Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-01-20
SAD LOSS OF LIFE.
Heroic Acts I'm Rescuing Thes'

Heroic Acts fn Hcscuing Those
I'm Danger.
Along the river front in the Also tract
there were for several hours a great many
lives in danger. The police officers
turned out and worked heroically. They
we're ably backed by the force from the
sheriff's office. Many private cit
izens stood shoulder to shoulder
with the officers. The City Ice Com
pany's wagons and those of the
Los Angeles Soda Works with the
men from these establishments did
yeoman service in the cause Of the suf-
fering. Ex-Chief Of Police Cuddy also
was foremost among those who knew
no such word as tire nor fear Of danger
10 his efforts to save and relieve. The
several fire companies were also ON hand
and very effective in their good efforts.
A Mrs. Little, residing ON First street,
was taken from her house to that of a
friend on Rose street. Officer Massey
and an expressman returned to Mrs.
Little's house twice aud rescued part oi
her effects. They were about to return
a third time and she insisted on going
with them to find some articles OF
value. On reaching the place,
lit was found that the current was
too strong for her to reach the
house. She got on the porch Of one ad.
Joining, while Massey went on to her
house. While there the woman called
to the man in the wagon that the
house was moving. He called to Massey
| to come to her aid. As the officer
reached her the house slipped down the
food. The current rolled Massey and
Mrs. Little over to a tree to which both
clung for moment, but that gave way.
| The expressman says Massey disappeared
altogether from sight and the woman
was swept ON by the stream. A
floating house is said to have
struck her and she was seen no more. II
she escaped further down the river II is
a miracle. Massey got out--he scarcely
knows how himself. Some time later
two men were seen pass the First street
bridge on a frail raft, which split In two
| in mid stream, letting the men into the
swift and fatal torrent. Among those
| first to sound the alarm was Deputy
Sheriff Martin Aguirre. After helping
Officer Weed--and this was long before
the great tidal wave from the
big cloud burst came down : to
wake up the sleepers along
the river, he got his horse and went
forth to rescue those in peril. He car
ried many helpless children to places of
safety, but lost one little girl after talk.
ing her from the house. A floating
fence struck his horse and upset him in
the flood. For some time the child
clung to him. but il was finally washed
away. Agnirre drifted far down stream
before he got out OF the food and then
had to wade through fields Of water.
mud and quicksand TO get back to town
Late in the afternoon some boys were
down along the river bottom
below the First street bridge and
outside Of the Linden Park fence. One
Of them, Joseph Armijo, found the feet
Of little child protrudiug from the
mud. They reported the matter and
several police officers went TO the place
and others notified the Coroner. Frank
Oakley, the Deputy, proceeded 10 the
spot and the body Of the poor little girl
was dug from the mud. She was iden,
lifted as the child Of Thomas Whitney,
/ a carpenter. Her name was Teresa and
she was q native Of Grass Valley, aged
seven years. The verdict was, Of course
Idrowning.