Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-21
GREAT cATAcLYsM OF NATURE.

A series of the most destructive water
spouts ever recorded, ran riot over portions
eff Kern, San Bsrnardino and 1nyo coun-
ties on Friday, the 30th day of June.
From the line of destruction there must
have been several of those fearful visitors.
One of the greatest was discovered in the
afternoon of that day about two miles west
of Coyote Holes, on the stage road between
Caliente and Lone Pine, moving north. 1t
was terrible in its work of destruction for
hundred and fifty miles in extent. For
nine miles it followed the line of the stage
road, and swept it away completely. In
places it plowed the track of the road
thirty feet in depth. The Supervisors Of
Kern county have sent force of men and
teams to re-make the road. This spout
came through the mountains at Walkers
Pass, leaving a line OF destruction of $50
miles.
The same, or another spout, south of
Coyote Holes, swept across the line OF the
new A. and P. r. R., where most sur
prising spectacle was found. The water
washed the roadbed away, but the rails re-
manned, and held the debris of the storm
in miscellaneous confusion. In the mass
OF matter arrested by the rails and ties
were two grizzly bears, large number Of
coyotes, jack. rabbits, wildcats, various
kinds OF snakes about 500 of them rattle
snakes, many cooled round the rails to save
themselves from being whirled any further
and being killed by the flying mass of
stones, gravel, and all manner of matter
thatwas hurled along by the restless storm
About the same time on the opposite side
of the mountains, on the South Fork of
the Kern river, another spout came down
the canyon and carried away fine farm
and covered the land with water.
In TETON Pass another similar storm came
roaring out to the plain, destroying the lit
tie Indian village in an instant, carrying
away their horses, houses, dogs, corn-fe
and vineyards, and drowning several of the
Indians and wounding nearly every one
more or less.
The great dry plain for twenty miles
north, to Pampa, was converted into a lake,
which slowly settled away into the hot and
thirsty soil.
Already there appear to be found the
tracks of four of these dreadful and won.
derful storms that moved from south to
north. As they all came from part of the
country where there is no water, the ques.
ton naturally arises, where did the water
come from? 81. g
Those who saw the floods say that the
water came in body, as if lake had in
stantly fallen upon the earth. Who has
lost any lakes? II any, speak The only
lakes near the source OF these storms are
dry lakes, which everybody who ever ira.
veled over would be glad to lose, without
offering any reward for their return.
1t is probable that this great cataclysm
may not be an unmixed evil. The great
burrows plowed by this gigantic force must
change the features of the country very
materially. In this change it is altogether
likely that great veins of metal have been
exposed along its track. 1t is now in order
for intelligent prospectors to follow the
line of this storm and examine it carefully
for the various valuable minerals that
abound in that region. Los Angeles Com
mercial -