Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-01-20
VPULCALAMITY
A Deluge Of Rain and
a Water Spout.
MELANCHOLY LOSSOF LIFE
Five Lives Reported Lost and
Half a Million Damage.
The CITY BRIDGES INJURED.
Railroad Travel Entirely
Suspended in the City.
TELEGRAPH LINES ALL DOWN.
Thrilling Scenes Of Danger, Death
and Destruction in City and
County-Business Nearly
Suspended.
Railroad Travel Entirely
Suspended in the City.
TELEGRAPH LINES ALL DOWN.

COuUty-Du DuSfucoS fouAiJ
Suspended.
The rain which began to fall gently on
Sunday afternoon continued with slight
intermissions till Monday morning. when
the dark clouds and falling barometer
indicated that something more than
light showers were now to come. These
indications were soon materialized in a
steady and eopious rain that commenced
to fall about II A. NJ. and continued till
midnight. At times the very windows
of heaven seemed open and the rain fell
in torrents. All the level land was Gov
cred with water and the mountain streams
grew large and noisy.
The terrible condensation Of small
globes Of vapor into the great drops and
streams that fell upon the earth evolved
a vast amount OF electricity that found
vent in two great thunder peals, while
the remaining surplus electric energy
formed
WHIRLPOOL OR VORTEX
in the air in the San Fernando valley,
that gathered into its mighty
grasp column of water
81 least five thousand feet high; then re
leasing its circling hold as it broke
AGAINST the mountains at Tnjunga, the
areat column fell and flooded the arroyo
with great, strong river. which swept
down the slope at q fearful pace. The
first obstacle was the Southern Pacific
Railroad bridge over the Tujunga, which
il swept away in moment. The fields
Of grain and vineyards along the line Of
the stream suffered fearfully by the
changing stream.
AT THE Los FELrz RANCHO
OF Mr.. @. J. Griffith the Tujunga food
had united with the swollen Los Angeles
river, and together they ran riot through
that rancho. The old channel of the
river was all too small for the united
stream, and so new channel was formed
which passed through the great alfalfa
and corn fields, carrying away 200 acres
Of the finest farming laud, which in
cluded fifty acres OF alfalfa just ready
for the scythe.
1t also took away the new avenue
which Mr.. Griffith had recently made
and the old road at the foot Of tho bluff
leading to the houses and old home
steads on Los FeIiz, so that the proprie-
tor. who was in the city. could not drive
home, but remains storm-bound in Los
Angeles. Several hundred feet OF hume
belonging to the City Water Company
and the piling that was placed there
years ago to change the current Of the
stream, were carried away from that
rancho.
THE $. P. Il. X. BRIDGE
Over the Los Angeles river was badly
broken aud quarter of mile Of track
washed out along the bluffs opposite the
mouth Of the Arroyo Seco. which stream
came down heavily into the river and
detected its course so that il washed
ferotly against the railroad bank and
carried 1t all away, leaving the. ties and
rails suspended in the air al various
points.
L. A. AND ;. O. v. R. R.
This new road escaped with slight
injury 10 the track. At the Raymond
station q land slide covered the track,
but it was removed in shors time. At
the lower bridge. across the Arroyo
Seco, the embankment at one end of tho
strucrure was washed tor about 25 feet.
and the approach to the north end of the
bridge over the Los Angeles river was also
washed out. Fortunately the cars and
locomotives Of that road were in Pasa-
dena and will at once replace the two
washouts, and then address their serv-
ices TO filing in the washouts where the
little passenger depot stood. Mr.. York
will now see the hated gravel no more
ON which he assaulted the Chief En-
ginser and injured him probably for life.
The land which he claimed is 10 the bot
tom Of the river now, and his claim to it
will terminate on the first of February
next.
RAILWAY BUSINESS FRosrRATE.
The railway bridge over the San Ga.
briel near Downey is reported to be
broken, and the water was SO deep on
the track on Alameda street and its ex.
tension to Compton that no train came
TO the city from San Pedro during all oil
Yesterday. One train came as far As
Compton, but the conductor wisely de.
cided not TO run on a track which could
not be seen, and so returned to San
Pedro. The only train that entered
the city limits was the Cali.
fornia Southern under the careful man
aeement OF Conductor Tuttle. His
train from Waterman was about three
hours late and arrived at Puents Station
about III O'Clock at night on Monday.
There the gale that was raging had
blown the roof off from the warehouse
and dropped IL across the railway track.
Al hour was consumed in getting the
Obstruction removed. The train then
moved slowly down to the San Gabriel
river, cautiously crossed the bridge and
moved up 10 Savannah, where Conductor
Tnttle waited for daylight. The train
stopped at San Gabriel for breakfast and
then moved on to the bank OF the Los
Angeles river. The sight was not at
traotive to Mr.. Tuttle. He saw the
river wild and high, with nearly all the
bridges broken, and the long bridge that
he expected TO cross trembling from end
TO end in all its joints and timbers,
and wisely halted his train. The passen-
gers walked across the bridge one at time
and were glad to be away from danger.
Soon after they crossed over the bridge
the piles began to give way on the east
half Of the bridge, although the water
had subsidized seven feet from the high
est point OF the flood, and the track
bent down into huge concavo.
The Santa Monica track was washed
. out at La Ballona and at Cienega Sta
tion.
DISTRESS IN THE WILLOWS.
Coroner Mcfarland drove into town
from Compton and reports large
amount Of land under water in that
vicinity and along the line of the San
Gabriel river on Los Cerritos rancho.
In the region known as the Willows
there was much fright and alarm. The
water had spread over the farms and do
nestle animals were drowning. Guns
were fired TO attract help and flags Of
distress hung out from housetops and
windows Of tho flooded district. Men
aud teams worked hard yesterday eysn-