The weekly Butte record., 1861-12-14

been equally severe and disastrous From
cConnell's ferry, three miles below here,
down the river, as far as the Honcut, the bot
tom lands were flooded and, in many instances, /
families were driven out of their houses or
compelled to remain. while all around was q
watery waste. Stock, of every description,
perished to some extent, while the remainder
sought safety upon isolated islands and the
main upland. At Honcut Creek, the waters
! flooded and damaged the bridge, stopping all
communication during Monday and the greater
part of Tuesday, when the express and mails
were ferried across with small boats. On
Thursday, the stage first succeeded in crossing.
No damage was sustained by the Railroad
| Co., their grade and bridges being eighteen
inches above high water mark.
Accounts which reach US from Chico and
the Sacramento River draw gloomy pictures
of the condition of things throughout all that
section of country. Thousands of head Of
stock have been drowned, and other property
damaged beyond an estimate The fertile
plains of Missouri Bend, are reported to have
been converted into dreary and barren waste,
and in fact, the whole valley, bordering upon
the Sacramento River, presents to the eye
naught but field of desoation.
Major Bidwel of Chico, has, we learn, suf-
fered severely by the overflow of a large por-
tion of his lands carrying away fences, recently
built and seriously damaging other property.
The precise amount of his loss cannot be as
certained until the waters subside, as portions
of his property cannot now be reached, 10 find
out his condition. Farther down the river, in
the section of country bordering upon the tules
and the junction of Butte Creek with the Sac
ramento, the country is said to present the ap-
pearance of a vast lake-miles in extent. 1t
must necessarily be a long time before the &C.
tua damage by the loss Of stock and other
property, in the river bottoms, can be ascer-
taned, as, undoubtedly, numbers of cattle and
horses, now missing, will be hereafter found at
places where they have strayed in seeking safe
!, ty from the approaching food At best, the
damages in this county alone, will amount to
tens of thousands of dollars.
The telegraph wires being down. above, and
, communication otherwise very imperfect we
are unable to state how far north the freshet
extended although there is but little doubt
/, that the Northern counties have suffered to
some extent.
But while the disasters in this section are
great, they absolutely sink into insigni6cance
when compared with the horrible suffering in
the cities and vaes below At Marysville,
the water reached point higher, by some in
ches, than in the great freshet of 1858. The
damage to property of all descriptions is im>
mense, and several lives have been lost. The
lower part of the city was submerged cellars
filed and buildings swept away. Portions Of
the walls of the Merchants Hotel fell with
tremendous crash the floors gave way, the fur
niture was broken and damaged and the whole
property rendered almost valueless. Although
the building was filled with men, women and
children, at the time of the disaster, none saf-
fered injury, except few slight bruises. 1t is
reported that the whole block of brick build
ings, of which the Merchants Hotel formed
part, is almost total ruin. The front walls
remain standing, while the back walls are bro
ken and fallen. In other parts of the city the
damage is heavy. The surrounding country
has suffered equally, by the loss of stock, build
ngs, ETC., and the destruction to the land itself,
by the washing Of sand and gravel Some
idea of the magnitude Of the flood can be had,
from the fact that the steamer Defiance, with
out difficulty, steamed around the south end of
the Yuba River bridge and rendered valuable
assistance in removing sufferers from perilous
positions in habitations surrounded or filled
with water, to secure places in the city. She
then took a trip orertand ria stage road, to
Eliza-a voyage of mercy-in search Of suffer
ing men, women and children. Farther up the
fuba, the loss of life is supposed to be very
great, especially amongst Chinese Whole
companies, containing from eighteen to twen.
ty,hve, are reported drowned. Many days will
elapse before the actual number of lives lost in
that section will be ascertained as the missing
are in some cases found to be safe, after having
encountered difficulties and dangers absolutely
appalling.
AT Sacramento, the flood was felt in all its
terrbleness-being greater than ever before
!, known, since the country was settled by whites.
} There was but little ground in the city remain
) ing above water, while in some portions, a
, depth of twenty feet was attained. The same
!. loss Of life and property attended the disaster
there as in other places, only more alarming
, and frightful. Detail is too lengthy for us to
!. enter into. The condition Of the city is gloomy,
indeed, and the suGerings of portions of her
population intense The loss of property is
estimated to reach q million of dollars.
May this frightful scene through which we
; have just passed, be the last one of the kind
ever visited upon the people of California
A FUNNY BIT OF ROMANCE.-The Marposa
Gazette gives the following account of a little