Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-02-06
UNION PAOIFIC LINE CLOSED.

Many valleys In oregon Completely
Under Water-v ashouts ON she Rail-
roads and Trains Delayed-A Phe-
nomeaal Rain Ssorn-Mlla weather
Melting she snow.
ST.. PAUL, Mimi, Feb. 5.-The damage
from the snow blockades In Oregon, Califor-
MIA and southern Washington seem about to
dwindle into insigni6oancs by a probably
much greater loss by the foods which fol-
low the snow. Tho heavy snow filed valleys
as we'll as railroad outs, and milder weather
had begun to make way with the drifts
when on last Friday an unusually heavy rain
set in, osusing dangerously fast melting of
the snow. Little streams quickly became
torrents, and the result seems sure to be
disastrous to all kinds of property. It IL 70.
ported that Portland is flooded and entirely
cut off rom the outside world, but the public
reports of the Northern Pacific railroad off,
oials indicate otherwise. Thescity will very
probably suffer considerably from the floods,
If it is not already partly flooded, but 1t is
not all out of from the outside world. That
the city il not wholly under water appears
from the reports of the train dispatcher of
the Northern Pacific railroad at st. Paul,
since the passenger train due at Portland to.
day on that line arrived but four hours and
twenty minutes late, although tho dis
lance from st. Paul to Portland is tride
over 1900 miles and this train is q
through one. The train due at Port
land tomorrow afternoon il also reported by
the same official as on time, although it is
now west of the Idaho boundary, where some
slight trouble was experienced during the
snow blockade that existed on the Central
and Union Pacific lines in the same latitude
From another source Information has been
received by the Associated Press to the effect
that the Southern Paci6c's California line is
still blockaded and suffering severely from
waahout along the streams, which are rising
rapidly from recent rains and melting SHOWS.
The latest information from Portland devel-
ops the fact that the Union Pacific line is
again closed, this time owing to tho heavy
rains, melting SHOWS and snowslides along
the Columbia river between the Dalles and
Portland, whore the road suffered 50 severely
two years ago from the same causes.
SAN Francisco, CAL, Feb. ga dispatch
rain storm has prevailed In southern Oregon
since last Friday, which in connection with
the melting snow In the mountains, has
caused the greatest food known since the
country was settled. The damage to SOUTH
ern Oregon cannot be estimated as yet, for
postal communication is go uncertain and
limited that only surmises can be made of
the ravages Of the water on the line of the
numerous tributaries of the Rogue river,
many small ranches have been badly DAM
aged II not ruined and miles of fencing have
been swept away. Much of the finest soil in
the lower valley has been washed down to
gravel and bedrock, and the spectacle Of
fields flooded, roads washed out and bridges
| and culverts demolished il common. The
Bear Creek region has not escaped the vista.
ton. That part of the valley has presented
the appearance of turbid sea for days and
communication between its many town
has been almost suspended by tn
swollen foot hill streams. Bear Creel
itself has borne along great deal O
wrecksge, besides fences, outbuildings
and even barns and houses. It has wrough
much destruction in undermining ami
sluicing off tho deep alluviun that com
poses its banks. In the Apologize regiol
there are few bridges left. Many peopl
were obliged to leave their homes for safety
Great damage has been done to mining tn
interests of the section BY bursting of dam
and reservoirs, the breaking and filling Q
bitches and the loss of fume-boxes an
machinery. The Oregon and California rail
road track In southern Oregon has bee
washed away for miles and the road-bed
seriously damaged along the whole linz
There has not been q mail from either th
north or south for several weeks. No est
mate can be made of the loss to the count
in bridges and private property. Hundred
OF thousands of dollars will not cover 1t.