Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-08
TRYING TINES.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE FLOOD WIN
TER OF 1862
Personal Experiences of a Lady Resi-
dent of This City-Eyents Humor-
Gus and Otherwise.


of the great food of 1861, l beg to present
to your readers some personal "reminiscences
of that memorable event that may be of
interest at least to those who passed
through that trying ordeal and one that
followed month later. The fall of 1861
had not been unusually wet and no one
was dreaming of food and when the
news came that the northeastern levee had
broken and that the water from the Ameri-
can river was pouring into the city, people
were Thunderstorm. On he morning of
December 8, 1861, while leisurely washing
the breakfast dishes, G. came rushing
into the house with the startling news,
1.-THE levee is broken and the water is
pouring into town." Expressing my doubts,
he said, Come out and see,' and, going
out to the gate and looking up N street,
there sure enough was a wall Of muddy
water coming down with the speed of a
race-horse.
Then there was hurrying to and fro, put
ting things out of reach OF the coming
water. But our hurrying was of little use,
as the water rose so fast we had to think of
getting ourselves out of the way. The
house stood some two feet from the ground,
and when we saw the water creeping in
upon the floor, c. said he would have
to go and procure boat and take US to
higher ground. So, taking door from its
hinges, he placed it across two tubs, and
put baby and upon it, and drawing the
table near so l could get upon it if the
water covered the door. Then bidding US
good-by, he started after boat. The water
was then over
KNEE-pEEP IN THE STREET.
While on his way down c. was
stopped by the late Bishop Peck, then bet
ter known as DIR. Peck and our near neigh
Dor, who asked G. if he would not
come in and help him move few articles
of furniture up stairs-which was very
considerable of the Doctor, when he could
not but have known that G. had left
his wife and baby in a one-story house
surrounded by the rapidly rising water,
but all the same he went in, took down
pictures and handed those and some light
articles of furniture to the Doctor as he
stood with his slippered feet on the stairs.
After helping him carry up the sewing
machine the Doctor asked G. if he
would not go out and catch his chickens.
That was the last straw. and after censign
ing the reverend gentleman to warmer
place than he had probably been accus-
toned to- c. passed on. While at the
corner of M and Ninth streets he witnessed
SAD ACCIDENT.
At the intersection of the streets named
was large cistern, the cover of which had
been carried away by the rushing waters.
A man in g wagon, with two horses, was
driving along Ninth street when, without
any warming, man, horses and wagon dis
appeared, having fallen into the cistern.
In the meantime the occupants of the
cottage, who had been left on the door, had
to rise higher, in other words, got on the
table. and when c. arrived with the
boat the water had risen fast to the edge
of the table. THAT table is still in the
possession OF the writer)
The boatman hired was specimen of
some that were occasionally met with dur
ing that dreadful time, who thought more
of making a few dollars than of helping
those who were in distress. For coming
from the Capitol Hotel to n street. between
Ninth and Tenth, and back again to the
Monongahela House on Seventh street, be-
tween K and L, they charged the
MODEST SUM OF $50!
AS the boat was large. A. Il. Grimm, our
next-door neighbor, offered to pay half the
sum if his family could go at the same
time. We arrived at the Monongahela in
safety, but when the noon hour came
around and no dinner, it was found that
the water had put out the kitchen fires,
and it was night before anything could be
had to eat; but that, considering the cir
cumstances was very slight inconyeni-
ence.
|, The water rose SO rapidly that by noon it
was at its greatest hight, and in the house
of the writer attained depth of 5 feet and
s inches. We had just gotten the house
cleaned so that it was possible to live IN it
halfway comfortable. when there came
another flood on the 23d of December; but
that was not SO bad, and on Christmas day
| we were home again. 1t was not very
pleasant Christmas, bnt we were THANKFUL
| it was no worse.
! THE next FLOOD.
We were not disturbed again until the
| 10th of January. This time the flood came
in the night, but rose slowly, and G.
| and took turns all through the night OF
| going out with the lantern to see how fast
| the water was rising. A dreadful storm
| was raging, and wondered what we would
| do if the water should come in the house
before daylight. 1t did not, but we had to
leave by o'clock. By that time we had,
as did most every one else, boat of our
own. So we, with the family of James
Swift, our next-door neighbor, and brother
of Constable Frank Swift Of Sacramento,
rowed to the house lately occupied by DR.
Peck, that gentleman and his wife having
sought more desirable residence. But We
found the upper rooms quite comfortable
compared with our water-soaked homes
though we could have no fire.
After we were settled in our new quarters
and the men had brought over such arti
. Giles of clothing as could be hastily gathered
together, they started out to find US SOM
breakfast, which was procured at Mrs
Cooks. who kept private boarding-hous
in the old Scroggs building; and perhap
. we did not do justice to the hot rolls, beet
steak and coffee, for we were both cold ant
hungry.
The house we were in belonged to Jane
O'NeiI, brother of Arthur 0 Neil, who s.
mysteriously disappeared some years age
!. During the afternoon Mrs. Swift, the babe
! and myself were alone in the house. TIL
+, storm was raging furiously aud had hear
that the foundation of the house was nc
very solid, and surrounded as we were b.
water. nearly six feet deep, we natural
| felt afraid, and when near the middle c
= the afternoon something went crash r be
| low stairs we were nearly crsZed with feai
4
relieved to find that the noise we had hear
was caused by some article of furnitur
: that had been fastened out of reach Of tn
e water falling down.
AS far as bodily comfort went we di
very well through the night, for we foun
! a mattress and bed clothing enough to kee
US warm.
BUT WHAT A NIGHT 1T wAsl
e The wind blew as if it would shake th
house from its foundations, and how it di
7 rain. l think there was but little slice
4 that night But the longest night has a
ending, and morning came at last, and th
a storm. was over. At that time all the spac
: between Tenth and Fifteenth streets wa
open, as all the buildings on the groun
: that had been bought for the site of th
State Capitol had been removed the yea
e before, and as the water still felt the effect
9 of the storm, the waves rose and fell lik
i the sea, and it was a beautiful sight o
| which the sun looked down that morning
! A novel sight met our eyes as we opene
j the door of our room in the morning, fc
there, stretched across the little hall at th
e head of the stairs, were
o TWO IMMENSE WHITE HOGS,
: The largest / ever saw. l suppose tn.
while swimming around during the nigi
! ~ -