New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-03-20
WHOLE NO. s7sS.

water durine the Wintsr months. and scorched &c
| meath baraing daring the cns SaGmef
without drop q rain. have not seen eis o
| frat OF any kind since have been IN this CITY
there is none here save such Rs comes dried ron
! Oregon. the Sandwich Islands. CT South America
| saw some grapes in Ssn Frsncsco, and few
miserable pears, tAst grew IN the southern Po-tcu
! 81 California but 20 apes. peaches pluns. cher
res or sny other u the glorious fruits II the states
/ And milk-that tsvcr,te article Of tOod AID 5svc-.
/ age iog uie-can be had here Nr 81 per qasrt, l
| believe bot have seen none. Cows are scarce.
/ AID their keeping expeasive. Potatoes VIII not
gros here, without much Labor IN watering them
duriaS the dry season and 90 ef nearly all garden
vegetables.
We'll. there, Il talk in this vein much longer,
shall begn 70 get bomes'ek. l fear and that
would n 90. for have concluded thar must stay
here til have made money enoaeh - buy At
east ten acresof ground in TIE States, with little
house Oh 4. where can live IN qaiet, and Keep 4
COW sud two ample tree. This Is st present the
scFss O. nv anhi,Nn--the ultimatum Of my earthly
hopes.
ysn. IA have not mentioned the
chief item OF impsrtarce--the principal feature ct
inisre., here in the events Of the day The grand
drama Of The Dsrge IS At presen. being enacted
here. to Overlooking houses. Sacramento CITY,
you are aware is situated on the Immediate bank
cfthe Sacramento. Wheu srrivediu November.
the water in the river some 10 OF IL ieet be
loy the line Of the banks and the dozen or twenty
vessels 81 all sizes. that were here, were made
fast 10 the large trees that grow up0u The margin
Il the almost perpendicular banks While the TAPER
Yards Of the vessels mingled with the utmost Tree
dom in strange though nsghborly compromising
with the overhanglng branches OF tue trees Ine
Sacramento Valley, on either side the river. -
almost 4 dead level, far As the eye can reach. For
soine weeks past the river has been gradually ris-
ing until about ten days ago the water IN many
low places. run over its banks, and spread out
over the plains covering thousands OF acres on
bo.h sides snd filing many Of the sloughs and lew
~ aces in the city. Since then the rise has eradu-
aly continued. In December, Jesse removed the
olhce-buldiny and Rll-irom it, original location
on the evee. back 20 Secondst. on the very high
est ground in the whole town--antcipating from
the stores that the crOakers told here, how the
water had been known to cover the whole plain Ia
this vicinity, thst might possibly get little
mos, in SO low place, IN case OF an unusual rise
in the river. On Tuesday asst the eth, strong
southeast wind blew tercey all day. and tho sue
ceeding night and day, backing the river mp stream
"a a great rate, while & ooplous and warm rain iell
during nearly the whole time, which, with the sup
posed profuse melting ol the snow on the noun
tain., sweled the volume OF water in the river
with Astonishing rspidty. Ga "Wednesday after
iooa the water begsn to poor over the bank IN
many places on the levee, and rush into the low
places, filing them up very fast. In few hours
he streets many OF them were running rivers
snd the water soon began 10 walk IN upon the hrst
floor Of tue bouses. rising AZ the rate OF three
~ lour inches per hour. Now people began 20 be.
stir themselves, fer the danger Of being washed
away and drowned began % be imminent Plat
forms were suddenly thrown up, by means OF
boards laid upon chairs aud boxes. aud the nova
bles Of the room, as far as possible, raised foot
or two above the floor. They would have been
carried to tue second story presume, in most
cases were Il not tor the sct that very few houses
here have more thsn ono story, being bait, main
'y, Of canvas with round poles for tim5ers. But
such precautions in most instances have proved
unavailing for the water continued 90 rise from
Wednesday to Friday night AZ which time tho
wster was about four inches over the hoor oil our
Office, which Is elevated about eighteen inches
above the ground while the rapid current whrled
past with a gurglng sound, accompanied by ire
quent Earring thumps against the side OF the house
| gwen BY the drifting boxes, barrels lumber, &c.
| oorne along upou the swift tide. Jerry was drown
| ed out Of his house early on Thnrsday. he water
ri.ins above hs tables and ne deserted, leaving
much valuable stock. provisions, &c. TO be ruined
he took refuge with rs bringing only bis blankets,
and 10 sill here. As the water appeared upon our
loor couple Of "A. rushed desperately out into the
icecold water brought In hafa dozen boards rom
"a neighbOrlag pile OF lumber without 50 much as
by your leave 70 tho owner whoever he might be,
and with these, with some large boxes for ioun'
dation we erected a platform some two feet high
over portion of the floor elevated the stove upon
r. piled the paper. and some other perishabe srti
cles upon the press and bank and made calculation
for a tedious imprisonment We hailed one OF the
many boats that were plying about IN I'll directions
among the houses, and sent out dele9ate TO pro
cure provisions for toe eating houses, OF course
hal ali stopped business being mostly several feet
under water and nobody conli get % them, even
were they mott who retarned with q lot Of pilot
Tread, some dried beet slab OF salt salmon, some
cheese. a or Of preserved pears by way OF desert,
and bottle Ortwo oil the crater, 70 keep OH ehiils
though we don't drink I'd have you 10 under
stand-not BY no means Since then we nave Ell
deayOred 10 make ourselves rs comfortable az pos
sible On the circumscribed limits Of our PLATFORM
with a. good tire az we could keep up with wet
wood and the sumptn0us fare Ihaye named above.
There are four oil ne together 80 we are not very
lonesome. The view from the window is pctur
esque IL the extreme. On one side may be seen
q frame house with the water level with the win
doTs near b. another that has been slightly tilted
ron rs iogndsiion having one corner nearly cat Of
water. while the other Is quite submerged Tor sew
eral feet sEd al sides, ami IN every direction,
canvas roof Of houses are seen, some high enough
above the water 70 allow sight OF the tops OF their
doors, others just lifting their ridges loot o. two
above the food. Their former inhabitants hsye
taken refuge, Ia hundreds, on board tho shipping
IN the nyer leaving mach valo able property-dry-
goOds, provisions, 6c-Io the mercy q the element
The high ground On which oar ohice stands-os
rather that IN the immediate yIcinity,-Tas a. hf,t
made place Of refuge BY great Numbers Of wretch
ed u dies and oxen. turned loose - shIrk Df them
selves by their reckless owners, and The poor an
70 as stood shiyesing IN the cold water, endeayorng
20 appease their hunger by gnawing tbs moss and
berk from oar wood. plle and eagerly eating the
brush and small limbs Of trees thai oceasonaly
came floating b. Bat as che y ater rose, the cat
tie ysmosed and nost Of them. with thousands
Of others on the plans, have doubtless perlshed
ere tns--lof men here cay that The wster was
ne ser be ore known 20 nse 90 high as at present.
Bat We begin 10 entertain hopes oil rescue and
delivery IN few days low. On rising fron Oor
beds rhis morning discovered that the " ater
he'd recedsd nearly an Lcn dnriGg Tie nisSt and
though J. has remained stailoDary thus lar d9rIng
,ae day, we feel somewhat sanguiDs That 4 VII
rise 20 more, sna may give Is foot or Two o. bare
sround il the cc1rEs Of a week, as tie ram has
easel, aud the VIVID become quiet 20 nal dcs-
p.rarlasa' il or motto DON. The liquid streets
present q1its q lively aspect today. AT the boats
" the shipping have been brought into requistion,
ani many new ones. OF rude construction, taed
with the nsrriesg kind d ielows-~ho have not
mach wealth 70 lose, presume, and of course can
afo-d % BE- jolly-are gliding past in every direc
ton 70 lives have been osi, mat re have head
OF though an immense snouBt Of property has
cOubt.ess been destroyed What vii be the end
4 al 10 one can soretsl though people here vii
Fo1tsiass be mrcn nlCre CAUTIOUS 10 Uuidlng n0uses