The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-04-24
From the Chicago Tribune.
Great Flood at Sacramento.
The Levee Swept Away

The mails bring US full particulars Of the great
Zoo Is which have desulated the Sacramento and
YuJa Valleys. At Sacramento City the great /
est excitement prevailed. and 1t was only by the
most determined efforts that far greater de
str cnn Of life and property did not take place
Approximations that the Levee would give way
before the immense pressure Of water had led 10
the appointment, Of a night watch. who, on the
first indication Of such an event, were to summon
the citizens to the crevasse Up to the night of
the 6lh Of March, the Lsvee resisted the torrent,
which swept against it, although it was feared
that it was beng undermined in many places
About o'clock on that night their apPreh.n.
sinns were verified. aud the citztas were arogs-
ed from their ,unber. by the fearful notes Of lie
fe bell. What followed We copy from the De.
mocra,c Journal Extra Of he iii Of Mach:
The first breach in the Leyee was made just
above tie siucc gait" near FIr.t street, aud when
discovered, the walter Wa rushing thr"ugh q
space about The .lzr III barrel Lars, quaul-
ties uf hay were immediately procured. ard eve
~ effort made To- stop It. but IN vain. Very suun
large portion Of the Lcvre. Just nbny", was
washed away, and house carried oil ~ winch
were sleeping four men; one 81 them l. known TO
he dtowhcd. The breach at the slu.ce gate was
produced, doubtless, ON account uf the water IN
tile slough OrIns much lower tlmn the river. The
pressure without being unre,l.,el 1t proved too
great for the sandy earth Cf which the embark.
men, i, composed Soon after these bre.Che.
were made. the entire ,lutce glv- WAY. and =
mighty torrent rushed Into the slough. At tbs
! I'm l,Y Ia tit,t,f t,l
Third street bridge, over the slough, when III the
rush Of waters. 1t wa. swept away. How many
| escaped 1t l. impossible to ,ay--a number were
nqurs Innably drowned AmI the war If wi,
ter, signal Of distress was gwen 10y some one
/ firing pistol, but ~ one had the means at hand
| Ut iG,'uug lin. AT This stage he water was
! found To- he pouring into our city, at the head o.
! Second street. Immediately all hand. wrr" con
contracted here, andaIlh"ugh an Immense strran
! Of wafer had been pouring into the CITY FIR s'nI,
time, Yet We learn, nj present writing, that i
! has been arr este there. Considerable wa'r
has accumulated IN the low ground, between Sc
cond and Front streets ~ seventh street ul-.
4 stream had frHul it, way in'u the ,ii,, and .
large force i now concentrated thre Hope
are still entertained, that hy guarding 10y suili
Gent force the Slough, the cits, Il, was the east
IN 1880. m y still he .nycd
At the filling of the hilge on Third street
Marshal White, II A Smith ami several n'hr
i our ,l,Izrn'' narrowly escaped with their IlNr-
- '''" "'o Wv" '''"'
From, ,I, nr,..,.n, .t,t,. If I,. w,t,,s ,l,. an
tire Sacramento valley abuvr aud br"v, mu.
he ''e' II wed and III" i"~' at stuck and ia" dc
''"' ''' ~ "''' ''''>' P''''' wa " ''
IL,. c,r,,.s.. -, ,,. .,o.,,,, lea, ,..,,, ,,,r,iu
stopped. The water i, stlll rising IL, the rate ,
D inches an hour.
o"' 'uh'"' "'e '',srh,'y ~ ""H' ana sre'
.,i.J fr,,r ~ c,n1,I,,. ;,',,.i,,;,r
i. S-By urrgorys Express we learn tn
we are not alone ~ thu terrible visitation. y
iss'v'u'! i've T,'."r I'a%' n Nr!'''l.' WAS Ut
!
'''S'' il'n'no''5n whose '''"r' To save u
','y arc us'''''' D! ''e sacrament" papers,
","",' sut''' "u''"'' ''S"'o "s'''"S appear
W. '''e ''''''' I'''-''' J." '"'' "'' !" Ue ""'"
o'',, "'''''' ""' '"'S '''P'"''" ""o!
Wv ''' "'''' 'e"'''e" " '''A "'''" wv "
''' '"e ." "'""ru upon me people 'i o'c'
rrnto with clear Ky AMI cold wind, and briu
night il WINS evident that the waters were ab,
I'M, Tho I.v,, y,. t,r,.,I b.l,,-., l, otto. q,
"' water u" '''' wy e"'''i''"''n sr""o''y '''
crdr Oh the 9Th, however, the weather ~ %
4 changed. 4 terrific storm Sc, in in the cyenis
The r,,,rr .,,;n ,,,,,,cr,l ii,,, ANIL I,;,,, If
.
= "7"' '"e 'e"I''"! 'e'ee' '''c'e' ny we III
/ zInS were swept away, an! the waters br K. Il
I, the city, completely inunl,tin. the great,