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About Heppner gazette. (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912 | View Entire Issue (June 18, 1903)
Or it. i fas coma or v. TWENTIETH YEAR HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, JUNE 18,1903. NO. 943 DAY S OF S IN HEPPNER Awful Destruction of Life and Property Caused by Cloudburst. HI BODIES HAVE BEEN RECOVERED The Dead and Missing Number About 250 -2000 Men Now Engaged in Relief Work H ere. Without a second's warning, a I Ayers, Frank Roberts and several leaping, foaming wall of water, 40 feet in height, struck Heppner at about 5 o'clock Sunday afternoon, sweeping everything before it and leaving only death and destruction in its wake. Nothing in the history of the Western country can compare with the awful disaster, and it can only be realized by eye witnesses. In the middle of the afternoon dark clouds commenced to ap pear in the south and a short time before the flood a heavy rain fall commenced with an electrical storm. The rainfall was not heavy enough here to cause any alarm, and as the rain came down thick and fast, the people were pleased to see a good soaking rain which was needed to help out the crops. Owing to the roar of thunder and the noise caused by the heavy rain fall, the roar of the awful torrent was not heard, and a great many people knew nothing of it untU their houses commenced to move. Even the people on Main street and through the business portion were not aware of anything until the overflow of the chanuel com menced to come down the street and move some of the smaller wooden business buildings. There was a wild rush for the bills amid scenes that are in describable. Words cannot express the horror, the awful destruction. Entiiely belpless, from the hillsides, the survivors watched the terrible waters take their course. To at tempt to battle the great waves meant only sucide without being able to able to accomplish any. thing. The cloudburst covered a large territory, the main portion strik ing about eight miles above Hepp ner on Balm Fork, a prong of Willow creek. For miles a!l the draws and little creeks leading to the Willow creek valley were flooded and must have reached the main stream about the same ime. The first warning that the peo ple in the business portion had was when the large two story resi dence building of T. W. Ayera left its foundation and swung around into May street and crashed into 3 nd ladgrd on some wooden build ings just back of the Palace hotel. Mr. Ayers was at the power house and his family was at home, when the building started, They ran up stairs and were recued when the building stopped by Air. others. The family came down on a ladder and were taken out un injured. By this time the terrors of the flood could be realized. In the channel of the creek the wall of water was at least 40 feet deep and the crest of the stream seemed to be at least ten feet higher than tho overflow on the sides. Dark and muddy, lashing like a storm at sea, houses were pickpd up like feathers. Up the buildings would go, spinning around like tops, crashing to pieces like they were made of glue. It is certainly wonderful that so many people escaped. It was only a matter of luck in getting onto drift that went to shore. The terrible sceaes as viewed from the hill tops can be compared to a horrible night mare. Cling ing to drift were the unfortunate victims, up and down iu the un equal battle where they were swallowed up like rats in a cage. Poplar trees, over two feet in diameter were snapped off like cornstalks. Many were the thrilling and hair breadth escapes. rhil Colin, whose family was out of town, was at home and as'eep when the flood struck his home, he stayed with the building until it went to pieces and for a mile he clung to wreckage, going under a half dozen times or more, and finally was able to crawl out more dead than alive in W. O. Minor's alfalfa field Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Conser escaped al most miraculously. When the water struck the house, Dr. McSwords, J. L. Ayers, and a Japanese servant made a rush from the building and were all loBt. Mr. and Mrs. Conser stayed with the building. They ran up stairs and the lower part of the structure was soon carried away. Standing in water up to their necks, after all hopes had vanished, the upper part of the bmlding they were lodged against another building, and Mr. Conser kicked oat a window and both were saved. W. O. Minor's family had a thrilling experience, inev ran to tne upper story of their home and the building danced on the waves like a stick of cord wood until all the lower part was uooe. The upper story was mashed to pieces and all hut the room in which Mrs. Minor and daughter were in when the wreck finally lodged near the M. E church. Thev were taken out through a window and saved. Julius Keithley, 70 years of age, stay ed with his house until everything was gone but the roof. He rode the current for almost two miles. lie saved the life of Wm. Ayers, Jr., by pulling him onto the roof and they both floated to shore. Dan Stalter, who lost his wife and six children, escaped with one of his chil dren by getting into a dry goods box that rode the waves and fortunately washed to the shore. The water was at its height for onlv about an hour, and while the waters were receding, the survivors were or ganizing and search was immdeiately commenced for the missing. The waiting room of the First National bank and Roberts' hall were transform ed into receptacles for the dead and when the searchers were forced to quit by darkness, many bodies were re covered. At the first approach of day light the entire town was out. Nobody slept. All were anxious to again com mence the search that has been going on ever since. Before the rushing torrent had reach ed the depot Leslie Matlock and Bruce Kelly two expert horsemen and old range riders appeared. "May God, Lexington and lone, can we beat the flood," were the words of Matlock waving a wire cutter in his hand. Not a soul thought it could be done. "We will try," and before the words were out of heftrir,..,?clash went the cruel spurs and two horses tails that stuck straight out were soon out of sight. Over the hills and rocks, througt barbed wire fences on thev went in their wild ride for life. Twice Matlock's horse fell, tho last time on the rider's leg, but undaunted he leaped into the saddle and was away. For nine mdes to Lexington it was neck and neck and as the little town was reached, Matlock's horse dropped, sacrifioed for human life. He secured a fresh horse and Btriking the road they took even chances with the flood. From Lexington the vallev widens and the all decreases, and with the advantage of the road, the swift running horses soon distanced the flood. They beat it an hour to lone The people were just assembling for church. The whole town was alarmed and there was a wild panic in in a rush for the hills, but the people were saved Leslie Matlock and Bruce Kelly un doubted ly saved dozens of lives. At Lexington and lone no casualties are reported. Heppner was a city of beautiful homes and the main residence portion was located on the banks of Willow creek for a distance of about two miles. With in an hour from the time the water struck all that was left of this beautiful residence portion were hundreds of piles of wreckage and death and destruction on every hand. From the best information available at this time, the dead and missing, and for the missing all hopes have been abandoned, will not be far from 250 people. While only about 150 bodies have been recovered, there are many that never will be found. Already bodies have been found 10 miles away and it is thought that many have been carried as far as the Columbia river, , a distance of 45 miles. , About 141 residence buildings were wrecked and car. led away. With a great many of these buildings not a board remains to indicate that they had ever been built. In the city alone the property loss will probably reach $500, ( H, while along Willow creek to the Columbia river, the loss will foot up many thousands u ore. Many ranches including buildings and crops have been ruined. The loss to the business portion while not to be compared with the residence portion will foot up thousands of do lars. A portion of the east side of Mam street was flooded and the buildings were lifted from their foundations to the street almost blockading the thorough fare from travel. The town is now well organized for the dispatch of the immense amount of work. Public meetings were held Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and different committees were appointed to take charge. Mayor Frank Gilliam, Geo. Conser and E. M. Shutt comprise the executive committee with office at C. E. Woodson's law office, and they are doing grand work. J. A. Woolery, of lone, is a great worker, in fact, there are hundreds who should be mentioned. The work of clearing out the debris, and the t search for the missing is now progressing in a most satisfactory manner. The workers are apportioned in squads with a foreman for each Bquad and the work is systematic. ' There are now 2000 men and hundreds of teams employed. The survivors and sufferers of the awful disaster feel thankful and grateful for the quick and willing response at the call for aid from the people of the state of Oregon. Workmen and supplies are coming in from many different places. Already $10,GG5 have been pledged, the city :of Portland heading the list with $8,000. Several towns that were going to celebrate the Fourth of July will turn over the fund for our relief, Pendleton being among the list, but what thete amounts will aggregate cannot yet be ascertained. The town is now in a deplorable con uition, debris, slime and mud is piled up in great quantities, and it must be cleared away or the health of the people will be in great danger. The homeless and orphan children are being taken cara of as well as possible under the existing conditions. it . . . . nepjiuer s trreaiesi neeu now is money. The people of the town and fcurrounding country are worn out under the awful strain and we need money to pay laborers to continue the work. The Light & Water company is down good work and tho city is pretty well supplied with water. Hodlea Itecovere4. Mrs. Mabel Andrews. Cecil Ashbaugh. Mrs Ed Ashbaugh. Ed Ashbaugh's infant. Gladys Ashbaugh. Erma Ashbaugh. Nora Adkins. Moses Ashbaugh's baby. Wm Ayers' child. Vastie Andrews. Wm Ayers' boy. Leon Banks. Mrs Leon BanH Mrs 11 Beard "Wilbur Beard. Baby. liaby. Chinaman. Chinaman. Mrs Ada Curtis. Chinaman. Chinaman. Chinaman. J H E Dennis. Carl Denis. Chinaman. Mrs Dawson. Mrs Percy Dawson. Percy Dawson's boy. Percy Dawson. J II Dawson. Lloyd Estes. Blanche Estes Mrs. Wm Estes Maud Elliott Florence French. Nora Floreon. Farmer Bertha Fristoe A. MGunn. A C Giger. Mrs Lillie Hamilton. Harry Hamby. J L Hockett. Hazel Haynes. Mrs Sanson Hart. Mrs Hamby. R F Hynd's little girl. Bert Hynd. Mrs Robert Hynd. Mabel Howard. Mary Howard. Mrs M B Haines J J Harris Nellie Howard. T R Howard Mrs Thos Howard. Frank Harry man. T B Harryman. J L Hocket's child. J L Hockett's child Jas Jones. Two Pearl Jones' children. Mrs Pearl Jones. Pearl Jones. Amanda Jones. Mrs Jas Joneu. Zella Jenkins. Jap. Mrs Jesse Kirk. Keithley's grandson. Mrs Maud Keithley. Mrs Hattie Kintzley. Fred Krug boy. Geo Krug. Fred Krug'sgir'. Mrs, Krug. Fred Krug. Mrs J M'Kerna1? J M Kernan. W W Lipsett. Mrs W W Lipsett. Pres Loony. Jas Long Mrs Jas Long. Clara Long. Jas Long's girl. Maud Lifller. Mabel Mallory. Mrs S M Morgan. Wllford McBride. Mr McBride. Anna McBride. Alma McBride. Dr P B McSwords. Zed J a McDowell. J W Matlock. Robert Morgan Mrs Thos Matlock. Frank Oxley. Mrs H I'adbry. J J Roberts. Ora Roberts. Mrs Jas Roberts, Ed Rood's girl. Mrs I'd Rood. Mrs C. E. Redfieh' Amf JStalter Robert Stalter. Bonnie Stalter (Concluded on third page.)