New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-19
DEEP SNOW IN CALIFORNIA.
TRAINS STALLED IN DRlFTS-INFLUENZA-
ORANGE CULTURE-TOPOLOBAM
Try TELEGRAPH TO TIE TkIBUNE.l

San Francisco, JAM 1s.-The San Franciscan
has become so used to rain this winter that, ike
the Londoner, he never ventures out without an
umbrella. Cold rains have been the feature Of
the week. with excessively heavy snOwstorms In
the mountains All the railroads have been
blocked, trains getting in on the Central about
three days behind There are now six through
passenger trains stuck in the snow at Alta, near
Summit, but it is expected that all Will come In
by tomorrow. The snow is eighteen feet deep
on the level on the summit Of the Serras. Inc
chief trouble is due to the fact that the rotary
snow plough has piled the snow forty feet high
on each side of the track, until now, when thrown
out by the plough, the snow falls back on the
track On the Oregon Road the blockade 10
worse, as no through trains have arrived for ten
days. Vice-President Crocler, of the Southern
Pacific who started to go east by the Oregon
line and the Northern Pacific, is stuck in the
snow at Sills, fifty miles above Redding. Tele.
graph wires to Oregon all down, and dis
patches from here to Cortland have had to 20
round by Chicago and the Northern Pacific Rail-
way for the better part of week From al
the mountain towns in the foothills OF the Sierra
Nevada come reports of a phenomenal snowfall.
which beats even the famous snow of 1882.
All branch lines Of railroad showed under.
and all mails are carried by snowshoes.
In Nevada City the weight was so great on the
roofs that several have been crushed in. suf-
Gcient force Of men could not be secured to shovel
off the snow, although 81 per hour was offered. The
bridge crossing the Mokelumne River, at West
Point. collapsed from the great weight Of snow
In Grass Valley food and fuel both are scarce.
and there is no communication with the outside
world except by snowshoes
1t must be remembered that this snowfall
init thn yallpyc alonU
sbe coast of California. All these mountain
towns are at greater altitude than Mount
Washington While snow is eighteen feet deep
at Summit yet eighty miles west at Penryn ripe
oranges are hanging on the trees
The influenza has got a firm grip on San Fran
cisco and the amount Of sickness IN the city
is alarming. The deathrate for this week is 200,
which exceeds any on record, and pulmonary
diseases are responsible for this unusual NUMBER
of deaths Most of those attacked by pulmonary
complaints show all the symptoms of the prevail
ing malady and recovery where the vitality is
low. is rendered more difficult by the cold, damp
weather. San Francisco is like Rome in lack
Of facilities for fires in lodgng-houses, and even
in many private houses, 50 that the cold rains
and the absence of sunshine make most of the
houses very damp Many large business houses
report fully one-third of their men sick, and the
fire department and street railroads are both
badly reduced by the epidemic.
Among the deaths of the week were those OF
S;ephen Franklin, secretary Of the Bank OF GALL
fornia since It's foundation. and John NJ. APPEL,
wellknown pioneer architect
II is probable that the burning of Tho Girls
HIGH School this week will result in the lection
of brick or stone public school buildings hereafter.
This school-house burned Sunday night, the IRE
being caused BY combustion of wet coal. All pub
lie school buildings in this city are Of wood and
the average cost is 900 each The Board OF
Education now wants $4,000 to rebuild the
burned school-house with brick and stone, but IL
is doubtful whether the Supervisors will grant
this amount
THE Chronicle has completed the first thor.
ourh effort to ascertain the acreage devoted to
orange-growing in this State and the crop OF the
present season. From the returns received 1t puts
the total acreage in the State at over 10000 acres,
of which more than half is not yet in bearing.
The total crop now being harvested will reach
900, 600 boxes, and the exports to the East are
expected to be nearly $500 carloads The largest
amount credited to single place is at Riverside.
San Bernardino County, which produces 36O,ooo
boxes Prices are higher than heretofore. not
wthstanding the crop is the largest ever known,
and in consequence, planting of new groves has
been greatly stimulated, and large quantities OF
fruit have been Imported from Florida to sup
plement the inadequate home supply. The orange
crop of this season is worth fully 100000 to
producers Nearly half the counties of the State
produce oranges, but the bulk of the crop comes
from San Bernardno and Los Angeles
About fifty members Of the TOpolobampo colony
in Sinaloa are living here. They get frequene
letters from friends in the colony headquarters
and declare that every thing Is prosperous Ihey
do not believe that the railroad commission has
been rejected, as reported in dispatch this week
from the CITY Of Mexico, but they admit that no
work has been done by the cOlonlsts on the
road except squaring and a little grading. Mean
while, agents are getting recruits on thlS coaSt
and in the East About six weeks ago small
PARTY left here for the colony, and a large party
is now on the way overland from Kansas, whlcn
has furnished more than one-third of the colony.
Philippe Bouchard, the great Burgundy manu-
facturcr of Reaune, France, Is here on Nislt.
lie expects to visit the leading California VINE
wards and wineries His criticism OF the product
Of Californian vineyards is " It's too fruity lie
thinks all wine should he stored several years
before IL is used lie also regards new SOIL as
drawback. since it gives too strong a flavor TO
delicate wine grapes. lie favors California dry
Catawba wine and says that this pleases the
French people best
Great activity is shown in Tuare County IN
tie planting of raiSn grapes. Upward OF ',ovVyy
acres will be put in grapes this year, which VIII
probably make IulaIe soon rank win fiesho s"~
San Bernardino as a raisin county