Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-25
Ananias Again.

The Atchison, Kansas, Daily Globe,
under date of March 18th, bas the follow
ing dispatch purporting to come from
Los Angeles;
Southern California has experienced a
deluge the last four days, and the climax
came yesterday in terrific cloud burst
over the village of Ventura. The water
rushed down cafion, flooding the town
and sweeping away many houses, Two
Cinnamon were drowned and scores oil
people had narrow escapes. The busi-
ness center of the town was washed away
and the loss will approximate Sl00,OOO
The Southern Pacific track was washed
out for distance of nearly quarter OF a
mile. Serious trouble is reported on all
the railroads. A passenger train was
wrecked near Ensenada, but none of the
passengers were injured. Two trainmen,
John Halpin and William J. Thompson,
were badly hurt. Two fishermen were
drowned near San Pedro last night. A
big landslide is reported on the Santa te
Railroad, and eighteen carloads of Boston
eXcursionists are detained in the noun
tains on account of washouts. No estl-
mate of the great damage can be made
ullll lIl6 uOOuS buUElOCs ab IAiO UAAOD oAAN
roads are all under water. The San Ga
briel river is rapidly rising and is over
flowing the levees. 1t is probable that
the lower half of Los Angeles will be
inundated. 1t is impossible to form any
estimate at present of the damage that
will result from the overtows. Eight
inches of water have already fallen. One
man was drowned at Newhall.
Then comes the Nashville Herald,
under date of March 10Th, two days
earlier than the Atchison lie, with this
dispatch, which also pretends to have
been sent from Los Angeles:
A frightful storm passed over this
region this afternoon, doing awful dam
age to life and property.
The storm came up with terrible sud
denness. A great black cloud passed
across the heavens. The roar OF the
wind filed the air like mighty thunder.
Rain fell in deluges, the streets became
raging rivers, and swept away small
buildings. Several children were caught
in the streets, and were drowned. Fal
ling buildings crushed others.
Only meagre reports have been re-
ceived tonight from the country, which
show that the destruction there was ter
rible.
Property loss will foot up half mil
lion dollars. Thirty people are reported
killed.
The Nashville Belial is much more
tropical in the play of his imagination
than the Kansas Ochiltree. Yet bott
these Ananiases redivivi are above the
average. 1t will be noted that there are
two days. difference as to the date OF
which the alleged catastrophe is said tc
have taken place. Another funny par
of the affair is the wrecking of trair
at Ensenada. There is no place of thai
name this side of the Mexican line, anc
the only place 80 named in Lower Cali
fornia is $50 miles south of the line
There is not bit of track
an engine, nor a car within
200 miles of Ensenada. The place is the
port OF landing for the mines, about
which there was recently SO much ado
Here is how this resurrected Ananias got
possession of the name.
There is no probability that such dis
patch ever was sent over the wires from
this section. If there was, an outraged
community would be fully justified il
ferreting out the malicious knave, or the
idiot;c imbecile who sent it, and riding
him out of town on a knotty raj
and protected from the cold by liberia
application of tar and feathers.
Here, of course, we all know there il
not a word of truth in the story. The
recent storm was rather severe for this
section. In four days about seven inches
of rain fell in the city. In no day o.
twenty-four hours did three inches fall
There was not house even shaken or al
all inundated; there was not man, mol
child, nor hardly a full-grown raj
drowned by any food.