New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-17
FROM CALIFORNIA.
THE GREAT FLOOD, AND ITS EFFECTS.

THE GREAT FLOob, h4'b 49, "
From Our own Correspondent ~ 900,
: 'O"' SAN FRAscIsco, Dec. 81, 1861.
rh;. coast has been visited lately by the most dis
.tron. food that has occurred since its settlement
=, ,,bite men. From Sacramento north ward 10 the
Colnmba River, in California Nevada Territory, and
Oregon all the streams have risen 10 great hight,
flooded the valleys, inundated towns, swept ava!
mills dams, fumes, houses, fences domestc animals
ruined fields, and done damage estimated al
$40 900 COO All Sacramento City, save small part
of one street, part OF Marysve, part Of Santa Rosa
part OF Auburn part of Sonora, part oil Nevada ana
part of Napa, not TO speak OF less Important 'owhs
were under water.
The rainy season commenced on the Sth November,
snd for four weeks, with scarcely any inermsslon,
tie rain continued to fall, very gently in San Fran
cisco, but in heavy showers in the interior. Accord
ing to the statement of Grass Valley paper, nine
inches Of rain fell there in &c hours, on the 'th and
Sh inst. Whether it is possible that so much lain
could fall in sc hours, will NO, decide; but II is GER
tain that tie amount wac great, for the next Jay 'ue
river.beds were full almost TO The bal tops. ihe
North Fork of the American River at Auburn, rose
- feet and in many other mountain streams the lIsc
was almost as great. On the 9tb, tie Hood reached
the low land Of the Sacramento Valley.
Sacramento City was the chief sufferer. The eit!
stands at the junction Of the SACRAMENTO ana AMER
can Rivers ON the eastern bank Of the former and
the southern bank Of the latter The valley there r.
wide and flat From the foot Of the Sierra NeNs'h,
at Folsom, to the base OF the COAT range, near ar,
field. the plain is about 90 miles wide. The original
site Of the city war 10 feet above iow-"a'ef uaiA'
and the river rose II or Is feet about hearty ever!
year. A trapper WHO hss spent more tbin t'ole vi
wears in California says that be has frequently nudeh
over the site of Sacramento in boat; AMI III 1910,
the water war seven feet deep Tor ~ DAYS Inc GU!
vas flooded in 1919 in 1880, in ls1I' ana tWce III
the Winters Of 1852 and ~. In the Sammer oil Tue
latter wear, the business part OF Tie cry was rase
fpr feet by filing in the streets with dirt ana hen
levee or bank OF earth was built about the town.
Tbi. levee ia about two miles long on the bank oil
,le Sacramento ana three miles long on the bank OF
the American; IL N SOME places " ieel anu III o'"''s
onlv sbout four feet high. The raising the streets
and the building Of the levee gave confidence To tie
peorle. They built houses aud planted gardens Tor
pernanence; they made their town beautiful. But
now. all IL dorolaie.
rsilroad connects Sacramento and Folsom, both
on the southern bank of the American River, and ~
miles apart The railroad enters the Capital City
about two miles north Of the American River, on d
Ligh embankmert. The ordinance authorizing the
coinpany to bring their rails and into the city
proyided that a wide bridge should be kept open un-
der the track short distance east Of the lesee aud
the bridge was made but years passed without any
use for it, and when il cane % need repairs The
Railroad Company made an embankment which was
higher and wider than tie leyee. And now on the
manning of The 9Th of November here came the
American River with food that covered the whole
country. The water ran against the levee, aud then
down To the railroad embaukmcni, and unable to 80
further il heaped sel up against these two barriers
until i rose above the evee and began 10 pour IN
Soon tie soft earth gave way and the vast body Of
water poured into the city and flooded every part oil
il except small portion OF Front street. The evee
which had been built 10 protect the city, now Wa.
the cau,e Of great injury for instead Of keep
ing the water out, kept IT in. The
food entered at the east, where The
land l. high, aud il the levee had not been IN the
wsy the water would have run OF without touching
tho business part OF the city. The Sacramento River
was much lower; i,s flood lad not had time 20 come
Gown 20 there Wac abundant room for The water Of
the American t. spread out when II should reach the
Sacramento River. But ibeleyce damned the water
in aud it soon, on he southern levee, was ten feet
higher in,de than tie level of the Sacramento Eive
on the outside. In some places the water was ifser
feet deep in others ten, IN othersthree. The greater
rart Of the most fashionable houses lad from tire,
t. six feet If water in the parlor. In many Of IL,
houses the line Of the Hood 10 visible the pas,erin,
in the second story. Dozens Of wooden house, som,
Of them two stories high, lifted up and c..rreC
of. The destruction Of property terrible. Til,
water came 81 rapidly that most people had not NOR,
than TN hours wurningof the danger. Most person,
living in two-story houses carried iheii iurnlre
cooking utensils and proyitiOns up starr; thos,
who lived in one-story houses rnn for the
I lives Aud when the water filed the city
there were no boats. Men, women, aud ohildrer
lad stayed in houses thinking there was no danger
and when the food rose they could not get away
Some of there houses carried Off and boat
were sent after them 70 Tescue the human freight
All the iirewood most Of the fences and sheds, al!
the ponrry, cats, rats, aud many OF the cows an,
lorses were swept away. The food at 9 O'Clock il
tlr HoIHHS h"u Hl'u tue 'i' wv" Houfr laltl li'
eAnn-sang were a work ON the southern levee {,
cu, il snd let the water ont. When the cut wa
made the rush q water fierce 10 get olt as il
had been To get in and coon the water fell five 81
sx feet but still remained several feet deep over ~,
greater par' OF the city during all that day. The
water then fll gradually until it reached it, prcsei.
sage, which is nbout level with the low er par
Of the city, hnd al that level it liar siood for the e
wock-som,times riiing little, sometimes falling
As The American River FELL the Sacramento rose
and there great fear thar the place would agar