Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-10
FALLING WATERS.
Subsistence of the Flood---Esti-
mates Of Losses.

RIO VISTA, February 9th.-The river has
fallen a foot in the last thirty-six hours. All
danger to life and the remaining property
seems to be past, and men are beginning to
look about them to ascertain the extent of the
damage. It is impossible to reduce the loss
to figures as yet, for much depends upon the
rapidity with which the water subsidies. The
facts that the headwaters of the Sacramento
and its tributaries are not likely to be swollen
by melting snow and the San Joaquin being
low enough to assist materially in the drain
age of the overfowed lands, give strong
grounds for hope that the orchards, which
section, may escape serious injury, and that
the higher portions of the islands may be dry
in time to put in late crop of vegetables.
The only losses that can be approximately
estimated at this time are those resulting
from damage from the breaking of levees and
the destruction of growing crops. J. II.
Gardiner IL. +. Smith, G. 2. Hensley, j..
Chatter and Mr.. Keegan may be named as
the heaviest losers from the former cause,
each having lost from half to three quarters
of mile of levee. worth about IS per rod.
Ducan Mccormack, II. r Mathewson and
Josiah Pool each lose from 200 to 800 acres of
growing grain. These are among the heaviest
single items. As for the minor, though by
no means insignificant losses, their name is
! legion Fortunately there has been no life
lost, though family in which there were
nine children was rescued by the sloop Colone
from a house that was reeling in the fierce
| current like o drunken man. But for the
timely arrival of the sloop most of them
would probably have persisted. The weather
remains clear, with moderate west winds.
CoLusA.-Above Knights Landing the
water is running from the big basin back
| into the river through cut made in the
/ levee, also over the ridge into the lower basin
and through the town, All parties who have
! travelled OF the boats have noticed the water
! from the Feather to be charged with lesser
! quantity of debris than in former years at
such high stages Of water. One mile
above Knights Landing, on the Suffer
| side, the fall Of the water shows a
patch of about twenty acres of land.
! Ten miles above, at Colonel Racaby' IS
| place, there is narrow strip of
mile in length. He has about
| $50 head OF sheep, cattle and horses,
mostly sheep His hay is all submerged, be-
/ ing in stacks away from the bank Of the
river. The stock is living on ''brouse" and
little corn. Puffenberger. on the Suffer
| side. has $500 sheep on 200 acres of land,
with plenty Of hay to feed. At Eddy's Land
| inc, aud near that vicinity, 600 acres of
wheat-fields are destroyed, and up to this
point from Sacramento the scene presented is
| of almost utter desolation. The fences are
almost entirely swept away. The back
water on Grand Island lacks three
feet Of being as high as in 1876. The
strip of land from Willows slough
to Sycamore slough is from one and q
! half miles to four miles wide, and there is no
| break in the levee. The rescued stock from
| the Sutter side has all been transferred to
this strip of land, with very little loss. The
| Thurston ranch, owned by Narcuse of Marys-
vile, has 400 acres of wheat drowned out.
| Winship has 160 acres of wheat destroyed.
| The water broke into the Mormon basin at
! Dr. RCbinson's and filed thu basin until the
water broke the levee at the lower side, at
James Baldwin's AT the lower side the
water raised p feet higher than in 1878.
! The people flooded in Mormon basin are
! DR.. Robinson, James Baldwin, ID. III. Arnold,
Andrew Hopkins, Mrs. Wallace, G. j.
Christian, j G. Strapp. VIM T. Olsen, r.
J. Powell, Charles Boiler, Mai. Saohriter,
| RI. H. Worisy and Tom Phelps. Their land
amounts to about 4,000 scres-all wheat
! land-half of which cannot possibly produce
q crop this year. Mrs. Wallace's is the only
house that is damaged, and it will probably
not CO. Tot May, reported drowned, is
safe Mrs. Morrison, at the bridge across
Butte slough, above Meridian, has lost her
house, barn and everything on the ranch.
Her loss is 81. 600. Ira Woods lost $40 head
of hogs and fifteen cattle. The levee break
on Butte slough is half mile wide.
and is from 10 to 10 feet deep. This levee was
| % feet high, with 100 foot base. This dis
| trict, No. 20. contains 6 800 acres, and was
| ali in wheat, but now there will be no grain
raised, except little barley and chicken
corn. The damage in this district viii amount
to $780, COO The river from Sycamore to
Moores ferry is nearly within its natural
banks. The people in the district are much
disheartened. The break Ia the levee of
No. 20 was caused by gopher holes, and
lack of care and sacks of earth to stop
| them, as the water was five feet below the
| top of the levee when the break occurred.
The break of the Mormon basin levee was
caused by neglect No. 20 suffers more loss
and destruction than any other point between
Sacramento and Colusa. Mormon basin is
not included in the loss.
| YREKA-An Eastern-style snow storm has
| just commenced. The weather is cold and
| the wind favorable for long storm.