Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-01-17
THE GREAT CALIFORNIA FLOOD,

largely taken up with accounts OF re-
markable food which recently visited
that State, causing an immense destruc-
ton of property.
The flood was caused by heavy rains
which melted the snow in the mountains,
by which the various streams were rap
idly swollen and rose to great hight. AT
Sacramento the leyee Of the American
river first gave way, letting in an i'm
mense volume Of water upon the eastern
section of the city. The tendency of
the current was along the southern Sec
ton of the cty-the r street levee dam
ing it up and preventing its natural flow
towards SutteryiIle.
The streets in that quarter were quick
Iy filed by the advancing waters, which
moved so fast the residents had hardly
time to realize their situation before the
floods were upon them. Many women
and children were hemmed in by the wa
tiers before they got away from their
homes, aud had to be removed by means
of horses, mules, wagons, &c. AS early
as nine o'clock in the morning, says the
Sacramento Union, there was very gen
eral movement among stock owners and
livery stable keepers to drive out Of the
city horses, mules, cattle, hogs, &e., and
throughout the day large quantities OF
stock were driven across the Iolo bridge
and down the leyee towards Sutterville.
The wa,er at ten o'clock was so deep at
the lower portion Of the city as to set
aAoat aad turn over a large number OF
houses in the vicinity Of Fifth and Sixth
streets. From very many of these hous-
es women could be seen at the doors and
windows calling for boats, which were for
a time scarce, and for time it seemed as
though many lives must inevitably be
lost All the boats at the levee were
soon brought into requisilion for the pur-
pose Of rescuing them, and they were
removed to places of safety.
When the water arrived in the vicin-
ity Of the Pavilion, corner Of Sixth and
NJ streets, that building was thrown open
for the reception of the flying refugees,
and during the day the Howard beneyo-
bent Society accommodated some two
hundred persons, keeping four boats con-
stantly running to bring off those who
had no means Of transportation. This
number was fed by a cauldron being pre-
pared for TIE supply of soup, and sup
ply Of blankets was furnished them at
night
The food continued to advance, and
soon after l o'clock NJ, L, X and SITS.
were from two to four feet under water.
The inmates of one story residences gen
orally deserted them, while the occupants
/ Of two story houses hastily removed their
property into the upper story. The Gel
lars in the town were Of course filled
with water, and large quantities Of stores
were destroyed Boats, scows, RATS and
every imaginable kind Of water craft was
brought into requistiou. At II o'clock
in the forenoon the chain gang cut an
opening in the K street leyee between
Fifth and Sixth streets. The water
rushed through in 4 perfect torrent, and
large number of houses in the vicinity
were swept along and dashed to frag-
mcnts. This operation had the effect of
reducing the depth of water on J and X
streets about a foot by o'clock.
The railroads were obliged to suspend
operations, and toward night the road to
Sutterville and Camp Union was render
ed impossible. At shutdown the water
was Fl 1-2 feet above low water mark,
but at ten o'clock bad receded an inch or
TWO. On the 18th of December the
flood had so far abated that the two prin-
cipal streets were again in travelling con-
diton through part of their length
The general appearance Of the flooded
city on the 10th, and some idea of the
damage done, are thus described and Civ
en- by the Union:
"The morning sun yesterday rose
bright and beautiful over our city, but its
beams fell upon a desolate and dreary
scene. The waters had subsidized during
the night three or four feet, leaving L ST.
and all the streets north of it beds of
mud, strewn with plauks from sidewalks
and crossings, and amid which boats and
RATS, used in their navigation the day
before, lay helplessly stranded. South OF
L street, however, all the city was still
submerged, and boats and RATS afforded
the only means of locomotion in them.
The scene in this part of the city,
where the first fury of the flood was
spent, was one of dismal devastation
Scores of capsized houses lay where they