Heppner gazette-times., June 12, 1969, Sec. 2, Page 4, Image 12

HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES. Tnuradgy. J"" It
inniifiriib
K n
June 14, I903 . . .
k A
lei
PftWf
' "
v - g
TWENTIETH YEAR
HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1903.
NO. m
DAYS OF SORROW IN HEPPNER
Awful Destruction of Life and Property
Caused by Cloudburst.
141 BODIES HAVE BEEN RECOVERED
onto the roof ant! they j h floated to
shore.- ' ' '
Can Suiter, who lost hit wife and six
children, escaped with V t of his chil
The Dead and Missing Number. About 250
-2000 Men Now Engaged in
Relief Work Here.
Without a second's warning, si Ayera, Frank Roberts and several
leaping, foaming .wall of water, 40 others. The family came down on
-feet in height, struck Heppner at
about 5 o'clock Sunday afternoon,
sweeping everything before it and
leaving only death and destruction
in ila wake. ''
Nothing in the history of the
Western country can compare with
the awful disaster, and it can only
le 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 fill
couimeuceu viiii an eiuuiiiuiu
storm.
The rainfall was not heavy
enough here to cause any alarm,
and as the rain came down thick
end fast, Jhe "people were pleased
to 6ce a good BOaking rain which
mas needed to help out- the crops.
'Owiog 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 until
Jtheir houses commenced to move.
JCvea the people on Main street
Add through, the business portion
were not aware, of anything until
the overflow of the channel com
menced to come down the street
and move some of the smaller
wooden business buildings.
There was a wild rush for the
3) Ma amid scenes ' that are in
describable. Words cannot express the horror,
Jbe awful destruction. Entiiely
3ielpleea, from the hillsides, .' the
survivors watched the terrible
water's take their course. To at
tempt to battle the great waves
aneant only suckle without being
table to able to accomplish any.
hing.
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 all the draws and
little creeks leading to the Willow
creek valleywere flooded and must
iiaye reached' the main stream
About the same time.
Tfce first warning that the peo.
,fla in the business portion bad
waa when the large two story resi
dence building of T. W. Ayers left
it foundation and swung around
into My. street and crashed into
And lodged on some wooden build
ings just back of the Palace hotel.
Mr. A vers was at the power
fceo.se and hi family was at home,
wrbea tBe building started. They
raa op stairs and were rescued
,trieo the t sliding stopped by Mr.
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 tho stream seemed to
be at least ten feet higher than tha
overflow ou tho Hides. Dark and
muddy, lashing like a titorm at sea,
houses were picked up 'Jjke
feathers. Up the buildings would
CP, .spinning .around . I'l'V tv. v'
Ljnsiiui io pieces une iuey tvcie
inn do of glue.
It is certainly wonderful that so
many people escaped. It was only
a Matter of luck in getting onto
drjft that went to shore.
The terrible scenes as viewed
from the hill tops can be compared
to a horrible night mare. Cling
ing to drilt were the unfortunate
victims, up and down in the un
equal battle where they were
swallowed up like rats iu a cage.
Poplar trees, over two feet in
diameter were snapped off like
cornstalks.
Many were the thrilling and hair
breailtb escapes.
l'hil Cohn, whose family was out of
town, was at home and asleep when the
flood struck his bouie, be stayed with
the building until it went to pieces and
for a mile he clung to wreckage, going
undeija 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
struck1 the bouse, Dr. McSwords, J. L.
Ayers, and a Japanese servant made
a rush from the building and were all
lost. f r, and Mrs. Conser stayed with
the' building. They ran op stairs and
the IcV or part ot the structure was soon
carried away. Standing in water up to
their necks, after alt hopes had vanished,
the upper part of the building they were
lodged against another building, and
Mr. Conser kicked oat window and
both were saved.
W.P, Minor's family had a thrilling
experience. Tbey ran to the upper
story ot their home and the building
danced on the waves like a stick of cord
wood until all the lower part was itone.
The upper story was mashed to pieces
and all but the room In which Mrs. Minor
and daughter wers in when the wreck
finally lodged near tho M, church.
The? we. a taken out through a window
and save t.
Julias Keithley, 70 yean of age, stay
ed with Lis house until everything was
gone but the roof. lie rode the current
for almost two milts. He saved the
lite of Wr. Ayers, Jr., by pulliog him 1
dren by gstting into a 0'y goods box
that rode the waves ani fortunately
washed to the shore. ' ; -
The water was at itahiht for only
! about an hour, and whi!J the waters
were receding, the eurvivua were or
ganiziog and search wa?-mmdeiately
commenced for the missing.
' The waiting room of tbt j'lrst National
bank and Roberta' hall w ,Jt transform
ed into receptacles for -the dead and
when the searchers were forced to quit
by . darkness, many bodi-Wwere re
covered. At the first approach of day-,
light the entire town was out. Nobody
slept. All were anxious toagaln com
mence the search that bae ;eea going
many thousands n ois.
buildinga
on ever since.
I
Before the rushing torrer -.bad reach
ed the depot Leslie Matlock and Bruce
Kelly two expert borseima and old
range riders appeared.
"May God, Lexington t'.a lone, can
we beat the flood," were i words of
Matlock waving, a wire ch'.ter in bis
hand. .
Not. a soul'thought it coulee done.
were out of hearing, clash' went the
cruel spurs and two horses tails that
stuck straight out were soon out of
sight. Over the hills and rocks, thror..i
barbed wire fences on tbAy'Went in
ihoir wild ride for life. Twice Matlock's
horse fell, the last time on the rider's
leg; but undaunted he leaped into the
saddle and was away. For nine miles
to Lexington it was neck and neck and
as the little towta was reached, Matlock's
horse dropped, sacrificed for human
life. He secured ft fresh horse and
striking the road they took even chances
with the flood. From Lexington the
vallev widens and the fall decreases,
and with the advantage ot the road, the
swift r'uoning 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) hut the people were saved.
Leslie Matlock and Brnce Kelly un
doubtedly saved downs of lives'.
At Lexington and lone no equalities
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 pi'es
of wreckage and death and destruction
op every hand. .
From the best information available
at this time, the dead and missing, and
for the missing all hopes have been
abaodoned, will not be far from. 250
people.
While only about 150 bodies have
been recovered, there are many tbat
never will be found. Already bodies
bavs been found 10 miles away and It is
thought that many have been carried as
far as the Columbia river, a distance
of 15 miles.
About 141 residence ' buildings ' were
wrecked and carried away. With a
great many ot these buildings Dot
board remains to indicate that they bad
ever been built. In the city alone tba
property loss wilt probably reach 600,-
000, while along Willow .creek to the
Columbia river, the loas will foot op
Many raaclies including
and crops have been rained.
The loss to the bas;aess portion while
not to be compared with the residence
portion ill foot op thousands of dot
lars.
A portion of the east side of Main
street was flooded and ths 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
committeea were appointed to take
charge.
Mayor Frank Gilliam, Geo. Conser
and . 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 search for the missing is now
progressing, in a most satisfactory
manner. The worknw-AK rnoorf.onrfi
iu nuuaus- .yi . -.. euiaa mr v-... o.-v.
and the v-'ork is systematic.
Tbore are now 2000 men and hundreds
" 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 $10,665 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 these
amounts wirj aggregate cannot yet be
ascertained.
The town ia how in a deplorable con
dition, 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 care
of as well as possible under the existing
conditions.
Heppner's greatest need now is
money. The people ot tne town ana
surrounding country are worn out under
the awful strain and 'we need money to
pay laborers to continue the work.
The Light & Water company is doing
good work and the city is pretty well
supplied with water. .
Btei Recovered.
Mrs. Mabel Andrews. Alma McBride.
Cecil Ashbaugh. Dr P B McSwords
Mrs Ed Ashbaugh; Zed la McDowell..
Ed Ashbaugh' s infant. J W Matlock.
Gladys Ashbaugh. Robert Morgan
Erma Ashbaugh. Mrs Thos Matlock.
Nora Adkins. Frank Oxley.
Moses Ashbaugb 's baby. Mrs H Padbry.
Wm Ayers' child. J J Roberts.
Yastie Andrews. Ora RobttCs.
Wm Ayers' boy. Mrs Jas Koberls.
Leon Banks. . Ed Rood' girl
Mrs Leon Banks Mrs Ed Hood.
Mrs K Beard Mrs C. E. Kedfieli
Wilbur Beard. Amf Stalter
Baby. Robert Stalter.
Baby. Bonnie Stalter
Chinaman.
Chinaman.
Mrs Ada Curtis.
Chinainsn.
Chiuai,-' V
J lf- .,s.
Carl lWis.
.Cuban. an.
Mis t-Vfson.
Mrs Peloy Dawson.
Percy Dawson's boy.
Percy Dawson.
3 RDjvvaon.
Lloyfifes.;
Biancbo Estes
Mrs. Wiu'Estes
Mauljvliott ,
Flore tirie'Erenchi
Nora Flfreon.
Farmer.
Bertha. Fiistoe
A. MGd h.'
A C Gigfir.
Mrs Lilt.'? Hamilton.
Harry Hamby.
J. L HocKett
Hazel IDiy nes.
Mrs San&ott Hart
Mrs Haaby.
R F Hynjis- little girL.
BertHyndr
Mrs Robert' Hynd.
Mabel Howard.
Mary Ho yard. f
Mrs. M B Hatnes
J. J Harr-7
Mrs Thos Howard,
Frank Harryman.
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 Joneo.
Zeila Jenkins.
Jap.
Mrs Jesse Kirk.
Keithley's grandson.
Mrs Maud Keithley.
Mrs Hattie Kintzley.
Fred Krug boy.
Geo Krug.
Fred Krug's girl.
Mrs, Krug.
Fred Krug.
Mrs J M JCernan.
J M Kernan.
W W Lipsett.
Mrs W W Lipsett.
Pres Loopy.
Jas Long'
Mrs Jas Long.
Clara Long.
Jas Long's girl.
Maud Lifller.
Mabel M$ry.
Mrs S M Morgan.
Wllford McBride.
Mr McBride.
Anna McBride.