Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-04-14

ed April IL
and runs from San Francisco to
Portland. What Is said above about
Northern California and the condi-
ton this winter III the Sierras, is
also true Of Southern Oregon
Through the so-called Cow Greek
Canyon the devastation Of the
double attack of snow and rain is
almost indescribable. Landslides
illed the Canyon in number of
places to depth Of over II hundred
feet, and the railroad company had
their tracks buried 80 deep at some
points that for miles they must
choose a new trail and lay Il new
track. One avalanche filed a val
ley clear across aud bake formed,
backing the water up 80 that
a number of tunnels are said to be
flooded and one tunnel actually
stands IN over 100 feet of water and
hllJ' IOi SOIllC HSChS thS IhdIi hNH
been carried around this Canyon
about 25 miles, and trains are run
each way to this break. But no pas
seggers are sent across ms yet. Boats
run between Portland and San
Francisco at all times and, as
water has not failed us, persons who
had to go took that route. But this
suspension Of travel to this country
from the south has somewhat check
ed immigration. The incoming tide
of people has been confined to the
North Pacific, as the Union Pacific
short line has been closed, too, q
good share of the time. That cuts
across from Ogden to Portland.
While it has not seriously delayed
the settling up of Oregon, it has kept
thousands of people away, of which
you have no doubt read. 1t vas
cuused by protracted rains upon the
heavy mountain SHOWS. No great
damage was done, except loss OF
livestock and fences. OF course, the
press of the eastern states, those up
on which the new northwest
is making its heaviest drafts
for immigration, has given
our storms full place. Their
columns have been filled with
accounts of our extraordinary del.
uges, severe cold and snowfall, and
many readers no doubt expected
that half the population were float.
Ing about In their houses, and that
upon every mountain top rested an
ark, with all the children, and other
helpless household pets stored fol-
safety.
All countries with great water.
courses are liable to floods and al
most annually we hear of the lower
Ohio and Mississippi valleys being
inundated with great loss of life.
Floods here are not 80 common as IN
the regions | have named. The
open, porous soil, underlaid with
coarse gravel, allows the water to
escape, and while the melting SHOWS
In the mountains swell the volume
of the floods, the rains do not come
as heavily or with such deluging
showers as in the middle states. |
suspect the people of Dakota would
not object 10 IA flood once in a while.
A good flood that would wash away
half their land would give them as
surance of raising something on the
otl er half at least, an assurance
which they are In doubt about as
Il II.
All the old settlers tell me that for
rainfall, severe cold aud snow this
winter has no equal In forty years
or more. We have not seen so much
of the winter here in the Willamette
Valley as they have ON the coast or
east Of the Cascade range of mouu-
tains. The ground was covered
with snow when We arrived, but We
have seen none lie more than two
hours since our arrival nor more
than an inch at a time. The coldest
weather in this coldest February
was about II below freezing, IL gets
much colder In the mountains aud
in Eastern Oregon. There has not
been a week when our violet bed
did not start into fragrant bloom.
There are good many Des
Molnes people here, aud Iowa aud
Kansas filled up large part of this
state since many years. There are
several Allamakee, Fayette aud