Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/182

Rh quently men of doubtful character were found dead at die

end of a lariat But it is said that the course of the Committee was usually attended with more or less deliberatly. The prisoner was generally given an opportunity to speak in his defence; and if found guilty was allotted a few moments for prayer before he was hanged. The Vigilance Committee was severely criticized by many as an illegal organization; and it was believed that in some instances it brought about the death of the innocent. But there were many good people who regarded it as the only means of establishing protection of life and property in Eastern Oregon and the Walla Walla covmtiy before the courts became strong enough to enforce the laws.

Oregon Floods. "During the first three days of January, 1853, a disastrous flood occurred in the Willamette Valley, Heavy snow in December was followed by copious warm rains converting the brooks into torrents and the rivers into a raging flood. The steamer "Lot Whitcomb" was wrecked near Milwaukie. General Palmer s mill at Dayton was carried down stream, a number of tenements of Linn City started on a voyage to the Columbia, and but a small portion of the stock along the river survived."— History of the Willamette Valley.

The Willamette Valley Flood. The winter of 1861-1862 was the severest in Oregon history, A protracted storm was intensified by blizzards and snow lay very deep. Warm rains followed which simultaneously melted the snow in the uplands and the lowlands. Torrents from the mountains met the half-melted snow and ice of the Willamette Valley, forming a mass of heavy slush which was unable to push its way through the gorge at Oregon City. Consequently, the swollen tide of backwater spread over the valley to such a depth that settlers believed that an ocean liner could have sailed over some of their farms.