The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1862-01-18


rect course from the mountains, empty ing its
waters into the Sacramento, al the spot where
Sacramento City il loc4ted. The natural beds
Of those two rivers are t6 10 Is tect below tho
surfae5 Of the surrounding pllin, but dur
ing the winter freshets, those channels
are often fllod to the brim, generally subsdng
however within tsw days, without harm. Tne
siiy was tit1 flooded in the winter OF lSi9-jO,
oCcasiOuiug much damage and distress. In tho
summer season fluowing, long leyee was cO1-
Wtrrcted along the banks Of the Stcram 'nto au1
American iiNe's, which enclosed the ei'e OF
city rs large as London. The Lcve3 was slight
In hulk, aud inefficient in many sp1ts, plrticu-
luly whore 1t crossed what u known ~ the
slough" lake in close proximity TO the city
near n, bark ot tho American river. This
lake was included within the city limits, and was
protected hy the Lcyce. \ cato allowed tho
waters fieu it to How into tho Slc-
lamsn rvcr, and wicu the water IN
that tivor hrc,ms 20, high the l,tto was c'o'cl.
The Lc,co ir front ct tbc town was ao,at
twenty fee wilc ~ the h,so, ant about ~ I've
t,et in width at the top elsv ttsl ON hye feet
ah,v the surface vt Tho Etoupd. L'h' all
public Woke, ho NoNor, ~ 80 "a a. the Cty " a.
SHUT ont f.cn view. the iWll,ra cun4'rac' si
mere ridge ot ca-h, ~ lr l. Iulk ur t'icncy
and received pay tor It az the same ra'9 ~ thH
puftioa which waa p-op'ily cons'rur'cd In foot
Of the town | lrnE wa aholt sfNan milos,
and TO construct II tho city is'uei a., b MS, IA
No'NinE 'ubt, uni-t ruinous mlnaEom 'nt, CT
Loarly three Il i,ftors Of a million ut diiars.
In the winter Oi lSj2.j3 tho CITY wl- atun
flooded and tho N. .,h nl'urs nd protect on Of
tho l,evcc illustrated. Tno water b1rst into
the "sloueh' or Lake. mar the
city, and f,om wopgo inuulltoi tho
VIII lo place. After this iuundad,n .oup
moderate councils prevail. d 10 th' aiS' IS
the city. aud n much heavier l,vce was cnl.
sructel, which excluded the slough aud
confined wi hin tho levec the bulldogs Of tho
CitE proper. In ths su nmor Of the la.'cr ycar,
ihc business part oG the city was raised four
feet, bv ullmg in the streets with dirt. Ihi'
leyco /, alud. two miles long on the bank o.
tho Ntc-amtnto aud tufeo miles long on tho
hank oi tho America ; is in some pl'cc1 - feet,
and in others only about four fee; high Too
RAISING uf ths streets and III, building Of tho
leyce gave c)uiiderco To- the pNoplc. Tncy butt
hnuscs AMI p'sntod gardens for pormangn q.
The public debt, by tus improvement, and The
intro luc,iOn Of water in pipes, was c,casud to
about three millions OF dollars. IpiAr this
load the city became bankrupt, o. hiI pro-
prcviously been compel cl TO Insist upon
! an cN'onson Cf its hO1daO and failed TO
NEE, either principal or intcros', except upon
sJrsrpueu. C,nprumisol aud JranE, ,mcnts, by
which tho debt was sctol and reli'ol with
bond huldars 10 loss than two millions.
This wear the rainy season commenced on the
Sih OF November, AMI for inir wceks, with
scarcely aly irtoumi ssion, thl iuI continued to
fall, very gonuy In San trinci.c,, hut in heavy
showers IN tho interior. \ railroad connects
Sacramento and Folsom, both IN the southern
| bark Of he American River, and ~ miles apart.
/ Tho railroad enters the Cipi,m CIty about two
| miles north ui tho AuHrc IN RV". on a h'- o.
emhsnkmcnt. Tnc uriin10rc authorizing th
| Company to bring their rails and trs iB.U th
! city. provided thi q wide bfiigs shJWi h'
! kept oppn undcr tho track, a shot d-, .u,i east
oi the la,"', aud the hr.lEo wn mtir; hu
| wears passed. wi h)ut any u, hr IT, gld
whom il Camo 20 usod rep.ira. ihA Ri
! foat Company made m cmhiuk meet which wt
| higher ahi Wider than the lc,rc. ANA upv on
| tho mornif !, OF tho IN Of NDyrul.r bsta O. nv
! tho Amofc tn River with hJjd at covered
| TIC whole country. Tn, water up against ,n'
! lcNec, am then diva to the railroad omN'lN
| nent ant uu,hc to ~ further, it h.l1s 20 II
up against those two barriers until Il rOs, above
the l,yce and began 20 pour in. Soon thu 'oll
earth gave way uId the vast bUly Of wator
poured into tn city and iJOlcl every par, Of ii
except "a small portion Ol Front street. Tdc
leyoe, which bad been built to protect the city,
nov vas the cause OF groat injury, Tor instead
Of keeping the water olt, II kept IT. in. Tho ilDi
entered al tho cast, whore the lnd Is nj %, and
/ If tho lgyoc hLd not haou In the way tho wgtoi
| would have run CN vi hDut tOurli.E tho hu j.
| ntst part %, the city. Tao Stc'lmento ryol
much lowcr ils fool had no, nal ,ime To como
! dogn, ~ there was ab tndtnt rom Tor tha water
| 5 Sacramento RIVER. Bat the lcyge dImm VI the
water in, AMI il soon, on tho 10 Ithlrn liy'o,
was ton foot lI lus inside than tho 10, ] of 'hC
S,Cnmtuto River on the outside. In con,
places tho water wa, IL foot deep In others 10
In othcrs o.. The greater part OF the mos
fashionable houses hid from 90 i ioet Of waie
I'm the piilor. In mIuy Of tho hlusc8 the liut
Of the Il of is vi'p' on the p'is''rng in th,
second story. Dus.ns ot wooien hoIso7, SOM
| Of th,m stories hi IA wsro iiitui up and AT
ried oil. lhu destruction Of pro,.tty w,s tor
| tiblc. The wafer CIms so rapidly that mos
people hal not more than au hours warnir.
| Of tho danger. Mos persons ltyi1g in 2-story
houses clii,d their furniture aud cooking u'eh
| sis and provisions up stair. those who liyel tr
| one. tory houses ran for their lives And whoi
tho wa,or lllol the city there wore no beats
Men, women, and chlldron had stayed il
houses thinking there was no danger; ard whsl
the flood rose they C1uld not get away. SOM
Of thcs, houses were carried off, aud boats
were sort after them 10 Rescue the humal
freight. All ho iirGwOJG, m yat OF the fence
and shela, all the poultry, cats, rats, and man
Of the cows and horses were swept away. Tn
flood, at Q o'clock in the morning, hal fllod In
City-twO hours later tho chain gang were a
! work on the southern leyeo, to cut It and lo
the water out. When the cut was made, In
rusl OF water was IA fierce tO ge' out, as IN hi,
been Ia get in and soon tho water fell five O
sx feet, but still remained several feet deo
over the greater part Ol tho CITY during all Ia
day. The water then fell gradually until
reached 's trrsent stage, winch II aODut uu
level with the lOwor part Of he ci y, n a. M
level il hIs stood Tor the last week -nrn iti 10
rising little, sometimes falling. A. the AmrrI
can River fell, the Sacramento rose, and thc'
was great ila' that the place wuulI asin D
tubmcrgol bu' u, danger for thu pr. cat
| rast. Tho departure Of the water sh pwtd
0 terrible dey astation. The rich men hal I
large portion Cf th'i7 Property-.lo poor Ia
, lost AL
, Fences were gone, the glrdons were ruina,
: tho h usos wore unfit for habi,ati0u, th0u3In
4 Of per, Ons wero vi hOu. clothing or prlyis %.
all business and labor wa4 broken IN, thers W.
7 no access 20 the interior, the railroad was br,
ken and tho stages were fastened up in tn
| mountains,
Added to the losses and suffering OF indiy
duals, was the fear about tbs future of the city
What security could there be for a city sube
l.. to such oyorhowI And how should tbs cit
debt be paidi A debt Of sl;SO0 600 on cit
which had before the flood, only $1,000, 600
e taxable property, among about 10 900 inhi Al
= tants More than ~ 900 10 every inhabitan'
- a debt equal to ono fourth Of all the pro 20
. tT AM then the damage Of th3 lllol-at lea
- $4,000 UOe Tho Sacramento people wore dc
" peTlte. Everybody was in despair. publ A.
. Repudlto was the universal cry. Even n
- newspapers advised reputation; tie Board
>, Supcryi-oTs-tGo Munic pal Couucll-plls,
the Ord'uAICe ". rcpu1is.Iau unanimously, ar
d. the public authorities wsre about o. apprOpria
= 10 their own necessities some S5O,OO0 in Il
> City Treasury, exclusively pledged 10 bon
n holders, and in fact Their prop9rty.