Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-02-20
ralLY HERALD.
striking q balance.

well that we should reckon up all there
is of consolation In the local situation,
maugre the floods. This might perhaps
be done with better grace at a later date,
because the HERALD believes that we
have by no means seen the last OF the
disastrous visitation which will both
bless and curse Southern California, and
more especially Los Angeles county.
With the view Of reserving the best
TO the last, we will take a brief glance
at the lugubrious features Of our plight
as it stands on latest sdvices, at the
present hour Of writing. The telegraph
and railway lines, TO begin with, arc all
down, and liable to stay down for some
time 10 come, especially as respects the
railway. In considering the telegraphic
proposition we have at least the consol-
alton Of knowing that the Western
Union Telegraph Company has at last
re.cstablished its lines towards the East,
and there is an unbroken medium Of tele-
graphic communicat ation from Los osAngeles
to New York along the Southern route.
This Is 10 much gained, but our readers
will probably not roap the benefit Of it
this morning for She reason that our
agency for news Is concentrated in the
person Of Mr.. Richardson, who is the
San Francisco representative Of the
Western Associated Press. We indulge
the hope that we shall be able to give
them the news from all quarters Of the
world tomorrow, for the reason that
telegraph lines can be repaired far
more rapidly than railway tracks. To
tho efficiency Of the railway bridges,
cuivcfts and well ballasted tracks are es.
sential. '.Fills" have to be replaced,
just as bridges and culvsrts have to be
rebuilt. Both the Coast and the interior
lines Of the Western Union Telegraph
Company are down towards San Fran.
cisco. the railway wires sharing the dis.
ssters Of those Of the Western Union.
No created man, at this writing, and
Col. Hewitt is just as helpless as the rest
Of us, can tell when trains will be rum
ming in regular order to Ban Francisco.
The only CLEAN Of hope, In tho local
situation, in this regard, lies in the fact
that the San Fernando tunnel Is intact.
Tunnels are built TO stand all possible
wear and tear, and the Southern Pacific
Railway Company, in spending two
.snll|ions an9 "a quarter Of dollars on the
San Feraxndo tunnel, which is mainly
cat in the aolid rock, and below the line
Of eoso, know what it was about. Yes.
terdAy NO stated that it would probably
be week before the interrupted rail
way communications towards the North
would b. re.established. We now be-
lievs that II may even be weeks. The
work Of destruction has been complete
even beyond the HERALD's forecast Of
yesterday. The Southern Pacific Com
pany win have to work at dozen differ
snt and very bad breaks at once, and
with all the disablements involved In
interrupted communications, which op'
press them as highly as they do this
community. A single break can be re.
paired almost at once. Multitudinous
breaks are matter Of time.
Before dismissing the unpleasant as-
poets Of this most inopportune flood it
would. Of course, be objectionable
should we fail to dwell upon the great
number of Angelenos who have been
driven out Of house and home, as
well as upon the multitudes
who have been put to partial loss in the
imps irment or destruction Of their prop
erty, real or personal. 'To many Of these
the loss, If not irreparable, is at least
very grievous. In quite q number Of
cases the sufferers by the flood lose
everything they have on earth. They
have the consolation of knowing that
the ready sympathy Of the community
gees out to them in "heaped measure.
filled full and flowing over;' and that, to
quite generous degree. it will take the
concrete shape Of material assistance.
One more purely supposititious pic
ture, painted with black pigments, and
we are done. For months, dating from
the opening day of September, the
HERALD has warned the people Of Los
Angeles that food was imminent this
year, which would menace culverts,
bridges, railway tracks, telegraph poles
and the low-lying quarter of the city.
We regret to say that we regard the per
lis from floods as by no means over
The Sierra Madres and the Sierra.
proper, are packed with snow to an an
precedented extent. If at any time W.
should have warm rains the real era o.
foods will begin, especially in the Sar
Gabriel and Santa Ana valleys, which
will be obliged, at some date in tn,
Spring. to take the prodigious dis
charges from both the Sierra Madre ant
Sierra ranges. Having already had tire
mendous rains, it is not pleasant to looI
forward to more, but prudent forecas
would:lead one to doso, and the meteoro
logical indications are such as to compe
one to look for them in the near future
Having thus disposed OF all the un
pleasant features of our local situation
We should be recreant to our duty were
We not to take a glance at the Agreeable
things that are ahead for us. 1t is al
old and consolatory adage that cloudi
have their silver Innings, and We know
that the rainbow always follows tn,
storm. The silver lining and the rain
bow hereabouts are in happy conjunc
ton.
The truth is that no happier era eve
opened upon Southern California thai
tAat which is Immediately ahead for u
now. The same plenteous rain and snow
falls which have bred floods, washout
and devastation, will teach wisdom il
the future, both to our people, to tn
railway authorities aud to our Cit,
Council and Board of Supervisors. The,
will perforce build levee along tn
west bank of the Los Angeles river, t.
begin with. Public opinion will compe
the City Council to make streets whic
shall not be quagmires; while the sam
potent influence, exerted on the Boar
of Supervisors, will dictate the creatio
Of roads in which teams will not mire o.
the first rains. In all likelihood one O
the first effects of this new and happ,
tate of things will be the making of
road which will admit OF the burial O