The River Overflows: Lives Lost and Homes Deserted
A catastrophic flood on the Yakima River leaves homes submerged, stock lost, and two local men drowned in a tragic crossing attempt.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The women and children in the J. B. Clements family were compelled to desert their home Sunday evening and are now stopping at the C. S. Teachout home in town. The water came up and surrounded the house, making it impossible to remain any longer. The men stayed to look after the stock. Mrs. Jack Roberts is staying with her parents on the Pasco side until the water goes down, the children being with friends in Richland. Practically everyone in the low areas in the vicinity of the hop yard is marooned, while the children on the other side of the Yakima have been compelled to give up all thoughts of attending school until the water goes down. Several farmers have lost livestock, although the majority of ranchers took matters in time and moved their stock to safety. However, practically all flumes and small buildings on these places have been washed away and will have to be replaced at considerable expense. Hay stacks are either partly or entirely covered with water, and a great amount of loss will result from spoiled hay. Every citizen of Richland is expressing sympathy for the relatives who survive Henry Thamke and Chas. Vanier, the two men who were drowned in trying to cross the Yakima river Sunday night above the upper dam. Both men are well known in this section and their death, coming in such a sudden way, has caused universal sorrow throughout this part of the valley.
“The water came up and surrounded the house and made it impossible to remain any longer.”
This 1919 flood event captures the constant tension between the community in the Yakima Valley and the river that sustains it. Today, the landscape is heavily engineered, but the memory of these early struggles against 'ravages of high water' remains a core part of the region's history.
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