Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-13
The Streets Turned into
Small Rivers.
The Damage Trifling Except to the
Graded Streets-The River
Stays Low.

ct twenty minutes past one O'Clock yes
terday morning it commenced again,
and continued heavily without cessation
until nearly l O'Clock yesterday after
noon, when it lightened to fine rain,
and ceased only at dusk, when the sky
was still heavily overcast. During the
twenty.four hours four and thirty one
hundredths inches fell, making total
for the season of 1856 inches. The
records show that more rain has fallen
so far this season than fell during any
of the entire seasons of 1889,
1901, 1892. 1928, 1884 5, 1857,
1878 and 1885 9. The only entire sea-
sons during tho eleven years in which
more rain fell than has been recorded
this season were 1880, 1884 and
1856, and the records show that in
none of these did the heavy rainfall oc-
cur go early as this season. In 1879-S0
10. 80 inches fell up to December 30th.
In 1888 4 only 58 inches fell up to De-
cember 30th, and in 1885 6 but 7.55
inches fell in the same time. The heavy
fall in these seasons occurred in Febru-
airy and March.
It was expected that there would have
been q considerable amount of damage
to record, but according to the reports
received there was no injury Of any con-
sequence except to the streets,
which in q number of cases were
considerably cut up by the torrents which
ran along with the speed of mountain
streams. The two main streams were
those which followed the streets in the
courses of the Arroyo de Los Reyes and
the Chavez arroyo. The volume OF
water in both was immense, and the
gravel was taken off all the streets over
which the streams found their way. The
water from the Arroyo de Los Reyes first
made itself apparent in an immense
body in the vicinity of Beaudry
and Temple, where for several hours
the cable cars were unable
to pass. The water backed up here to
the base of the hills to the north, and
presented the appearance of a large lake.
Then the water commenced to break over
Temple street, and filed up the low
grounds between Temple and Second
streets, where the people, who had been
flooded by the storm of q month ago
were prepared and moved out of the
way, vacating their dwellings. Between
Second and Third, where the arroyo ID
intersected by Beaudry street, the water
poured over the graded street crossing tc
the grounds behind the Normal School
property, and wound around the base
of the hill to Hope street, to which
it found it's way under and around
houses and across private property. Al
10 80 O'Clock the water commenced tc
tear along this route, increasing in vol
ume and destructive power until II &c
O'Clock, when the fences and trees along
Hope street between Fifth and Sixth
commenced to go. Between II and /
O'Clock the torrent tore up everything in
it's course, and as far south as Tenth
street timbers, fences and debris of all
kinds were floating down the stream.
which filed the street from curb to
curb, and in some places ran to the
depth of several inches over the side
walks. This stream, increasing in vol
ume at every street intersection, crossed
to Figueroe street in the vicinity Of
Montgomery street, and at this point il
was met by another immense stream
which came tearing down Figueroa with
the velocity of mill race. The entire
country south of Twelfth street and west
OF FigueIoa was vast lake, and q!
Montgomery street the water was SO
deep in the vicinity of the echoolhouse
that it was impossible to reach the
school.
The water collected on Washington
street, which, along its entire length
from Main to the west city limits, was
filed from curb to curb with raging
torrent. which tore away the cutters and
turned that thoroughfare into q river
bed. Between Figueroa and Boundary
the country on either side had the ap.
pearance of vast lake, in the midst Of
which were numerous houses, the in.
mates of which were unable to gain in.
gress or egress without getting more OF
less wet. This body Of water finally
found its way into the Ballona creek
and thence to the ocean.
The stream from the Chavez arroyo
found it's way across to Alameda street
and along Alameda street south. Every
street between College and Fifth carried
its streams into Alameda street, with the
result that the river seemed to have
changed its location. At First street ii
was almost impossible to cross, and al
Second street. the stream was 80 deep
and swift that even the street cars had
to proceed slowly for fear of being car
ried from the tracks.
Nearly every street leading from the
hills carried torrent, and along Second
street the water, as it dashed over the
rocks which 1t had uncovered between
Grand avenue and Fort street, gave the
appearance of rapid mountain stream.
Fourth street also carried large stream,
and the water flowed along Hill in such
quantities as to food the Sixth-street
park.
In East Los Angeles, Kuhrts street was
flooded, and the water tore along Mozart
street, Glover street and Downey avenue
at q tremendous rate. The
storm drains which have Just
been put in performed excellent
service and carried off most of the water
after the heavy rain ceased.
The schools were very thinly attended,
and the majority of the scholars who
braved the weather were dismissed at
noon or shortly after. The teachers were
all on hand, although some Of them had
to engage carriages to reach their des.
tinations. The Tenth-street school,
Amelia-street school, Eighth-etreei
school, Garey-street school, Montgom.
ery.street school, 6eventh-street school
and San Pedfo-street schools Jared the
worst, and nearly all of them were sur.
rounded by lakes, through which tine
boys and girls were forced to wade.
The river did not rise to any alarming