Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-01-26

GREAT FLOOD or 1885.
Resume Of All Its Events and
Accidents.
THE PROPERTY DESTROYED
Long List Of The Sufferers Along
The River.
LIVES LOST so FAR AS KNOWN.

LIVES LOST so FAR AS KNOWN.
Great Demand For the HERALD
Necessitates the Republication
in Condensed Form.
A phenomenally great demand for the
food news. as it appeared in the HER
AID, SO graphically given from day 70
day, exhausted the daily editions before
the ink was well dried on each. AT the
and Of the week the Weekly HERALD
appeared containing the same brilliant
men pictures of the disastrous events
collected together. Although the Week
" was, as was also each daily issue,
supplemented by very large additional
number Of copies over the regular circu-
iation, yet the supply fell far short of
the demand. The forms were put back
on the pressss each day and an extra
edition printed. These all went like
mist before Bihcay gale and still the
public appetite for the HERALD would
not be satisfied. They are still coming
and clamoring for further installments
Of the pencil photographed food. To
meet this unheard Of run on the issue
of the HERALD, the whole story in all
its sensational features has been rewrit-
ten and is herewith reproduced for the
benefit Of the thousands mot regular
readers Of the HERALD) who will have
this local history In no other form than
that in which It appeared in these col
umns.
The rains this season began very early,
and have fallen at short intervals aud in
copious volume all through the rainy
part OF the year. The current month has
been a wet one for Southern California.
The consequence of this was that when
the rain began early last week the ground
all over the country was soaked with
moisture Is deep as rain could penetrate.
When on the afternoon Of Monday, the
18th instant, the rain set in all the
streams in the country were running
pretty large volume Of water and all the
moisture the earth was capable Of carry
ing was already in its pores. The new
precipitation therefore ran into the water
courses to hurry to the sea. Early that
Monday evening the water came down in
one continuous sheet from the top OF the
Slerras to the sea. For hours II fell In
one unbroken mass of liquid rather than
In segregated drops. An unusual feature
of tho storm was the lond cIaps Of thun-
der and vivid flashes Of lightning, which
reverberated through the mountains as
the artillery Of the storm gods in their
battle with the peaceful works Of men.
andlit up the gloom Of the storm darksned
raviues Of the mountains with so lurid
. light.
The principal downpour was up in the
6oledad Cailon, from Ravena to Langs,
and all along the headwaters Of the Big
and Little 1njunga. Here. doubtless,
there was cloud burst
The heavy rain being OF only few
huurs duration, people thought but little
Of the danger Of flood until about 2
O'Clock Tuesday morning. when the
oficsrs who were pstrolling along the
river saw the water begin to rise quite
rapidly. Others, as Deputy Sheriff
Martin Aeuirre, who lives mile down
Alameda street., and some who were In
their homes along the Aliso tract were
startled By the river invading their bed
rooms. The police officers and the
axakened citizens gave the alarm and
those in danger began to move out at
onee. An honr or two later the water
cane in ID tidal wave. About six
O'Clock Tuesday morning It reached its
highest point, which ives fully two feet
above the highest Of 1884. BY that
Nue the water was running over the
bridge of the s. @. " Ry- 1t was near
" % to the roadway of the Downey
evenue brideo. Il was running in over
Chavez street ct the soap works. At
the foot OF st. Johs street. and along
the Hollehbeek tract it was up into the
houses. and near the channel OF the
stream the current was strong enough
10 va b away lands at rapid rate.
Above the Macy-str bridge it broke
In oyer the vineyard Of Haislip. Wood
worth and Sheerer's places, flooding all
the city between the river, Also street
and the old Also road Below the COW
cred bridge. along the Also tract, down
a. far as the First-strsst bridge great
streams hurried along Center street, deep
a. to . mans neck. The same was true
Of Banning, Turner and Sepulveda
streets. where the water ran like mill
race down to Alameda street, whore it
turned south along that thoroaghfare,
which had become river. This stream
at seventh street parted iuto three
heads, the greater part going of west
ward through the Hellman vineyard,
the Eugene Meyer place, across Kohler
street, cutting the Dalton place, and
striking the Vernon district at Jefferson
street, where IL makes the first jog to
the north. Further down the river the
water spread In over the orange groves
end vineyards. At Compton and be-
low miles were inundated on both sides
Of the river. The other rivers about
Los Nietos, Downey City and on to Santa
Ana were running over their banks and
carrying away bridges, tracks and all be-
fore it. Every railway track in the
county was more or less damaged.
The water fell as rapidly as it rose, and
by the middleof theafternoon all theruin
that could be done was done. The
streams then retired to their natural
channels and people were allowed to re-
turn TO their homes.
THE RUIN WROUGHT.
Going to the upper end Of streams and
following them down the damages were
briefly about as follows: About Ravena
the waters came down from two conyerg-
ing cafions, rolling waves seven feet high
and carrying great boulders and tall
pine trees in an INDISPENSABLE ruin along
It's victorious path. The Fibre Mills
were filled with water, the depot ieop
ardiged, the railroad track wrecked fol
miles. Ali down the pass bridges wert
swept from their abuiments, iron struct
ures Of great strength being hurled
along thE torrents and their component
parts broken to pieces, The iron rails
were twisted like corkscrews by ths
mad swirl of waters and the fastening
bolts snapped asunder as if the wrought
iron were rotten wood. Miles Of the
track were washed out where, after the
food Of two years ago, the 5. 7. Com
pany reconstructed the road on grount
above the reach of that inundation ant
so solidly made that it seemed calcu-
lated TO resist the ravages o
the fiercest elements in their wildes
work. Below the mouth Of the grea
San Fernando tunnel, where the track il
built over the wash Of the Tnjunga
about six miles OF the railroad with al
tie bridges we're swept clean out OF ex
istenee.
Al THE Los Feliz ranch the current cuf
into big alfalfa held and carried GU
from 40 "a 10 scres of the fiaest land ii