The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-01
DISASTROUS FLOODS.
The Richest Wheat Section in
California Submerged.
A Great Valley Flooded by the
Breaking Of a Levee.

Dispatches received at San Francisco from
Colusa and other points on the Sacramento
River have shown that that river is gradu-
ally falling. The country was pretty well
covered with water and many valuable
ranches were flooded. How great the loss is
cannot be estimated until the water entirely
subsidies, but it will be several millions. The
Colusa people had an anxious time, but their
fears of the breaking of the levee were ended,
when levee just above the town gave way
and great body of water poured over the
rich country between Colusa and the Buttes.
In this great valley were more than 100
families, but nov all that could be seen of
their habitations was an occasional chimney
or gabled roof above the dreary waste of wa
ter.
One Of the saddest cases is that of j. R.
Tolman, who had fine ranch about three
miles below Colusa He had scarcely re-
covered from the serious flood Of 1879, in
which all his buildings were swept away and
his family narrowly escaped with their lives
They were compelled to take refuge in a
strawstack, and from the fearful exposure
his wife sickened and died. Tolman, however,
set to work to reclaim his ranch, and in ten
years built fine house and reared one of the
best orchards in the valley.
The other night he discovered that the
levee that protected him was fast growing
weak, and, remembering his former terrible
experience, he reused his family, and drove
rapidly into Colusa. Next afternoon break
was discovered near his barn, but q number
of willing hands succeeded in stopping up
the hole, and it was thought at the time that
the work was securely done. Tolman went to
town, took supper with his family, and re-
turned to keep lonely night vigil on the
hal, rioJ +o,,, fo,,
help. The bank had broken and the water
was pouring in torrents on his ranch The
line of patrolmen extended for nine miles up
the river and six miles below. The watchers
were on hand when the break occurred at
Tolman's, but were powerless to check it.
Moulton's big ranch, which lies ten miles
above Colusa, had to be abandoned, and was
lying under ten feet of water. P. V. Burky
and Bowden, two of Moulton's foremen, had
a perilous experience going down from the
ranch. They made the trip in small boat,
which was constantly shipping water. Their
course lay right along what was country
road short time before but which then
formed part of a great white-capped foaming
inland sea.
The same afternoon the dispatches were re-
ceived another break was reported below
Tolman's which meant that Grand Island,
the richest wheat section Of the valley, was
under water. 1t was estimated that two
thirds Of the island was flooded, or fully TO-
600 acres in grain, and that nothing could
save Senator Fairs big wheat ranch near
Woodland. One of the worst effects
of the flood was on Reclamation District
NJ. 20, which was recently divided into small
fruit farms 1t was all under water. W. 8.
Green, one Of the best authorities in the val
lev, puts the loss on District No. 70 at $500,
600. Looking across the river from Colusa,
droves of horses and cattle could be seen
shivering, up to their knees in water; while
others were clinging to the slippery sides Of
thelevee. The barns and houses were all un-
der water.
If the water recedes rapidly, as it usually
does, the damage will not be so great as es-
timated: but another rain would be disas-
trous. Colusa was crowded with farmers
who had come into town with their families,
in many cases bringing live stock and val
liable household goods.