Wenatchee, WA Cloudburst Causes Deadly Flooding, Sep 1925

SEVEN DEAD BY FLOOD IN WASHINGTON

REPORT TEN MISSING.

CLOUDBURST LOOSES A WALL OF WATER ON RAIL TERMINAL.

Wenatchee, Wash., Sept. 5 -- (By Associated Press). -- Seven known dead, three injured and 10 unaccounted for was the toll taken when, without warning, a cloudburst swept down Spring Water canyon and flooded the south Wenatchee Great Northern railway terminal at 4:15 o'clock this afternoon.
Of the seven bodies taken from the wreckage, four had been identified early tonight. They were FRANK PETTY, brakeman; MRS. DOMICK MacDONALD and a MRS. CLEVELAND and MARGARET SMYTHE, about 10 years old.
The rushing torrent smashed five houses to kindling wood and the Spring Water Hotel, a three-story frame structure, was hurled 60 feet across the main street by the force of the flood.
Seek Bodies In Wreckage.
At 8 o'clock this evening, 150 rescue workers, headed by doctors, firemen and police officials, were making frantic efforts to recover the missing. It is thought that at least eight bodies were in the wreckage.
MISS. L. M. LOVEGROVE, a clerk in the roundhouse at the terminal, probably averted a wreck when she notified the station to stop the Great Northern eastbound passenger train No. 4 just as the waters swept a mass of tangled beams over the track. The train was stopped barely in time to avoid a seemingly certain crash.
Little groups of laborers huddled together in silence under the red glare of torches this evening. They were anxiously awaiting the recovery of missing wives, or children.
Under Flood.
At a late hour this afternoon, six feet of water was still sweeping over the terminal yards, and on into the Columbia river.

List of Known Fatalities of the Flash Flood in South Wenatchee
MRS. ELLEN BUTTS, 45, housekeeper, Leavenworth.
ALICE SOPHIE CLEVEN, 38, cook, Wenatchee.
ALMA ERNST, 11, Wenatchee.
JOHN WILLILAM EVANS, 63, fruit farmer, Wenatchee.
ALICE MYRTLE GROFF, 6, Wenatchee.
CHESTER GEORGE GROFF, 1, Wenatchee.
FLORENCE ELEANOR GROFF, 4, Wenatchee.
MARY JOSEPHINE GROFF, 8, Wenatchee.
MRS. MARGARET E. McDONALD, 35, Leavenworth.
FLORENCE EMELINE McDONALD, 2, Leavenworth.
GEORGE ALEX MURDOCK, 36, lineman, Entiat.
WILBERT E. OVERMAN, 27, electrician, Wenatchee.
PAUL RUSSELL PETTIT, 24, GNR brakeman, Everett.
MRS. LETHA SMYTHE, 31, Wenatchee.
Known Dead Bodies Never Recovered:
DONALD FREDERICKSON, 15, Wenatchee.
JACK HOUSENER, 5, Wenatchee.

The Independent Helena Montana 1925-09-06
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!