The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-28
APPALLING FLOODS.
A Critical Situation at Many
Points.
Communication by Rail With Los Angeles
Not Yet Established.
A Convent and Other Buildings atsYuma De-
strOyed-Intense Suffering in Tia
Juala Valley.
special to THE MORNING CALL

thought that the bridge at Teiuenga would |
be repaired by the time the train reached
that point Advices, however, tonight |
state that the men were tired out and stopped
work, and that the bridge will not be passa-
BILE before 10 or II o'clock, If then. Three
San Francisco trains on the other side.
which were looked for this evening by or
o'clock, will not arrive before midnight,
and possibly not before morning. Southern
Pacific officials say tonight that all trains
will be running on time tomorrow. BY
transf erring passengers at Monte, the South
ern Pacific will be able to do business be-
tween Los Angeles and Cotton. At the lat
ter place the bridge must be built before the
trains can run further eastward. Reports
to-day are to the effect that the water is fall
ing at Yuma and that the bridge may be
saved, though the town is almost gone.
DELAYED TRAINS.
Arrangements have been made to bring in
the delayed Santa Fe trains by way of Mo-
iave and the Southern Pacific, aud one train
on the Atlantic and Pacific. which left Bars
tow at 10 o'clock Yesterday loren DON, is eX-
pected in this city this Saturday morning,
bringing a large quantity of delayed mail
1t will be necessary TO repair the bridge be-
fore the train could reach Mojave. The
work OF restoring the Southern California
lines is progressing satisfactorily, but some
time must elapse before traffic can be re-
sumed. 1t is expected to reach San Ber-
naTdinO tonight The line TO Santa Ana
aud San Juan is in bad shape, and travel to
San Diego is not possible till the middle of
next week at the earliest. The line between
San Bernardino and Orange will not be open
before next Wednesday. The Santa Fe
nv of
Mojave for the East and this will continue
until the line in Cajon Pass is cleared, when
the old plan will be resumed. 1t commenced
raining lightly again about dark, and the
indications are that it will continue during
the night. The general situation in the sur
rounding country remains unchanged.
A CONVENT DEMOLISHED.
YUMA (AriZ.), Fen. 27.-The water is run
ming over the piers of the BRIDE. Tho river
is still rising. The water is higher now than
ever known before The people have aban-
doned all their houses and gone to the hills.
The telegraph Office is now operated frem
the Southern Pacific Hotel, which stands on
a high point. Twenty miles of railroad
track are submerged.
LATER.-The water reached the highest
point at II O'clock last night. Every bust
ness house is washed down. The Convent
of ST. Joseph, A. o. U. w. Hall. school
houses, express, telegraph and Postof1ice are
leveled TO the ground. The railroad and
steamboat Office is swept into tine Colorado
River. At o'clock last evening the South
ern Pacific Freight Depot was blown up to
make an opening for the flood OF water and
to prevent the wreckage from knocking out
the railroad bridge. The water in the Colo
RADIO River was up to this stringers of the
bridge. which IS yet intact and uninjured.
The railroad ice-hOuSe and track, at the foot
of Main street, have been washed away.
Five hundred men worked last night to save
property, but met with but little success
Inc town and property are now guarded by
the members of the Yuma Rifles, who have
been sworn in Deputy Sheritfs. The
ter is now falling here, but reports OF
further rises have been received from
above and TO the east which, If correct, VIII
entirely sweep Yuma away. East Of the
hills is the PostOflice, with the WellS-FargO
Express COmpany's Office on top of the high
hill west Of town, but the railroads both
ways are impossible.
A DRUGGIST DROWNED.
SAN DIEGO, Feb 27,-Reports of thrilling
experiences during the storm at Tia Juaua,
San Diego County, continue to come in.
Ever since Monday much anxiety has been felt
for the safely of William +. ScTibner, druggist
at Tia ,Juaua but tile Truth of what was feared
has been realized by the fndlug OF the body
about half mile down The Tia Juana River.
Sclibner was busy In 'the drug store when the
structure was suddenly carried into mid stream,
and alter going about half a mile collapsed. The
RUNS OF the store were found strewn along The
, bank OF the river.
A number Of buildings were washed from the
Mexican side 10 the American side, among which
was he residence OF man named Sabens. His
place OF business was also swept away. There
Is not building left standing on its fouuda-
ton.
The Russ House is a bad wreck, although not
washed away. The main current OF the liza
Juama River is now running through the town.
The valley is completely swept of fencing. wind
mills, etc. and number OF cattle, hogs and
horses are known to have persisted.
A herd of ntty-one head of milch cows was
standing Ia three feet of water last night with
no chance 10 get them out, or for them to get
anything to eat.
| Mexican side yet and 1t is impossible to tell the
damage or number OF lives lost.
| AN UNKNOWN HERDS FATE
| One Of lie most unfortunate known to
| have been drowned was Mexican who lost his
life in the act OF labOrng for the safety of Others
In the effort TO cross the river that divides the
assist some unfortunates, lie was washed away
| by the rushing waters. His body has not been
| recovered. man named HYDE, who accom-
panied him, narrowly escaped the same fate, but
| fortunately fOated against large tree, TO which
| he chung until rescued by means OF ropes thrown
| to him. Another man named Kerr was washed
| down the river, but found footing some dis
| lance below, where lie stood IN water up to his
| shoulders for twelve hours battling for his life
| and no prospect for any one venturIng to rescue
| him unless al tile almost certain risk OF their
| own lives. Whe1 almost overcome by exhaus-
| lion, portion OF building that was being car
rled away foaed near by him. and accepting
this as the only chance for rescue he chung to 1t
In the hope that II would finally go aground. For
While Il seemed as though this hope was not to
be realized but after 1t had gone quarter OF
mile 1t grounded. and climbing to The topmost
pinnacle he patiently awaited the subsistence OF
tho water. Not until twenty-four hours had
passed could assistance go TO him, ana when res
cued Kerr had almost succumb d to the expos
ure he had undergone. His body was cold aud
numb. His speech had lett him, aud when taken
TO the Russ House there were llttIe hopes cutter
| taihed Tor his resuscltatiOn.
=, massage from Descanso states that SO
E u,cneS OF ram had fallen within sixty hours at
otoneWail aud Cuyamaca Dam, The heaviest
rainfall ever known IN that section In was a
Verltable cloud-burst. Thtre are inches of
snow on Cuydmaca Mountains.
| ACCIDENT TO A FUNERAL
To night parties who came un from Tia ,Juana
for aid for the sufferers report that at least sew
enty people are housed III tile school house, and
that Dut lew structures are left standing in lie
| Hooded district, wiki absolutely nothing TO eat
| and but lew clothes. The farne RS in the neigh
6orhood have fed the homeless people since the
| HOOD Another Mexican is missing from the
| lower side. who is thought TO nave been
drowned he damage in I ia Juana Valley is
| over $4,000. The funeral OF Druggist Scrib.
ner took place to-day, aud while the body wa,
being carried over the treste-work one OF the
| bearers fell through and the coffin was precip-
| ltated on top OF him, seriously injuring him.
Scribner leaves a wife and child. who are destl-
tute, having lost their all in The flood.
MORE RAIN.
CLIFTON (ArIz.), Feb. 27.-The river has risen
| Tie railroad ls demolished aud dams aud fumes
| are gone. Work has been suspended by both
the Arizona COPPER aud Detroit Copper Mining
companies. The south approach TO the iron
bridge here and the entire iron bridge at Guthrie,
Twelve WE'VE miles south OF here. are gone. 1t is i'm
POSSIBLE TO estimate the damages now. The
wires are down and this report is sent by hand
| car 10 duncan thlrty-eight miles SOUTH There
| ave extravagant reports OF the de- truction of
| farms In the ella Valley "
WOODLAND, Feb. 27.-lt has been raining
continuously for forty-elght hours All HE
| streams In the county are running full. Thou.
SANDS oil acres known as The swamp and tuIe
hnds, are under water, and the ctop will bo
| almost total loss. Among the hsavy ioseps
are; W Z: Curtis, c. E. Byfns S. Montgomery.
Il. W. Griffin and Lew Adams. The damage
Will be Increased II the rain Continues
| LhTHRoP, Feb. 27.-The rainfall. since the
| last report has been .35 of au inch to O'CLOCK
| this morning making for the season L. 80 inches
| against 8 inches for last season. It has ralned
| hard al intervals to-day, and tonight the pros
poets are good for a continuance of the Storm
| The wind is from The southeast.
| SANTA ANA, Feb. 27.-J L. Seare and wife