Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-28
Southern California Cut OFF From the
Rest of the State.

dIleT To- udy.
No mails for the counties of Los Angeles,
San Bernardino, San Diego and Orange are
being forwarded from this city, owing TO
breaks on the Southern Pacific line.
The force of the storm was seriously telt
at Vallejo Junction, and the heavy rains SO
thoroughly soaked the sloping bills that
slides are still occurring. Nearly 200 men
are busy at work all the time, keeping the
falling dirt from buryiDg the track out OF
sight, and loose earth threatening to slide
is being removed by the use OF blasting
powder. A dirt train is constantly atwork
and track walkers are employed day and
night, ready to stop the trains coming IN
either direction at moments notice. Pre-
caution is taken to maintain a clear pas
sage-way through the two tunnels in the
vicinity of the Junction, and on this
'beatn the trackwalkers have special in
structions, and the trains pass through
them at a very slow rate.
1t was thought that tunnel No. l, which
is braced up with heavy timbers, would
hardly be able to stand the wet mass over
head, but the only damage done was the
soaking of the water through the earth
and partly covering the track.
Owing to washouts ON the Southern Pa
cific lines, the mail for the Gulf States and
Arizona and New Mexico, which usually
goes by the Southern Pacific, will, until
several washouis are repaired, go by the
Central Pacific, via Ogden.
No mail service has been had on the Pa
cihc Coast Railroad between Port Hartford
and Los Olivos for two days, on account of
several washouts.
Local butchers are complaining of long
delayed consignments of beef because of
the storm, and q marked increase in prices
of all kinds of meat is said to be imminent
in consequence.
1t has been suggested that storage reser-
voirs be constructed in the mountains,
from which water could be taken in the
summer for irrigsting purposes. These
might lessen to limited extent the amount
flowing to the rivers, but il would be hard
for a practical engineer 10 conceive OF a
system of reservoirs which could be safely
damned and which would retain one-tenth
OF the floods of this winter. Storage res
ervoirs, useful as they may be for irriga-
ton purposes, cannot be estimated as
either a safe or potent agency in the reliet
of river floods.
There is more snow on the mountains in
Northern California at present than we
have had for a number of winters past,
and if the same average is maintained
the balance of the season. there is
likely to be more than ever before
known, as least as far as the knowl-
edge of the Caucasian race extends. The
snow in the mountain regions is likely to
last until late in the summer on the high
est peaks, and will not be melted away
from many of the high gulches before
June.
Los ANGELES, December 27th.-In Csjon
Pass, north OF San Bernardino, things are
in a horrible shape. A heavy cut is filed
for 300 feet at each end, and between the
fills the track is covered with eighteen feet
of water. East of Cotton the Southern
Pacific track is all right, except one span of
the Santa Ana river bridge, which is being
repaired. Yesterday the Southern Pacific
passengers on Tuesdays train were
brought to Ell Monte from Cotton and
taken across the San Gabriel river in boats
from Ell Monte. They were brought to this
city on tlat-csr, the motor power being e
hand-car. The condition of the Southern
Pacific track in Soledad Canyon is such
that repairs cannot be completed for a
week. The line is open as far as South
Siding, but two miles south Of there the
track is gone, together with the bridge
across the Santa Clara river. Six hundred
men are at work in the canyon.
Superintendent Wade of the Santa Fe
road SAYS: "In Cajon Pass things are still
in bad shape, but they are being rapidly
Strengthened out by large force of men.
Some remarkably heavy landslides have
occurred, but it is not very difficult mat
ter to clear track of debris. | think that
by Monday afternoon we will have four
train loads of passengers in here from
Boston. By Sunday we can put the line IN
operation"
By tomorrow morning the Southern
Pacific road between East Los Angeles and
FL Paso will be open for business.
azf Cf vuaa bQ H.
aged at all The section between Ei Monte
and Los Angeles suffered worst The tres
tie across the Los Angeles river Will not be
completed before Monday, as the work of
driving the piles is slow.
North of Los Angeles an exact report as
to the damage done cannot be obtained at
the offices in this city. Between Sangers
and Los Angeles there are nine wssh0uts.
The track between Sangers and Little TIE
Junga is all right. The worst damage was
done north of Ssngers, where 600 men are
now at work on repairs.
The railroad officials are working won
ders in reconstrucung the damages TO their
lines BY the storms Of the past few days.
The Southern Pacific has completed the
bridge over the San Gabriel river at FL.
monte and the line will be open from Col
ton to East Los Angeles in the morning.
Teianga bridge hiss already been made
psssable. Over two hundred feet was car
ried away. A train was sent to San Pedro
Yesterday to connect with the steamer for
San Francisco. Passengers were trans
ferred one mile around washout IN car
risges.
A large number of passengers went
north on the Mexico yesterday. The
steamer Corona is expected with many
passengers and an immense amount OF ex'
press and mail.
The Santa Fe line viii be opened to Sar
Berpardino and TO Pasadena tomorrow
All mail matter for this city 10 way sta
tons along that line viii be sent to Psss
dena in the morning.
The surf line viii be open tomorrow
from Fullerton to San Diego. It has beer
fonnd inexpe6ieut to transfer passengers il
Ceion Pass on the Santa Fe, SO they vert
sent via Deming and will STRIVE over th'
Yuma Division.
The Atlantic and Pacific viii have 8 lint
OMEN from Barstow to Mojaye in the morn
focal officers hs7e labored early and lat
IN fba work of reconstruction. In the fac
of obstacles that seemed insurmountabl
fhev have not become disheartened, and Il
two davs have accomplished wonders
No1AvE. December 27th.-The rain he
ceased. The thermometer is 30'. Tn
rainfall of the last storm is 2;54 lnehes, an
for the season 11.04 inches. It is rumoTe
that the Atlantic and Pacific train will nc
he in to-day. No papers have been receive
since the oath from the south. 1t ha
cleared up and work is being pushe
rapidly.
RIVERSIDE. December 27th.-Tbe raj
has ceased, but it Is still cloudy. The ten
neTature is getting cooler. The rainfall
the heaviest ever known in this county
There has been no railroad communieatIo
since the oath, except with Cotton. Tn