New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-14
THE GREAT CALIFORNIA FLOOD.
HUNDREDS OF CuINAMEN DROWNED

70 Gently visited that State causing an immense de.
"a s,Iuciion Of properly.
= TIE Hood was caused by heavy rains which melted
4 the snow in the mountains, by which the various
9 streams were rapidly swollen aud rose to great
s. hight. Az Sacramento tie levee Of the American
J. River fret gave way letting immense volume Of
i water in upon tie eastern section Of tie city, The
y tendency OF the current along the southern sec-
ton Of The city--tbe R.sreet levee damming j. up
= AID preventing it, .tura flow toward Sutierye.
U The streets in that quarter quickly filed ~
The advancing waters, which moved go fast that the
, residents bad hardly time TO realize their situation
: before the foods were upon them. Many women
and children were hemoed in by the waters before
: they got away from their homer, and had to be
removed by means Of borsss, mules, wagons, fse.
} As early az 9 o'clock in the morning, says Tn.
lSacrameat0 hmm, there was very general move
rnent among stock owners and livery stable keepers
TO dive OUT Of the city horses, uole', cattle hogs,
&c., and throu the day large quaint dies Of stock
I were driven across the IOio bridge nd down tho
evee toward Sntlerville. TIE water a. " O'clock
was go sc ~ at tue lower portion Of ne cry "a 10 set
anoa, and turn over urge nunbe of houses In the
yiclGy Of Fiith aud Sixth eirce' o. From very many
of those houses women could ~ seen AZ doors and
windows calling for boits, which were for a tine
scarce, and tor u while il .eeuef 81. thou0h MANY
lives must inevitably be- o6f an tue hoais az the
Ievee were soon brought. into requsion for tie pur-
p9se OF fes'eiug ter and they were remoyedt to
Il When the vat Or arrived in the vicinity Of ths
favll'p, 'o'ner of Sixth snd VI streets, that build.
ing vas 'bfo' open fr the reception Oh ioe iyng
ieintee', ~ d durpg the day 'he Howard behevo-
lent SocI ~ accommodated there some 200 persona,
Keel ing boats constantly running, TO bring oil
those sSho had no means Of transportation. This
uup her was led By csuJroa being prepared for the
'r.ppiy Of ,cup, aud supply OF blankets was fur.
ssxlrr a.. FFf
u Tie food continued to advance and soon after I
aclook, II, l., X, and s'reets were from to ifeet
under water he inmates Of one-story residenees
= generally deserted them whl.5 the occupants OK TWO
story houses hastily removed TIER property into the
upuer story. lie cellars in the town were, OF
d couse. hl,d with wafer, and large quantities. OF
D stores destroyed. Boats, scowa, rats, and
D every imaginable kind of wafer craft were brought
Z into requistol. AZ il o'clock in the forenoon the
ctain.gtug cut an opening toe Rstreet cyee, be.
= tween iilh snd Sixth stTeets. The watef rutned
through ia perfect torreDt aud large number OF
houses in the vicinity were swept along and dashed
TO fragments. Tbs operation had the elect OF re-
ducing The depth OF water on j and streets about
4 foot, by clock.
Late in the evening" when TIE equilibrium Of water
on each Idle f street was established, the back
water filed up al portions Of l. city, aud attained
higher point than that of the earlier period OF the
day. Several perrOns were drowned during the day.
During the greater portion Of the day. the oDly dry
portions o: tue ,ity were street, tue river front, the
4
leyee were crowded much Of tie day with live stock,
when WAS taken hsre for saety. In the evening,
many boats occul led IN taking Passengers TO
and from the very lew restaurants ard hotels that
r were able to furuish mes-. The most OF them had
m, ir fses eXinguitbed, and were therefore unablc
TO Do their cooking. Tie steamer swallow attempt.
"A to pas through the dawbI1ge in the afternoon,
but was dashed "a rs, the pier, STAYING III her EIDE,
and severely inluiug two OF Ter passengers, MISC
Elizabeth Near ANA Mr.. u. Nyer
TIE rail Dads were oyli-ed ~ suspend operations
and toward night the road to Slttersille aid Camp
Union was rendered inpassable. AT shutdown the
water was 81 ect above low water mark, but NJ 10
O'Clock had TeceGed lush or two. Gu the 18th u
December the hOod bad SO far abatod that the two
PRINCIPAL streets wee sgtin IN travelling condition
through part Of their leDgih he general appear
ance of the flooded city the 10th, aud Some idea
Of the damage done, thus described and given ~
The UalOa:
Tie morning sun yesterday rose bright and beau.
tiful city, bat iis beams fell upon desJlse
and dreary scene. Tue waters had subsidized during
the night three or four ieeI leaving stree! and all
The streets north OF it beds OF mud, sirewn With
blanks from iidew6lks and crossings, and amid
which boats and raits used IN their navisst on me
day before, lay hei lessiy stranded south OF ].
street however, all the city was still submerged,
and boats and RATE afforded the only means OF loco
motion IN them.
Tie scepe in this part Of the city, where TIE first
/ fury OF the flood spent, was one OF dismal lie.
yasgiio. Scores OF cap.iZed houses lay where they
had been lodg against trees or other capsi1sd and
toppng dwellings, great piles OF stray lumber and
wood were floating apOat, aud carcasses Of drowned
cattle, horses, ami swine here and there dishguree
tic general wreck, amid which boats aud RATS were
plying nGustrously, hilea with people IN search Of
heir damaged household effects.
i On Ninth street, between X and Is, were the
bodies Of fourteen fifteen horses, and the lcss III
property belonging TO families resident there wa
especially large Ii Is still difficult TO ascertain me
oss Of lie by the food with any degree OF exaethess
owing 10 the muliylici,y OF Wild eAsgseraiions, tht
siil continuing buste and confusion, and he great
difficulty OF lOcomOtion.
! The l)ss of properly by the inundation is I'M
meuse, probably amounting IN tie ageregse
/ 81 O0O,O6J The principal losses arc OF buildings
/ household furniture, ana wood. Many merchAnis@
j aud streets suffered heavily in the damage cone
by wetting their stock, but very generally they sue
&c eded piling their valuable goods on upper
shelves ard foxes cut of the way Of diebehing.
The breaks in tie k-sipet levee upon viii, the
railroad l. located seven. The first on r iftt
street 100 feet; second, a. Sixth, 2Oo feet; thru
near Eighth $50 feet fourth. at Tenth, 90 feet nth
AT Twelfth 20 feet; sixth, ut Thirteenth, loo ieet
seventh, at Fifteenth, loo i,et
! Numerous breaks were also made IN the ieVet
from Sixteenth Fairly -irst street. These brenSs
must all be rel aired. Well as the tesle brd9s
built at Seventeenth ard Eighteenth streets, before
the carr can run into the city. The Superintendent
! thinks he will TO able TO make repairs III uree o.
four DAYS SO as to enable tie cars to run to tho hSe
i The reported ra, id faliog OF the American hiVei
NJ Folsom gives ground Tor Lope tnat we lave slei
the worst OF this disastrous Hoods Tor al Inc IN.
should continue to fall the lower streets win "
gradually drained oil through the opening" aa0 ~
the R-stIeet levee. ,,,s,lIa AMI
The food was also very severe at MaryS'hei ans
accompanied by startling eaastiopnes, ~ w.. iltt
by Tile Morysuih Appeal. Ina, pale RON,
II, .avs. M.rysyille il now slowly emei 5is lIoui
In,