The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-01-16
Great food in California.

sAcRANESTo DELUGED.-A great freshet occurred
throughout the valley Of the Sacramento, Yuba and
Feather Rivers. on the 9th and 1Oth Of December.
Some Of the towns and cities were from TWO to twelve
feet under water. Regarding Sacramento, a corr $
pendent in the Mirror says:
Our city lies flooded with water, which covers
every foot Of ground except the steamboat levee and
the railroad track. This is the third humiliation we
have suffered The first occurred Jan. 9, IS49, and
the other in 1852; both were .eyere blows to the
prosperity of our city.
The food was first noticed in the upper part Of the
CT y, near the head Of NJ. y and 9th SITS, at 8 O'Clock,
this morning, but the residents Of that district came
down TO business as usual, with scarcely a thought
OF the danger that was ncircling them. The levee
was WASHED away near that section Of the city; pro
badly a breach was made where the country roads
pass over it-small, at first, but growing and widen
ing with the current, until nearly the whole volume
of the oyerdowed American swept across the plains
and rushed in through the crevasse on our devoted
city.
In an hour later the city became aware Of the
threatening danger, and many merchants made pre-
parations for q removal Of goods from the Easements
of their buildings, but still with confidence that it
would never touch J street. Soon, however, messen-
gers from the upper part Of the city came with the
tdings that the water was damming up by the Rail
road and River levee and overlooking that portion
with fearful velocity In n short time II was creep
ing up the cross streets towards I and K streets, and
gradually approaching j street, until all realized the
danger, and the city became one scene of excitement.
Goods were tumbled from all tue easements as rapid
ly as possible. Merchants, whose families were living
in the oyersoHed districts found that their dwellings
had been rendered unapFroachable by the flood.
Families were moving to the upper floors Of their
houses, or seeking means Of egress while others
were hastily deserving their residences and wading,
while they might to the more thickly settled part of
the city.
About midnight the food reached its full height.
j street bears some resemblance to an inland sea
studded with inuumerable islands. The water covers
it and adjoining streets to the depth of four feet.
Every store is flooded, and boats are the only means
Of communication except RATS, boards and other float
ing material. Large numbers of cattle, hogs and
other animals have been swept away.
One man, n teamster, was drowned. and l fear
other lives have been lost. The destruction of pro-
perty Is enormous Every store is oyerfOwed, and
no time was given for the removal Of goods. a pOr-
ton Of the railroad track is washed away, and there
is no communication by stage or railroad.
MARYsvILLE AND VIcISITY.-The cities Of Marys-
Vile and Sacramento have been terribly afflicted by
this storm. II the former the water has been higher
than ever before known since the settlement Of the
State by Americans. The Feather and Yuba rivers,
near the junction of which Marysville is situated,
commenced rising early Sunday morning, and con-
tinued swelling at the rate Of a foot an hour until
Monday night At 6 A. NJ. Monday morning. Marys-
vile was throughly flooded, the steamer SJCdiOIc
being unable to discharge her freight ut the Plaz
in consequence of the overflow. Previous to this, on
Monday morning, before daylight. the pressure of the
rising waters washed down the Merchants Hotel and
the stores Of John ii. Tennent, J. c. Fall s. Co,
J. II. Fielding & Co., and 5. IL. Blbb formerly W.
l.. Hamley & Cost forming the block Of buildings
adjoining the Merchants Hotel. The floors Of the
stores and some Of the rear walls fell in, but happily
no lives were lost. The city was generally flooded,
though no other prominent buildings were destroyed.
The whole country around Marysville for miles is
submerged. The steamboat Defiance was chartered
by the Mayor at 8 o'clock A. NJ, on Monday, for the
relief OF the occupants of the different ranches and
buildings, and she steamed for miles up the sloughs
and over the plains in every direction, rescuing many
on her errand of mercy. The small boat of the stea-
mer SIraLlOl1 rendered great assistance to those
nearer 10y, in rescuing families from imminent dan
ger. Three men we're taken from a tree, who were
surrounded by some twelve feet Of water, boiling and
surging beneath them. Women and helpless children
were taken from second story windows, and even
from lettering housetops. Hundreds Of families have
lost everything stock, clothing, furniture, houses,
aud almost hope.
As the flood swept over the country without warm
ing, amidst the violent storm and total darkness of
Sunday night doubtless many lives were lost. Those
en- the steamer SraHOU say that many small tene-
ments, such as were occupied by chinamen, small
farmers and miners, PASSED down under the Yuba
river bridge on Sunday night, and horses, cattle, and
hogs, etc, innumerable. Hundreds of ranches must
have been swept of all their stock, and their crops
ruined.
The loss inflicted by this food is immense.-All the
small towns on the river between Marysville and Sac
ramento-Eliza, Plumas, Vernon and even Nicholas
are flooded, and doubtless Red Bluff and Colusa have
suffered the same infection