New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-08
STORMS IN CALIFORNIA.
aAN. SNOW AND wMD-Sa6ALIPOx - COM
MERCIAL-OOAL "a

RAIN, SNOW AND WkNO-8AaAAAAAEVA - VIII
MERCIAL-OOAL
tBv reLxoRAPx sun rntuuNs.J
San FRANcIsco Jan. THE storm which pre-
v,ilcd oil along this coast for nearly week with
out q break has been the most interesting item
Of the week to Californian ~ 10 made assurance
doubly sure that no dry winter would damage
crops The rainfall has been unusually heavy for
this season, and its distribution has been even.
The great valleys which received SO small por-
ton last year arc thoroughly soaked now.
Throughout the State twice as much rain haa
fallen up 70 date this season a. last, while In the
large valleys IN many places the rainfall has
been five or six times rs heavy. Thus IN Stock
ton the centre of the San Joaquin Valley the fall
to date last was only La inches. while
this year $40 inches fell In San Mateo last
years rainfall was 3.50 this year 1t Ia sis. In
Santa Cruz only 400 inches fell last season to
date, while now It Is ten inches. Perhaps the
greatest gain is in Los Angeles where the rainfall
last season to date 1855 inches. while this
season it Is IL inches. In this city the unusual
spectacle of rain, hail and was presented one
day this week. and the cold has been so severe
as TO make the tramps and bummers" mourn
pver the change In climate. The mountains and
foothills across the bay are thickly covered with
snow and snow is also reported to have fallen
In Riverside and San Bernsrdino.
In northern California the snowfall was very
deep, and on SIsliyou Mountains it prevented
the passage Of trains over the new California and
Oregon Railroad.
The overland trains have made fairly good time
only one regular blockade being reported. The
telegraph service was not equally fortunate, as
for three days scarcely scrap Of news got through
On Thursday night New-York market reports filed
on Monday came struggling in, and telegraph
editors on that night wrestled with three days
belated reports.
One extraordinary feature of the storm on the
northern coast was the breaking Of the glass IN
Aillamook Lighthouse at the mouth of the Column
bia River The lighthouse tower is 90 feet above
the level yet huge waves rolled up by a south
caster swept over the top of the lighthouse and
exiting uished the light
The haste OF the health authorities here to de-
clare q smallpox epidemic has caused much COM
mcnt There was sense in such action because
there were MT over sixty cases known az that
time, and these had all been quarantined The
real cause Of the proclamation which alarmed so
many tourists was the desire of the Health Board
TO have an opportunity to levy on the -" urgent
necessity. fund. Without declaring smallpox
endemic they could not have drawn any OF this
money so they coolly damaged the credit or the
city to fill the pockets of a few of Boss Buckieys
rctainers. II is the popular idea that most Oh
the smallpox is brought here by China steamers
but the fact is that more cases come from Mexico
over the railway than from China The Health
Board here seems TO be taking no vigorous meas
ures against the disease which is being spread by
excessively cold weather. The State authorities
have lust walked up to the impor ancc of appoint
ing inspectors on the State line to examine trains
and steamers Had this been done week ago
much disease would have been prevented
The old cross on Lone Mountain which has
been a conspicuous landmark far out at sea, olew
down in the recent gale. The cross was built
by Archbishop Alcmany in see. 1t was made
OF wood about twenty-five feet high IL had been
rent we'd several times and II is expected that
Archbishop Riordan will order it erected again.
The hanging of the murderer Sutton revives
interest in that curious person. He was ranch
man in Ivermore Valley, and shot his nensnpo r
Sutton's land After the crime he made lttle
effort in his defence His counsel tried to prove
insanity but about all they rested the plea upon
was on his clients eccentrieity and belief IN
fatasm 1t shown that Sutton had 1ved
for twenty years alone with no lhtlm,te Irlenas,
and kept diary all this time In which nc recorded
any incidents OF his uneventful life. Inc shoot-
ing Of his neighbor was chronicled as briefly as
any ordinary occurrence
Although for more than week everything has
been in readiness at Mount Hamilton for Obser-
vations through the big Lick telescope nothlng
could have been seen through the fogs, CLOUDS
and storms of rain and wind. Il blew so hard
one night this week that the ancmometer was
broken after registering wind velocity OIL seven
ty-fve miles an hour II was estimated that the
wind blew at least eighty miles per honr AT
the height of the storm, which was the worst
known on the mountain, the great dome was
injured and drops Of rain penetrated the ooser-
yatcry.
Customs receipts at this port for December were
s647,lII against $685. for the same month
last year The produce exports from San Fran
cisco bv sea were a. 600, 900 less last year than
in 1856 This falling Off was due directly IN
lesscncd wheat shipments causcd by the Nevada
Bank wheat deal The threatened litigation over
the deal was averted by compromise, and the
shipments have once more hegnn. The year saw
a large increase Of trade with New-York due
mainly TO the shipment of four eargoes OF raw
Hawaiian sugar around the Horn to New-York
the first shipment Of the kind made by this route
The coal famine still continues. but there has
been a great break in the price Of Wellington coal,
small consumers preferring to buy softer Coos ifay
and Seattle coal Dealers who thought they had
cornered the market on Wellington coal showed
prices to $40 per ton on Monday, but it dropped
suddenly to STA