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YULETIDE DECORATIONS Every year many Medford residents
go to great lengths to decorate their homes and yards in the spirit
of the Christmas season. The decorations include Santa Clauses,
CP" :
Portland (U.R) The National
TGuard was ordered out at Grants
Pass today to help in flood con
trol work as the Rogue river
reached an all-time high and
estem Oregon reeled under
3he impact of a blustery Pacific
storm which sent families nee
jng from their homes and crip
pled rail and highway traffic.
The storm was blamed for
one death.
Gov.Paul Patterson said he
had ordered the guard out to
help in flood . control work and
help eccuate persons stranded
by the Kogue. Many power lines
were reported down in the area.
The governor said "I have or
' dered Company C of the first
batallion, 186th infantry, moT
bilized for 48 hours. If the situ
ation requires, further orders
will be issued."
Forecasts Issued
0 With many smaller streams
alreadv out of their banks, the
mighty Willamette soared over
flood stage at Albany, Corvallis
and Salem.
River Forecaster Elmer Fisher
said the crest was expected to
roanh 94 fppt at Corvallis by
(10 a.m. tomorrow, four feet over
flood stage. A crest of 26 feet,
six feet over flood stage, was
predicted for Albany for 8 a.m
tomrfft-owPThe Santiam at Jef
ferson was eight feet over flood
staee. and was cresting at 10:30
a.m. today. Salem was expected
to get a 26-foot crest at 2 p.m.
The Wmamettck was expected
i . i x in e i : n i 1
10 crest at J..o ieet. in rui uauu
at noon Saturday, 1.5 feet over
flood staee.
Seven Greyhound buses car
rying 280 passengers were
stranded in Grants Pass. .The
Rogue had dropped to 29.2 feet
at'fl.30 a.m.
EnA-gency Declared
A civil defense state of emer
gency as declared at Grants
Pass and several persons were
evacuated from their homes
along the Rogue. Ten feet of
water was over the highway at
Savage Rapids dam..
rs The highest previous reading
at Grants Pass was ,28.7 feet
in 1927.
Some 20 families were rerxrt
ed evacuated from Shady Dell
a small community east of Mo
lalla ifpiarkamas countv from
hfil ciircnnt Mnlalla rivpr. Onp
brigl was reported endanger
ed.
Midh xvinHc liftpd a new rnof
&) the Bay City Grade school
3 near Tillamook some 200 feet,
Dart of it landing on Highway
101. Children were not in school
O at the time. Winds up to 75
miles an hour were reported at
. Tillamook. Streams were out of
thpir banks, slides blocked high
ways, rail traffic was interrupt
ed. Dower and telephone service
was cut in some areas and hous
es were damaged.
Rntrnp rivpr vallpv. the
1 UV, f . '
Rost.irg area near the Umpqua
river and the Coouiile river vai
ley appeared to be the hardest
hit areas. Rivers running wild
included the North and South
llmpquas, Rogue, Coquille, Ap
p0ate, Santiam, McKenzie and
sinsiaw. The Willamette was
rising.
Leaner Killed
Victor Flury, 40, Roseburg,
lck bv a windblown tree
in t: Little River area east of
Roseburg and killed. Coroner
Jim Powers said sheriff's depu
. T i
ties 'had to cut their way through
30 to 40 fallen trees with power
saws to bring out the body.
Wayne Amos, Crescent City,
Calif., truck driver, escaped
drowning last night when the
Redwood highway bridge near
Wilderville collapsed under the
rear of his truck from the swol
len Applegate river. The trailer
plunged into the stream but the
cab remained on the highway
and Amos managed to reach
safety.
State police said Highway 99, ,
the main route through western
Oregon, was blocked by high
water at Harrisburg, between
Medford. and Grants Pass, north
of Corvallis to all but trucks,
and near Myrtle Creek. High
way 99 also was closed near the
California line and the Green
Springs route east of Ashland
was reported blocked at Keno.
Highway 101 was closed south
of Coquille by a slide and again
in northern California. The
Rogue valley was further cut off
by a slide near the California
border on the Grants Pass-Crescent
City route.
The main Copco power plant
at Tokatee Falls east of Rose
burg was knocked out by three
feet of mud. Other Copco plants
were operating. At least 10 dif
ferent areas near Roseburg were
being evacuated. The Douglas
county towns of Riddle and
Myrtle Creek were reported
isolated.
Coquille Power Hit
Radio hams reported the
town of Coquille was isolated
and was operating on emergency
power after floodwaters cut
light, power and communipa
tions lines. Ham operator -Jim
Armstrong said most extensive
damage was collapse of a bam
containing 100 to 150 head of
cattle.
Some 100 persons in the Cape
Arago area, northwest of Myrtle
Point, were reported isolated
with two Coast Guard boats
standing by. Light and power
lines to " Cape Arago were out.
Surface water was reported to
have isolated families in the
Cloverdale area.
Winds reached 78 miles per
hour in the Coos Bay area yes
terday, knocking down tele
phone and power lines and blow
ing over trees. One house was
blown off its foundation and
another was crushed by a falling
tree.
Chehalis U.R) A new 14-
mile section of four-lane high
way ono the route of U.S. 99
south of here was opened today
Help Fight TB -
.Buy Christmas Seals
Hedford
Nativity scenes and other imaginative types of decorations. The
ones shown in the pictures above are three of the many representa-
tions of Santa Claus. At left are the porchtop reindeer, sled and
North California
Ripped by Gales
Torrential Rains
Oroville, Other
Towns Evacuated
San Francisco (U.R) Tor
rential rains driven by gale
force winds struck Northern
California a new and devastating
blow today, sending at least
eight rivers on wild rampages
and forcing the evacuation of
scores of towns.
There was a slight let up in
the heavy downpour at mid
morning but the weatherman
said the fierce wind-whipped
rain would resume later in the
day.
Reports of towns being evac
uated poured in from all over
the northern half of California.
One of the hardest hit towns
was Oroville on 'the -'-Feather-river
where the -entire southern
half of the city had to be evac
uated. Homeless residents were
given temporary refuge in the
courthouse.
Air Field Flooded
Late reports said "several
hundred" people had been evac
uated in Butte county, 200 alone
at a labor camp near Gridley.
The commander at Hamilton
Air Force base in Marin county
ordered the "immediate evacua
tion" of all aircraft after flood
waters moved in on the field.
Hamilton said its planes would
be flown to other bases for ref
fuge, "any place in California
or Nevada that has room for us."
The aircraft at Hamilton incjude
jet fighters, B29s and C119s as
well as smaller planes and heli
copters. "Everything's got vtO
go," a base spokesman said.
The fresh rains, an extension
of a storm that has continued
almost without interruption for
the past seven days, dumped as
much as 6V2 inches on some
mountain areas in the past 24
hours.
Record River Levels
The resulting runoff sent the
Russian, Eel, Klamath, Ameri
can, Napa, Feather, Yuba and
Sacramento rivers cascading into
the valleys toward all-time high
flood crests.
More heavy rains with winds
up to 55 miles per hour -were
predicted through tomorrow.
Gueneville, a summer resort
60 miles north of here, issued a
"desperate" call for help to evac
uate stranded residents and-the
Coast Guard dispatched rescue
boats, helicopters and communi
cations trucks. The Air Force
was sending similar equipment
to the area.
Residents were being evacu
ated from downtown Napa but
officials said the State Mental
hospital there, previously be
lieved in danger, would not have
to be cleared out.
Trains Delayed
Western Pacific Railroad re
ported its main line through
the Feather River Canyon was
blocked by a slide, at Berry
Creek, delaying the Vista Dome
streamliners.
Water swamped Southern Pa
cific tracks 20 miles south of
Dunsmuir, forcing the railroad
to hold the Portland bound
Klamath train at Gerber, and
San Francisco - Oakland bound
Cascade at Dunsmuir.
Washington (U.R) The Agri
culture Department predicted
the 1956 spring pig crop will
total 56,000,000 head, a decrease
of 2 per cent from the 195o
spring crop.
Stores
Open
M
50th .Year
Medford
22 Pages MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1955
s
1" " ' $
A AV' ft 4
BEAR CREEK HIGH There was high water in bridge. Bear creek' spilled over its banks south
and around Medford . this morning, although of the city, covering Barnett rd. with several
damage reported here was far from being as . inches of water, and to the north washing out
serious as elsewhere in Jackson county. The view an irrigation diversion dam and flume,
above is' looking northeast across Bear creek .
toward Hawthorne park and the East Main st. (Brainerd photo.) . -
Jet Winds Slow
Christmas Mail
Across Pacific
San Francisco (U.R) Hur
ricane winds' over the Pacific ab
ated enough today to permit rer
sumption of air service to Ha
waii but airline officials said
there was little chance that a
backlog of 15,000 pounds of
Christmas mail and freight could
be cleared before the holiday.
Planes of the United Air Lines
and Pan American World Air
ways still were forced to carry
extra fuel to buck "jet stream"
headwinds ranging up to 100
miles an hour.
UAL flights from Los Ang
eles and Pan American flights
from Seattle and Portland were
routed to Honolulu this morn
ing via San Francisco. Here the
planes picked up more fuel be
fore taking off on the shortest
possible route to the islands.
Flight Time. Exteneded
Flight time between San Fran
cisco and Honolulu on flights
leaving today was an estimated
13:15 hours, as opposed to the
normal 9:45 hours flying time
over the route.
United was running four
flights today, two of them to
make up for yesterday's post
ponements. There was a possib
ility a fifth plane would be sent
out tonight.
Pan American said it was at
tempting to set up an extra flight
in addition to the two slated to
depart from San Francisco and
the one leaving Los Angeles to
day. Mail and cargo was backed
up at airports and post offices
here and in Los Angeles. Offic
ials said they could not give a
firm figure, but the delayed
mail and freight v?as estimated
at more than 15,000 pounds.
ntil
Santa, together with festive tree in the window and. decorated
door, at the Rodger Stearton home, 33 North Berkeley way. . In
the center is an illuminated Santa on the lawn of the Dutch Farfan
M
v
iVi
Writer Gets Birdseye
View of Valley Flood
(Editor's note: A Mail Trloune re
porter was aboard a Mercy Flights
plane this morning which carried
police and civil defense officials
over the valley to survey the flood
situation. His story, written during
convalescence from air-sickness
caused by his first airplane flight,
follows.)
By ALLEN REED
Mail Tribune Staff Writer
Flying from Medford airport,
the first thing noticeable today
was that the creeks are no long
er creeks.
What was yesterday an irri
gation ditch is today a river in
its. own right. The Rogue river,
dark brown with mud and its
surface dotted with debris, has
no definable banks along much
of its length between Camp
White and Grants Pass.
The tiny figure of a man was
on the roof of a small house
above the railroad bridge at Gold
Hill. From the air, it looked as
though the house had been built
in the middle of the river. One
side had been torn away by the
current.
Cattle Floating
Above Grants Pass another
person was on a roof top. Among
the" debris floating down the
river were two black cattle. It
was impossible to tell whether
they were swimming or had
given up and were simply float
ing with the current.
From the pitching, ' bucking
Mercy Flights plane, piloted by
George Milligan, it was impos
sible to count the number of
houses under water along the
river. I would estimate well over
a hundred. Sixteen were count-
Weather
FORECAST: Lowering cloudi
ness with rain tonight and
Friday morning. Partial clear
ing with showers Friday
afternoon. Low tonight 40-45.
High Friday 50.
Temp.
Highest Yesterday 57
Lowest this Morning 52
Prec. to 4:30 a.m. Today 3.02
9 o'clock Tonight
5
1 r M$ I
No. 234
Tribune
Price 5c
ed at Rogue River, twenty in
the Gold Hill area. At Grants
Pass, houses on both sides of the
river were flooded as far down
river as could be seen.
Water was rolling over the
railroad bridge below Gold Ray
dam, and above the dam the
water extended out on both sides
of the river over a wide area
where only the tops of trees
were visible.
Crowds of people lined the
banks well above the dam and
at other places along the river.
At Rogue River all of the
houses and businesses on the
south side of Highway 99 were
inundated. Water completely
covered the approach to the
bridge.
A logging railroad bridge
above Grants Pass was washed
out and . only one end of it
stuck, like a broken toy, out of
the water.
Highways Covered
Highways on both sides of the
river were under water in many
places. Highway 99 was flooded
in two places below Gold Hill;
for nearly a quarter of a mile at
Rogue River; and at Savage
Rapids dam. Only one car was
seen stalled in a flooded area on
the highway
Water was within 12 feet of
the highway over the old High
way 99 bridge below Gold Hill
Debris was piled up against the
bridge and it appeared to be in
danger of washing out. .
The park at Grants Pass was
more than half under water. Cars
were backed up on the Grants
Pass side of Caveman bridge and
crowds - of the curious were
watching the flood.
Detroit U.R) Detroit's
newspaper strike entered its
fourth week today but negotia
tions were scheduled to resume
between the publishers and the
stereotypers, first of three un
ions to go on strike.
: J
home, 723 South Newtown st., part of an elaborate display. Ch
roof-climbing Santa, sleigh and reindeer at right are atop the homg
of Dr. O. A.. Welsh, 1300 East Main st. (Brainerd photos.) O
Evacuate Families;
Bridges Destroyed
Rain swollen streams in Jack
son county last night left Med
ford virtually isolated, forced
evacuation of more than a hun
dred families, and closed schools,
bridges and roads.
State police this morning said
the only route open out of the
Rogue valley was' over the
Green Springs to Klamath Falls.
And there water over Highway
66 at Keno was delaying traffic.
More Rain Forecast
Flood crest on Rogue river oc
curred at Dodge bridge about 6
a.m. today and hit Grants Pass
Highway 99 is now open to
traffic out of the Rogue riv
er valley into California, state
police said early this after
noon. The route had been clos
ed 12 miles north of Yreka,
. Calif., where water from the
Klamath river flooded the
highway. . .
about 7:25 a. m. More rain was
forecast tonight and tomorrow
as a new warm front moved in
from the southwest.
The crest at Dodge bridge,
which was closed because of a
washout of .the east approach,
was 12.3 feet, or 3.3 above flood
stage. The crest at Grants Pass
was 29.7 feet, where flood stage
is 17 feet. - '
State police and other officials
reported several families ma
rooned or evacuated.
Officers this morning were at
tempting to rescue a man identi
fied as Barney Governor, 58,
who was marooned in his house
about 50 yards upstream from
the Gold Hill railroad bridge.
Night-long attempts to rescue
him continued today.
Car Trailer Washed Away
Governor's car and trailer
were washed away and he is be
lieved to be in his attic. Sheriff's
officers said the house is in dan
ger of collapsing, but a slight
drop in the river has improved
the situation. A boat rescue was
considered early today, but the
r river was too rough. State po
lice said part of the house had
been washed away.
Red Cross officials estimated
that about 100 families have
been evacuated in the Shady
Cove area, where several houses
were flooded. Evacuated families
are being cared for in other
Shady Cove homes, according
to Maj. Gen. Joseph H. Hicks,
director of Jackson County Civil
Defense.
Hicks said about 30 families
were evacuated from homes
around Rogue River last night.
Evacuated families are being
housed in the Grange and VFW
halls there.
Survey Conditions
A Mercy flights plane piloted
by George Milligan flew over
the valley this morning to deter
mine flood conditions and to see
what evacuations were neces
sary. Civil Defense officials said
darkness hampered determina
tion of damage and conditions
last night.
A state police officer hiked
into the cut-off Table Rock es
tates area this morning. Police
said a family was marooned
there and that police sent a boat
to rescue another family just
north of Rogue River on the
highway side of the river this
morning. -
At least one resort along
Rogue river was destroyed, and
several homes were destroyed or
badly damaged.
A noon report from Shady
Cove said that all houses for 1V
miles downstream from Shady
Cove along the river were partly
mm
under or surrounded by water,
and those near the river up to
Calif ornia-on - the -Rogue were
similarly situated.
Highways Closed
State police said Highway 99
was closed 12 miles' north of
Yreka, Calif., by Klamath river
water over the highway; High
way 99 was closed north of Gold
Hill; Highway 238 through the C
Applegate area was closed at
Ruch; and the rive road be
tween Rogue River and Grants
Pass was closed.
One-way traffic was moving
along Highway 62 . at Shady
Cove.
The Sams Valley area was al
most isolated because the three
bridges to the area, Dodge, By
bee and the Highway 238 bridge,
were closed; " . "
High water also damaged tele
phone lines, irrigation district
flumes, and closed several
bridges in the county.
Prospect was without tele
phone service today, and Colum
bia ' Utilities company officials
said only emergency circuits
are connected with the Shady
Cove area, where a crossing had
washed out.
Major Line Breaks
Two major line breaks were
reported north of Shady CoveP
where washed-out cabins knock
ed out poles. Company officials
said crews are working on toll
lines, and more rrjpn were ex
pected from Merrill. Attempts
were being made to lay lines
around breaks, most of which
are -under water.
Poles were washed out near
Bybee bridge, cutting service to
the Table Rock area, which Ex
cluded two Civil Aeronautics ad
ministration lines and the omni
range station on Table Rock. Of
ficials said repair crews are at
tempting to get into the area.
Officials were not sure about
conditions above McLeod, but
expressed hope that lines were
not broken.
Pacific Telephone and Tele
graph officials said damage to
the PT&T system apparently
was not extensive. A tree
knocked out a cable near Star
Ranger station, stopping service
to the Upper Applegate area.
Two poles were washed out
near Jackson hot springs, but
the cable was still operating, of
ficials said.
Electrical Outages
Only minor electrical outages
were reported in this area.
John Boyle, vice-president and
general manager of California
Oregon Power company, said
Crescent City is without power.
Worst of the flooding in the Cop
co area was there.
But elsewhere service was
maintained, despite the fact that
several power plants went out
of service, Boyle said. The Gold
Ray dam powerhouse had water
up to its windows, and "the
backwater is almost as high as
the headwater," the Copco of
ficial said. In the 1927 flood,
the water was slightly higher,
he reported, but how much is
unknown as the flood gauges
were washed out.
Both approaches to the Gold
Ray bridge were washed out.
Logjam at Gold Ray
There was a logjam on the
dam across the North Fork of
the Rogue, but crews got in and
eased the situation; The Rogue
was dropping off by mid-morning.
"' "
Pumice mud, washed-up debris
and wash-outs were hampering
operations in the Toketee falls
power complex on the North.
Fork of the Umpqua, Boyle said,
and several plants were out tem
porarily. Most will be returned
(Continued on Page 7)
HA .
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