Steam & Excursion > When The Flood Waters Rise You Best Send In this Historic Engine!

In the spring of 1894 a sharp temperature rise accompanied by warm rains melted more than the normal amount of snow in the mountains above Portland, Oregon.  This led to the Willamette River rising to a high water mark of 33.5 feet which caused sever flooding in parts of the City of Portland. This was the worst flood ever recorded in the city. Surging high water covered 250 square blocks and knocked out public utilities, warehouses, and docks. Two drawbridges were stuck open, limiting travel between the east and west sections of the city. Businesses sold merchandise from their second-floor windows or operated from boats floating on city streets.

Southern Pacific was determined to make sure the trains were still made up in the city during the flooding.  We see here that on June 7, 1894 SP has dispatched 0-4-0 #1011 to ford through the flood water to retrieve waiting rail cars.

SP #1011 had originally been built by Baldwin in 1883 for the Oregon & California RR as their #43.  She was later renumbered as SP #1011 as we see in this flood photo taken in 1894 on lower Hawthorn St. in South East Portland.  Her 7-foot wheelbase on 51" drivers and 25-ton weight made her a good candidate to tread lightly over the flooded tracks that SP had in the City.

#1011 continued to serve the SP until 1905 when she was sold to the Independence & Monmouth Railroad of Monmouth, Oregon.  Finally, in 1912 she was sold to the White Star Lumber Co. to operate log trains on their line.

Regardless of what she did during her many years of service, she gained her greatest fame fording the flood waters of Portland's greatest flood in 1894.

Martin



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/16 07:27 by LoggerHogger.

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I wish I had the two lanterns sitting on top of the tender.

Maybe on the NW side of town, by the hills in the background?

doge_of_pocopson Wrote:
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> Maybe on the NW side of town, by the hills in the
> background?

My vote would be in the southeast industrial district around Water Avenue north past the Burnside bridge

Dick Samuels

Looks like the bottom of the firebox is in the water.  How high up on a firebox can floodwaters go before they start getting inside?

I wouldn't mind having those lanterns too.  They both look like bell bottoms, and the one on the left looks like an older fixed globe.  At any rate they were 1894 models or older.  Wonder where they are now ?   If they're both marked for the SP they'd be worth a bunch.

CCH
Vay, Idaho

For you lanten lovers - here you go.

Martin

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