Heppner, OR Flood, Jun 1903

TOWN WIPED OUT.

Heffner,[sic] Oregon, Swept Out Of Existence By A Deluge.

Spokane, Wash., June 15--Special news, telegraph and telephone from Arlington, Ore., states that the town of Heppner, Ore., was destroyed by a great flood of water that rushed down Willows creek between six and seven o'clock last night. Reports from Ione state that from 350 to 600 people are believed to have been drowned.

At five o'clock a. m. it was reported that 105 bodies had been found. Wires are down and only meagre reports of the disaster has been obtained which are brought out by messengers.

Heppner is a town of about 1250 in habitants, the seat of Morrow county, at the terminus of the branch of the Oregon railroad and Navigation company. Farming and stock raising are the chief industries.

Willows creek, which is given as the cause of the disaster, is ordinarily a small stream and early reports indicate that the flood was caused by cloud bursts.

Portsmouth Herald, Portsmouth, NH 16 Jun 1903

--------

ANOTHER DELUGE.

Such Was Monday's Flood At Heppner.

TOWN AT THE MERCY OF RAGING WATERS.

Four Hundred People Are Believed To Have Been Drowned.

THE PROPERTY LOSS WILL PROBABLY EXCEED HALF A MILLION.

Ione, Or., (June) June 16--The names of 189 persons whose bodies have been recovered, or who are missing and believed to be dead as a result of the Heppner flood, have been obtained.

In addition, the bodies of seven Chinese, three Japanese and twenty-one strangers and babies, names unknown go to swell the list.

More than 100 people remain to be accounted for.

Elias Connor, a stock raiser of Ione returned from Heppner at Two o'clock this morning. He left the scene of the disaster at six o'clock last night and brings the latest news.

"It is now known," said Mr. Connor, "that at least 275 or 300 people were drowned; 115 corpses have been hastily buried in wooden boxes and some were merely wrapped in blankets. Heppner itself has now been pretty well searched, except in piles of debris where it is thought great numbers of bodies will be found.

"Between Ione and Heppner," said Mr. Connor, "there are great piles of debris, but the flood passed so quickly that the roads have not been seriously damaged.

"In Heppner itself the flood swept a clean path a mile long and two blocks wide through the town, following generally the course of Willow creek."

Estimates place the number drowned at 400 and the property loss at half a million dollars.

Portsmouth Herald, Portsmouth, NH 17 Jun 1903
__________________

Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!