Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-23
STORM sEQUELs.
Everything AL Right Except the City
Drainage-Poor Prospect for
south-end People.

Dra1nage-P00r PROSPECT 1Or
south-end People.
The late storm has ceased to be sensation
here. The American river has declined. 1t
behaved handsomely and has credit for it.
The Sacramento river is at the 24-feet finch
mark, and is declining slowly. It's highest
manifestation was reached at "a feet 6 inches
at P. NJ. yesterday. The Yolo people hold
the levess across the river still, but are both
cred with tule back-water rising in the lower
lots of Washington. The Sacramento river
will probably register high for long time. as
It's sources and tributaries will long be sup.
piled from the melting SHOWS This is to
be desired. 1t gives the river good securing
out, and will keep it at stage in which
navigatlonwiil be unimpeded by sand bars for
longer time than for some years past,
A report was current in the city yesterday
that the tiood-gates in the city drainage canal,
which are set in where the canal cuts the old
railroad embankment back of Freeport, were
out Of order and would not close, and that
back-water from the Mokelumne river was in
consequence making its way up the canal.
Mayor Turner states that City Surveyor
Bassett was sent down at once to view the
SlOUdllDA. lie bHc SdIc sIlul, anu also
that the outside water back of Freeport was
higher than that in the canal by two feet
the canal being there well protected
by substantial levees made from the
earth excavated in constructing the canal
The road the other side of the Three Mile
House for distance of half a mile was
covered two feet deep. The Clarke levee, 20
miles from Sacramento on the Mokelumne
river, had broken, and the water was rushing
through on to the lands below. Ranches
about Freeport were submerged to the depth
of one or two feet, and to much greater ex-
tent where near to the lakes and sloushs in
that region. The Mokelumne was found to
be rising rapidly, but it falls even more
rapidly. The overlooked country about
Freeport, and through which Sacramento
has to drain, can only be rid of its surplus
waters through small foodgates and narrow
waterways leading to sloughs putting up from
Underwater. Mr.. Bassett reports Willow
slough full, and more than that. From an
other source information, confirming Mr.
Bassett's report, comes to the RECORD. UNION
and says g Freeport is being flooded bv the
back water from the Mokelumne river. the
small inland levee back of the town being in
sufficient to keep it out. The Sacramento
river levee is not broken. The road to Free.
port from the Three-mile House to beyond
Willow slough has water on it from six
inches to waist deep, and is dangerous to
travel"
Mayor Turner says that the waters backed
up by the Mokelumne and overlooking the
low lands through which our drainage canal
runs, though eight and ten miles distant. will
check the flow In our drainage canal. In
addition, the lands south of Y street are
being flooded by the back water mentioned
backing up the canal, and as they spread
over the county there will be no drainage for
several days of any account. This is mild
way of putting it, as the probability is that
it will be many days, if not some weeks, be-
fore drainage can be completely resumed.
This makes the outlook for south-end resi-.
dents rather gloomy, as few DAYS more of
water about choice trees and plants
means the death of most of such growth
when the hot sun, which is quite certain to
put its oar into the case soon, begins to beat
down upon them. Yesterday the situation
on 0 and Z streets, from Fifteenth down TO
Ninth, was deplorable. At noon several
citizens resident in that section turned out
and aided Commissioner Davis men in cut
ting channels across 2 and @ streets, at
Ninth, by which a steady flow of water was
kept up to the R-street sewer, and the over
flow began to lessen along the line, and
especially between Ninth and Tenth. Mr..
could be done to afford relief. Later in the
day deep cut was made on the south line of o
street, across Eleventh, and the waters from
above came down rapidly, and the overflow
arose on Tenth street and below to Ninth
and out to r to its old hight and even in
creased in the half block next above Tenth
and the whole block next below Tenth along
0 street. The cutting occasioned some bad
feeling and warm expressions from sufferers,
quite pardopable under the circumstances.
but the necessity for the opening existed and
it was wise to make it, in the opinion of the
officials and of experts in drainage
Drainage water stands on M, n, o and p
streets, above Capitol Park on n, o, z and
@ streets, in low places below Seventh street:
and on several of the blocks south of o and
above Ninth, and south of and below Sew.
enth.
ALL THE DAMAGE
From this drainage water, which has nearly
ruined so many beautiful gardens, would not
have occurred had Burns slough been carried
out of the city east of Poverty Ridge and
its west side banked up. This is the ex-
preston of every resident the reporters could
see in the inundated section, and of about
all who have examined into the situation.
In the north part of the city the drainage
water on streets and lots is rapidly disappear
ing, and the residents there will have dust in
the streets while south-enders are floating to
their wood-piles on RATS, and penetrating the
recesses of their cellars in tubs converted
into skiffs.
The Y-street levee has been cut by resi-
dents near the south end of Eighteenth street
to let off drainage water threatening the
vegetable gardens there, and channel of
five or six feet in width is now open.