Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-03-05

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"a Tracks Broken Again : the
Mails Suspended in Nearly all
Directions : Irrtsation for About
Three Years in Advance prepared
The Dry Country Astonishes
Even the wsb-feet.
After rainfall Of between 20 and 30
inches, that terminated on the 18th Of
February, 1884, 1t was supposed by
many that the rainy season was nearly
over, and that only melancholy fogs
would All out the year with moisture.
But when the barometer on last Satur.
| day night settled slowly and most, nota.
| bly, down, and remained in q humiliated
condition all day sunday, intelligent
| men saw there would be trouble ahead
and floods Of rain. And so It has
proved.
The rainfall from Monday morning to
Tuesday at | P. NJ, according 10 Mr..
Ducommun, was 3. 98 inches, and up to
2P. N. at the Normal School the fall
was 4 inches, one of the heaviest ever
recorded for that length Of time in the
city.
At the Providencia, Mr.. s. w. White
! registered rainfall OF inches for the
twenty-four hours ending at 8 A. M. yes
terday, and up to date, 25l inches, since
which time very heavy rain has fallen.
The central part Of the shower appears
10 have been in this city. Ten miles
southeast Of the city the rainfall was not
more than bali that which fell in Los
Angeles. This terrible downpour moved
from west to east. 1t moved with
roar that was appalling. and was accom-
panied by flashes Of lightning and peals
Of thunder, very unusual phenomenon
In this city. In South Pasadena the
same manifestation was observed, and
the great downfall Of water nterfered
with the grading for the Raymond Ho-
lei.
1t is fortunate that the rain was not no
heavy in the mountains as it was in the
city. at that fine. or the destruction Of
property would have been prodigious.
The Arroyo Seeo was fordable all day
yesterday
Ths track Of the Southern Pacific
Railroad, which was washed away be-
tween this city and San Fernando, is in
deplorable condition, and the train
that started to 60 up to the front yester.
day morning return ed after short start,
and Is now resting in the city. The
tracks to Santa Monica and also to San
Pedro are still in working order, but the
line from Los Angeles to Yuma is again
torn up by water-spouts. both east and
west of Yuma, in q very destructive
manner. The train going east is ditched
at Mammoth Tanks, and the eastern
mail express for Los Angeles is wrecked
between Maricops and Texas Hill, SO
that our eastern railroad mail Is abolish.
ed for the present. In the San Fernan-
do Tunnel it is reported that large
amount Of mud has been carried over
the track again. and large amount Of
the new work done in repairing this
broken track has been carried away, SO
that the connection with San Francisco
by rail appears several days distant,
and the time may be extended to
weeks. All mail communication with the
outside world is now suspended, except
by sea.
In the city. the breakwater below the
covered bridge, is being washed away,
slowly, but surely. Between the East
Los Angeles bridge and the railroad
bridge. on the Sunset route, the current
is wearing away into the western bank.
All this waste Of land, worth at least
g, 900 per acre, could have been avoided
by the building Of levee, as advocated
in the HERALD a year ago. The land
washed away by the tortuous current Of
the river during the past three weeks. in
this city, would have paid for levee
from Downey avenue to First street.
How much more loss will our lind own
ers sustain before they go to work and
build levee!
City lots are worth from 800 to 5000
piece in much Of the space along the
river bank, and this fact ought to rouse
the land owners to take care Of them
selves, and build levee along the front
Of their property. ItwouId not only in
sure them good price for their lots, but
would protect others from damage which
the city will have to pay. The corpo-
ration claims the ownership of the river
| water, and sells It ~ man would sell
sheep from flock.
Az there il an admission Of ownership,
then the owner must take care Of his
property until IL is sold or otherwise
passes out Of his legitimate control. The
river appears to be the property Of the
city and the city must take care Of it or
pay for its damages. But without watt
ing for ten-years' lawsuit to collect
damages from the city, the half dozen
landowners from Downey avenue to
| First street could make levee that
would bring ten-sold &hat tho levee
would cost them.
| 1t seems necessary that there shoald
be very great damage to property
along the river before the landowners
win wake up and defend themselves. 1t
Is to be hoped that not more than $780,
900 damage will be necessary to rouse mp
the people to make lesee that might
cost $4,000. II will require at least
that amount to open the eyes Of the
people to the necessity Of levees.
At the present writing the work Of
changing the channel Of the river At the
East Los Angeles bridge has all been
destroyed, the bank ON the east side Of
| the river 10 being washed out. and 20 1t
is at places ON the west side. The
stream is not very high, but it Is SO wide
that II cannot keep itself clear, and 90
shirks and drifts from side to side, doing
mischief every hour.
During the downpour OF Monday
night the water caino off the northern
hills 30 rapidly that 1t ran down Ala
media street in great strsam, 20 large
and wild that the people thought II was
the river, and sounded the alarm for
help. When they found that it was
only from the hills they retired to rest.