Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-27
IT Is sUBsIDING.
The Flood of Water Is
Disappearing.
THE RAILROADS IN BAD SHAPE.
Very Few Trains Yesterday-Where
the Washouts Are-IDjuries to
the City Streets-N0tes.

The total rainfall, up to O'Clock las
evening, was "a 72 inches, or more thai
fell in any year since 1877, except 1884
when the record went up as high as 40 8
inches. In that year the major portion
of the fall was in February and March
so that the present seasons precipita
ton is the largest on record. Up t.
December 1st only S.9S inches had fallen
90 that to the present date $40 inches
have fallen during the month, the larg
est monthly fall on record since 1877
Previous to the present month the tw'
largest monthly rainfalls were in Febru
ary and March, 1884, when 1887 inche
and 1886 inches respectively were re
corded. As to the exact amount of dam
age done, no figures, even approximately
correct, can be given. 1t is certain, how
ever, that the lossswill not be nearly al
great as at first anticipated. 1t will bs
large enough, however, to take out 8
good slice of the cash fund of the city
which is not any too large at present
The Street Superintendent forces were
kept busy yesterday in removing
the sand from the streets, and in making
the crossings passable. Today his mer
will start to work to repair some OF the
graded streets which have been badly
washed. A lively shower occurred yes
terday morning, and for an hour the
streams in the cutters were so swollen
that it was difficult to cross; but in the
afternoon the sun came out and the wind
changed to the north, drying the paved
streets so that by nightfali they bore nc
indication of the heavy rains. The
muddy condition, and the poor quality
Of the gravel used was demonstrated
There were a number of caved sewers
reported, but these will be repaired soou
if the rain has stopped for period.
The Southern Pacific scored first blood
on it's rival yesterday by getting in last
Tuesdays passengers and mail from the
East. The train, which was caught at
Cotton by the storm, worked it's way
along as far as Ell Monte, where there is
a bridge gone. Here the sixty pas
eengers were transferred across and put
upon hand-cars. In this way they were
carried as far as East Los Angeles. Sew
eral times they had to leave the cars
where the track was submerged in water
and walk around the washed.out places
while the cars were pushed over the
shaking rails. At East Los Angeles
they were taken into buses and brought
over into the city, where they arrived
about 8 o'clock in the afternoon.
East of Cotton the Southern Pacific
track is all right, except that one span of
the bridge over the Santa Ana river is
gone. Section hands are being collected
from all available points in that direc-
tion, and the read is being repaired as
rapidly as possible. A connecting train
will be sent out for the passengers that
are now waiting to get through, and they
will probably get in East Los Angeles to-
mo. row noon.
The exact condition of the track to the
north is not known, but there is very
little doubt that it is very bad. Southern
Pacific officials say that it will be five or
six days before they can hope to get
trains through.
A Phillips excursion of twenty eight
passengers, which ought to have arrived
here last Tuesday and about 125 mora
people, twelve of them citizens of Los
Angeles, were caught at Mojave and
spent Christmas day in that dreary re-
gion. Yesterday morning they started
back to San Francisco, and they will be
sent down from that city by boat, leaving
some time today. All other passengers
will be shipped from San Francisco in
the same way until further notice. The
report from the north states that five
miles of track are under twenty feet of
water, and that an iron bridge and q
number of wooden bridges are washed
away. The reports received at this end
would seem to indicate that this is very
much of an exaggeration. From what
is known here it is believed that only a
few small washouts have taken place in
Soledsd canon, and that part of the
Tejunga bridge is gone. The chief diff.
Guilty in the way of making repairs here
is that the washouts are ali in awkward
places, where it is impossible to fix up
the track until the water runs off.
just at present the Southern Pacific is
concentrating most of its efforts on the
San Pedro division, as all It's construc-
tion stores and implements are there, ,and
as it is matter of utmost necessity that
freight, mail and passengers coming to
this city by water should be brought in
1t is on this division that the worst in
juries to the track we're effected by the
storm. The Los Angeles, San Gabriel
and New rivers, with their various con.
tributary streams, seem to have all
joined forces in one broad food cover
ing all the country from Downey and
Compton to Cerritos. Between the lat
ter place and Thenard there is 500 feet o.
washouts and the track is covered with
water of greater or less depth for dis
tance of over a mile. An effort wal
made yesterday afternoon to get con
struction implements and men across OF
boats, but without success. The watel
is going down very gradually, but as fas
as the track is uncovered it is cribbed uy
and protected with sand bags. The au
thorities OF the road express a hope thai
trains will get through on this division
some time today, They will, barrins
accidents or more rain, certainly be il
operation by tomorrow.
Information with regard to the condi
tion of the Santa Fe is still rather hazy
as the wires are down in many direc
tions. The Redondo branch, on which
no very serious washouts had takel
place, is now in good condition again
and trains will run regularly hereafter
The company has chartered the SAINT
Maria, and will carry it's passengers t.
San Diego by boat. Trips will be mad
every other day. The smaller boats q
the Pacific Coast Company stop at thi
port every four days.
There are now four overland train
waiting at Paratovv for tho Coiop rooo 4