa In his room, preparing his evening toilet, when he .heard a thunderous monotone. Looking out of the window, his view was up the river. At flrst he could not believe what he saw. A bank of water 20 feet high was coming down the narrow gorge. Swirling and foaming. It came on, while he stood speechless and spellbound watch ing it.. The first house it struck was a small, wooden building, and Mr. Brad bury saw the building no more. It was smashed to splinters. Then other build ings moved, trembled and Joined the march of the flood. On, on It came, tear ing up buildings, rocking them on its bosom and throwing them off to one side total wrecks. At last the hotel was reached. Then the guests began running to and fro, and the -women fainted and screamed. All was bedlam. While the confusion was at Its height a two-story frame house struck tho hotel broadside, and the guests thought tho building waa going along with the rest of the town. Three People Rescned. The frame building lodged against the hotel and a bridge was made of ladders to the roof and three people were rescued. Then came another building to the corner of the hotel. This one failed to lodge and was last seen going down the river. R. D. Ball lent valuable assistance In res cuing the unfortunate. In the face of the flood, when It was at Its height, he car- FIRST SEWS FROM HEPPNER The flrst authentic news from Heppner was received by The Oregonlan yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Mr. G. W. Phelps, Representative for Morrow County n the Legislature, dis patched a messenger to Echo, 40 miles distant, the nearest available telegraph station. The dispatch is:. . . HEPPNER,, OrJTnne 15, via Echo. Two-thirds, of Hoppner was swept away yesterday afternoon by u terrible flood. Fully 250 people were drowned. It Is hot weather today, and we cannot secure the bodies of the dead on ac count of debris and no work men. The business portion of -the town is left, with small damage. We need ontslde help to bury the dead and clear wreckage. I will try to get a lint of names. I send this message via Echo, where yon can answer. Messenger will wait. Haste in sending help. G. W. PHELPS. rled Mrs. Elizabeth Matlock from her floating house to a place of safety. He was in the thickest of the flood all the time, and says that the force of the water was something terrible. Not an inch of ground but was moving under foot. Solid support was Impossible, and a man's feet were swept from under him every mo ment. The waters were turbulent and ag gressive. Darkness added Its terrors to the suffering, and cries of distress could (Concluded ca. Fourth Page.) DAUGHTER. , ,-. ; , - - -J! i ti : -' X' Portland Takes Action Promptly RELIEF TRAINS GO Men and Doctors Dis patched to Heppner. MONEY BEGINS TO POUR IN Police Canyass the City and Raise S1 163. MERCHANTS NAME COMMITTEE Evening? Telegram Has Nearly ?10OO on Hand Chamber of Commerce Stands Rcndy to Extend Generocs Assistance. HELP FOR HEPPNER. How Portland is responding to the cry for help from the suffering citizens of Morrow County: The O. R. & Co. dispatches special trains to the scene from here and The Dalles, with a corps of physicians and sup plies. The company also an-, nounces that all supplies for the sufferers will be hauled free of charge. The. Chamber , .of Gommece r holaWa'.iieHS ders its. services, but decides to wait until todtfy, when fuller details as to the needs of the situation can be secured, before taking active steps. The Merchants' Protective As sociation hold3 a called meet ing and appoints a committee, consisting of I. N. Flelschner, Ii. A. Lewis, W. H. Chap In, L Lang and H. Wittenberg, to col lect money and supplies. This committee immediately goes to work and dispatches J00 coffins to Heppner by last night's O. R. & N. train. Mayor Williams and the po lice department Issue a call for assistance and set the -police to work collecting funds, about $1200 being collected last night. Messrs. Cordray, Russell and Shields and Manager George L. Baker offer to donate the gross proceeds of their theaters for one day. The Evening Telegram starts a subscription and secures more than $1000 In money in a few hours. A meeting of the Merchant's Protective Association was held at Its rooms, cor-i ner of Vine and Front streets yes terday afternoon at 3 o'clock for th purpose of undertaking relief measures, Aout 23 gentlemen representing the principal wholesale houses In the citsj were present, and but little time waa spent in preliminaries. President A. H. Devers, of the Association, presided and on motion I. N. Flelschner, a committea was appointed to confer with and co- operate with the mayor In raising funds and forwarding supplies to the stricken district. This committee consists of L N, Flelschner, chairman; L. A. Lewis, W. IL. Chapin, I. Lang and H. Wittenberg. It was also decided to send a member of tha Association to Morrow County as sooa as possible to look after tho distribu tion of the supplies which are to be-" sent in. Pending definite action on tha part of :thls committee, such a repre sentative was not selected but one will probably be named today. The committee waited upon the mayor" and was told that nothing could ba done until a reply from his telegram of Inquiry had been received from Heppner. Later in the afternoon word came to Mr. Flelschner by way of The Dalles that 100 coffins were needed at once, and so promptly did the committee act that the caskets were sent out last night at 8:15 over the O. R. & N. and should reach Heppner this afternoon. The Merchants' Protective Association handled the relief for the forest Are sufferers last year and acquitted Itself: so well that there will be the utmost confidence in its efforts at this time. The Association will make a canvass of the business men today, and It Is ex pected that their requests for money will be readily met. The public may ba assured that every cent paid to the As sociation wll be disbursed for the sola benefit of the victims of the disaster. HEPPXER SUFFERS MOST; Thriving Totto, Foanded in 187$, Is. The Path of the Flood, Tha town of Heppner. the prlEcIpal sufferer from the flood, is 1ST miles froaa (Concluded on Pag g.) 1 )