The record-union., 1891-02-26
More Encouraging Reports From
the Southern Counties.
WORK OF REPAIRS PROGRESSING
RAPIDLY.
Four Persons known to Have Been
Drowned at Los Angeles and Sew
eral Others Reported Missing-The
Gila and Colorado Rivers Still Ris-
ing and the Situation at Yuma
Growing Very Serious.
Special to the REcoRp-UN1oS.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 25.-Reports re-
ceived from the south to-day concerning
the blockade OF traffic on the Southern
Pacific lines in California and Arizona
Were more encouraging than those
of the previous day. The work Of repair
ing the damaged portions of the line is
being pushed, and unless the storm
should again commence everything can
be put in ''ship-shape" condition within
one week. The water is rapidly falling at
all points along the line, and it is believed
the worst is over.
Reports from the Soledad Canyon seem
to have been slightly exaggerated. The
only part of the track at this point which
has given way is near Ravenna, where
the road-bed for few hundred feet is soft
and one-sided.
On the Santa Barbara line the floods
carried away small bridge at Peru, but
this has now been repaired, and the
working forces from this branch are
heading up into the canyon to meet the
crews coming south.
Division Superintendent Burkhalter,
with two companions, started south on a
handcar from the work train below
Mojave on Tuesday morning, and pushed
lhlouSh oll dil inspecting TOUR, reaching
SauguS safely this morning, and went
thence to the scene of the trouble at
Tehuenga. Dispatches from him give
the encouragement above noted The
trestle at Tehuenga is now the chief OBJ
stacle.
The Los Angeles work forces finished
repairing the bridge this side of the city
to-day, and pushed on up the road. Re
ports indicate that the damage to the
l,,.il ilrrn nn,f Of 7 A L.
paired tonight. The trouble at or neaI
Los Angeles can be easily overcome by
Friday morning, and the Atlantic Ex-
press will leave here tomorrow night on
regular time, expecting to find clear
track.
All south-bound trains are held at Mo
Jave, and to-night's express was booked
only as far as Bakersfield. At present all
through travel between Cotton and Los
Angeles is blocked, as well as that on the
Santa Ana branch
The Santa Monica branch has as yet had
no trouble. The bridge near Cotton and
one at Downey have both been knocked
out of line by the turbulent waters, and
there are also one or two washes reported
between Pomona and Los Angeles
No trains have reached Los Angeles
from the East since Saturday night. That
due there Sunday is held at Cotton, and
one at ella City, are at Tucson.
Owing to prostrate wires, few details OF
the damage in Arizona have been learned.
Beyond Seven Palms the line is clear to
Yuma. The San Pedro branch was
opened at 2 o'clock on Tuesday after
noon.
Four hundred and fifty-four passengers
are enjoying the delay, distributed as fol-
lows: 12S, west-bound, at Tucson; SO,
west-bound, at Yuma; $50, east-bound, at
Mojave, and 80, east-bound, at Cotton.
There are also a large number of west
bound at FL Paso.
A landslide was reported to-day at
Tunnel 9, few miles east of Tehachapi.
The track, however, was cleared in about
three hours.
w. A. Bissell, General Agent of the
Atlantic and Pacific. to-day telegraphed
to resume the sale of tickets over that line.
Bissell is at Barstow, and says that the
Atlantic and Pacific has suffered little
beyond the loss OF the bridge at the above
mentioned point, where foot transfer will
be made, necessitating only brief delay.
Trains hereafter over this line will leave
on regular time.
The Central route is still clear, and no
trouble is anticipated. The Oregon is
also clear, and everything is moving on
usual time.
There has been no serious trouble on
the coast division, and the managers of
the Donahue line are happy.
FOUR LIVES LOST.
Los ANGELES, Feb. 25.-Up to noon to-
day reports showed at least six persons
lost their lives in the floods, and in ad-
dition the family of Charles Watts
is missing from near Downey and are
supposed to be drowned. The Wells
family, consisting of husband, wife and
babe, were drowned at Duarte, and the
bodies OF two Mexicans We're found in
the same neighborhood. S. Larrens was
drowned at Wilmington, near San Pedro,
while trying to rescue some cattle. The
worst of the flood was probably at Dow
ney and vicinity.
The old and new San Gabriel Rivers
broke from their banks. ran together, and
made great inland sea six to ten miles
wide and seventeen long. Many houses
were swept away, and a number of flmi-
lies occupying the territory inundated
have not been heard from. Shots were
heard in Downey MoHday morning, fired
at the Watts ranch house, and they are
supposed to have beenssignals of distress.
The house was soon swept away, and it
is feared the whole family went in the
torrent.
LATER-Reports continue to come in
from the surrounding country. They
give further details 6f the devastation
caused by the recent food. As these re-
ports are doubtless exaggerated, it is inn
possible to give an estimate Of the losses,
but the amount win be considerable.
1t is now thought that only four lives
have been lost--the Wells family at
Duarte, and Seyerano Loureve, near
Loureve's rand Wells
bodies have been recovered, but the other
two are missing.
AT SAN DIEGO.
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 25.-The storm of
Sunday and Monday was the most severe
ever experienced in this section. The
damage to railroads leading from the city
is quite large, and it will be week be-
fore travel is resumed as before the flood.
The town OF Tia Juana, on the Mexi-
can line, was totally washed away, ex-
cept the Russ Hotel, which is so badly
damaged as to be OF no future use. =. =.
The Otay River broke its banks and
swelled the Tia Juana River, until it
Hooded the entire country, sweeping away
stores, houses. cattle and everything that
came in its path. Two persons are re-
ported drowned at Tia Juana. No other
are reported.
AT Ramona twelve inches of water is
reported as falling during the storm.
On the Cuyamaca road several wash
outs occurred, and the San Diego River
bridge was washed away.
At Ensenada the rain did considerable
damage. The soap works on Ensenada
River were totally washed away, but no
loss of life was reported.
No damage was done in San Diego, al
though considerable rain fell, and the
wind attained velocity of forty miles
per hour.
AT PASADENA.
PASADENA, Feb. 25.-To-day has been