Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-16
THE STORM.
Two Men Drowned off Re.
dOndO Beach.
DAMAGE TO THE RAILROADS
WashOuts in all DirectiOns-W Weather
RepOrts-The Rainfall.
The Indications.
THE STORM.
DAMAGE TO THE RAILROADS.

Ihe storm which is now sweeping with
such fury along the Pacific Coast yester.
day cent into eternity two hapless mar.
iners who were afloat off Redondo
Beach. The residents of the little sea-
port town first noticed the unfortunate
about 10 O'Clock in the morning. but
were unable to help them, as there was
no life-saving apparatus on hand, and it
would have been the throwing away of
more valuable lives had rescue boat
been manned and sent to their
relief. The unhappy men were
aboard small sail-boat, and were
apparently trying to make for a harbor.
but their sail was blown to tatters, and
the frail craft was pitched about by the
angry waves like piece of driftwood.
About noon the end came, for the boat
capsized, and few minutes later the
fragments of the wreck were washed up
on the beach. So completely was the
boat broken up that nothing was left to
indicate her name, and as nothing fur
ther was Eeen of the men their identity
or calling is unknown.
The violence with which the storm
has been blowing all along the coast line
was further attested to when the Eureka
from San Francisco steamed into San
Pedro harbor at o'clock Yesterday
morning, twelve hours behind time. Her
arrival was the signal of great rejoicing
at the port, for as the hours of the night
had passed by and no signs of the ship.
fears were entertained that she had been
and her load of precious human lives
sent to watery grave. The Captain
said that the weather experienced on the
down trip was the toughest he had seen
of the coast for many 2 year, and he
was compelled to pass by the ports of
Cuyacas and San Simeon, as the high
seas forbade going up to the wharves.
ON LAND.
On shore considerable damage has
been done to the railroads, and traffic
has been paralyzed in all directions. Dur.
ing Thursday night the hill at Rincon
Point washed down over the track, block
ing it to such an extent that the fat had
to be sent forth that there would be no
trains to or from Santa Barbara during
the day. All the men that can possibly
be obtained in that part of the country
were set to work on the obstruction, and
the officials announced last night that
they would send out the 7:25
train for Santa Barbara this
morning and would, without doubt, be
abba to run her through. The Soledad
caflon was the scene of another washeut,
this part of the track being always
rather ehaky after protracted season of
wet weather. Four years ago the South
ern Pacific changed its road-bed at the
weakest points on the old line, and the
new track has answered wonderfully we'll,
the damage done yesterday being very
slight and easily repaired.
During the afternoon the reports which
focked into the Southern Pacific office
from all along the line showed that mat
ters were getting in precarious condition
and it was finally decided to abandon
the running of all freight trains until the
storm clears away. When the news was
telegraphed along the road, requests
came as to what was to be done with the
trains running at the time between div.
isions, and the answer was sent out to
send them in, but to inform the engineers
that no excuses would be taken il
the trains were ditched, thus compelling
them to creep along at slow and careful
pace. In spite OF all precautions, how
ever, the road to the south of the city
was blocked up again by nightfall, for
a section of the track washed out
near Beaumont, and the Pacific overland
was detained two hours and forty-fve
minutes in consequence thereof. 1t
seems to he matter of impossibility to
prevent washouts at times like these, for
during the past year the Southern Pacific
has left nothing undone that could pre-
vent such disasters. Hundreds of
thousands of new ties have been put in,
bridges and culverts driven by the
score, and waterways across the track
cut at every point where there was the
slightest possibility of need. But all OF
these precautions are of no avail on the
desert. where the rivers-rivers only at
this time of the year-change their
courses dozen times during the rainy
months.
The railroad men who came in from
over the road yesterday report that every
creek and rivulet is running full and the
country is perfectly seeped with water.
The Santa Fe officials have decided to
abandon the Riverside excursion to-day
and are summing everything very
cautiously, as washout is liable to
crop up anywhere. The Cahuenga VAL
ley road still battles bravely against the
elements, and is putting its cars through
on time, but the Santa Monica line has
gone into recess for day or two SO as to
give the new road bed good chance to
settle.
IN THE CITY.
1t is good thing for Los Angeles that
the levee on the west side of the river is
good one or else the river would by this
time have found its way into the streets
up town. Last night the water extended
from bank to bank and although not very
deep was running with sufficient force to
carry away everything weak in its path.
The temporary bridge at First street is
thing of the past, the east side of it hav-
ing been swept away. Early in the
morning the section on the town
side being hastily chained down by
the contractors and thereby saved.
Travellers desiring to cross the river at
that part of the town will do well, there
fore, to notice that they must take the
Aliso-street bridge, until the damage is
repaired.
The newly paved streets have stood
the strain pretty well, two notable ex-
coptions turning up, however, which
should be attended to at once. One is
at point on Spring street between First
and Second, where the bottom has fallen
out of the road between the car-tracks,
leaving a nasty hole about q foot and
half deep. The other wreck
is on Main street, about fifty