Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-02-07
Letter from Dan De Quille.
SILVER Cry, N. IT,, Dec. 80, 1861


We have few days later dates from Ore.
gon and California, but for the last few DAYS
communication has been cut off between us
and Sacramento City, and the towns and
cities below. No mails have been received in
this Territory from that direction fot four
days. At last accounts the waters were high.
CT than at the first food, when all news sud.
denly ceased to reach u.s. and the telegraph
line being down, and stage and railroad com.
munication interrupted, we can only conjcc.
ture that the people Of the Valley of tho
Sacramento, and tributary streams, are suf-
iering all the horrors of second visitation OF
the angry waters" CLEAN from the Jack
sonville Sentinel the following particulars in
regard to the flood in Oregon, II in vicinity OF
Crescent City and Smith River Valley: .,.I,
A snow fell on the mountains to tho depth
Of five feet, which went off with warm rain;
being flood tide, Smith Riser rose to such
height that its banks gave way, bursting in:
to lagoon back of Crescent CITY. At thht
place a small stream called Elk Creek cmptics
into the ocean. on either side of which were
q number of buildings. The waters from the
lagoon rushed into this creek and swept away
all these buildings. The city was saved by
the forming OF ain immense drift of square
timber, supposed to have come from Hum.
bolt and Trinidad at the upper end of the
city; this, with the tapping of tho lagoon,
saved the city. A large stick of timber was
thrown completely over tlic wharf by the
force Of the waters, and driven like batter.
ingram through the walls of the warehouse
of Dugan Wall. 1t is supposed that the
steamer Columbia is lost, as variety Of
goods have iloatcd ashore with marks that
would lead to that conclusion. In the Valley
of Smith River the loss has been mitch great
or than at Crescent City. A Mr.. White lost
his wife and two children; they had been ta-
ken from the house by the Indians in ca
noe which capsized. One Smith, clung to a
log all night, and was saved by Indians,--h
lost his farm buildings and stock ellison
. and Gay were, with their families, four hours
on rock which stood but three feet out Of
water, and IN great danger of being swept off
by driftwood. ellison lost all his property.
Cabcl lost his farm, but saved his family by
retreating with them to the Redwoods. Ma
thias Smith lost farm and stock, includin.
200 bend CT fat hogs, ready for butcherns;
he was sick at the time and was saved by
being taken out through the roof of his
\ house Thus goes on long list, hundreds
have lost farms, houses, stock and fencing.
Many drowned Altogether the destruction
wrought in Smith Valley has been fearful.
All the bridges on the road to Crescent CITY
and two ct, the pack trail belonging to Gas
quctte arc gone. , ... -. .s..
The California papers are still filed with
accounts Of losses Of life and property 5y tho
Hood. ] cannot undertake to give evea an
outline of al! these disasters. The miners
in all the gnIches and dry diggings arc rcaB.
ing golden harvest. Local papers arc full
Of notices of "rich strikcs,"" great yields"
and "big chunks. '4a #
4 a THE WEATHER ~ wAsHoE.
i Since my last 1t has rained hard every few
days and we have had second flood which
would have done equal damage with the fret,
had not all exposed property already beeti
swept away and other prepared to meet it.
Yesterday afternoon and night it showed
hard to-day it has been raining and tho
lower hlils are bare again. Our streets are
| almost impossible. Teams start with ttl)b4
4 y wagons. No quartz being hauled from
the Gold Hill mines. Several mills idle for
want OF rock. As write it is raining hard.
i Carson river was two feet higher this last
food than before All the dams on.the riy.
! er are gone--bridges, also Everybody waf,
lowing through the mud and swearing.
4 everybody cross and disgusted. "Wili Il.
ever stop raining p is the question asked bv
every acquaintance one meets. Others. late.
ly deluded to thi, region, are, as Artemus
would say, very soarcastic. :" This is that
d---d fine country where it never rains---thc
Iparchcd desert where a shower is never
known? oh, no, no chaace'" The tritlinp
SPACE separating summer and winter or rain
. and snow IN this country would surprise
PRESIDENT ofleycl Iowa. This town is situated
IN little amphilheatrc formed by high sur.
rounding hills, and now. while the rain in
beating on my roof at the base of the hill.
Grizzly Hill, near which it stands, on tho
summit, not quarter Of mile off all IN
snow Looking out upon the circle Of hills,
4 within two miles, east north and west, tho
line ofsnow half way up their sides is as well
and clearly defined as the water mark of =
lake. The ground at Virginia City, but fivo
miles away has been covered with snow for
over a week while here oil has been bare
ground and mud. All the mountain peaks
in that direction look as white as an Iowa
prairie in mid-wnter Virginia CITY is a
cold, windy, miscrably disagreeablc place to
abide in-its altitude is greater than that Of
any city in the world, except one.
"a SALMON RIVER MINES.
]. Still hear glowing accounts from the new
| ly discovered northern mines. Many are
talking Of leaving here in the spring for Car.
iboo, Nez Perces and Salmon River Mines
Some Of the accounts Of these mines seem
worthy of credit, others look fishy. The
Butte Record publishes an extract from
letter from citizens Of Oroyillc. The vi.
ter is said to be man Of great experience I
keen perception, unaiproacha5le character -
and whose standing in community " graran..
tees. the correctness and reliability Of t;s.
statements" Now for what this mirncie-
/ says: The mines so far as discovered. arc
as good as any have seen in California