The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1891-12-26
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
Some Incidents of the Great Floods of
1862.
The Labors of the Howard Society
How Heartless Boatmen Imposed
on the Unfortunate.

Gently on the trials that many of them
passed through during the memorable
floods of the winter of 1861-62, when
the city was twice submerged-first on
the 10th day of December, and then just
one month later. The scenes and Incl
dents attendant upon those floods have
been often republished, and many of them
are familiar even to persons who were
not sin it' at that time. a few, however,
may bear recital at this time. In con-
Guiding CURRICULUM account Of the De-
cember flood the UNION said:
''It is gratifying to record that those of
our citizens who escaped the food have
exercised a generous hospitality toward
the sufferers. Governor Stanford, Mrs.
John Gillig and DR.. Nixon took into the
second stories of their houses a large
number of homeless women and chill
dren; so did Mrs. Van Every at her board
ing-house on l. street, as well as many
others.
1.-THE Howard Society took possession
of the Pavilion, at Sixth and M streets,
where, on Monday night, they accommo-
dated about two hundred and fifty per-
sons, and on Tuesday night about four
hundred. The women and children were
supplied with mattresses and all had
Dldlh0lS. IneG6 WAS an unlimited sup
ply of soup, coffee and tea. The society
promptly furnished boats for the rescue
of such as were in danger, and many
others volunteered for the same benev0-
lent work, with boats or such other
means as were procurable at the mo-
ment. a. ?. Soule and crew, from the
steamer Swan, were out all day Monday,
doing yeoman's service, without fee or
reward.
''But the flood has also served to ex-
hlbit the bad side of human nature. Dur
ing the life and death struggle in that
part OF the city where the flood first
spent its violence number Of persons
obtained boats from the Front street Ievee
under pretense OF rescuing those who
and then took advantage of their eX-
tremity to eXtort money from the Suf-
iererS.
lone man had placed his wife on the
roof Of his house, which was already
wavering and lettering amid the seeth-
ing waters, and was obliged to pay one
OF these pirates $75 in gold before he
would take her to place OF safety. In
another house man stood up to his chin
in the cold water, hailing passing boat
man, who responded that he would land
him for SIS. The man said he had not
the money, and the unteeling wretch re-
torted, '1'll leave you to drown, them
And he did leave the sufferer, but the latter
was atterWard rescued by boatman who
was working without pay.
In several instances men and women
were obliged to pay SIS TO $50 apiece for
riding block or TWO III boat. The
travelling expenses of a young lady who
was taken from somewhere up town to
house on l. street. between Second and
Third, amounted to $50. a stranger in
the city was charged So for boating from
tN ha "
away.
AT II o'clock on Monday night two
women were taken by man named
Selby, whose boat was already well
loaded, from the roof OF house ON Elev-
enth street, near i, where they had been
for six or seven hours, unable to find a
boatman who would take them off with
out pay.
Many incidents of distressing char
acter are connected with the flood. Inc
Front street levee was thronged with
men, women and children, cattle, horses,
hogs, chickens, etc., during yesterday,
many OF whom were sleeping to make up
for lost time. 1t was reported that one
poor woman was landed at the leVee in
the afternoon and Immediately gave birth
TO child, which lived but a few min
utes. Another woman who reached the
Pavilion stated that she had given birth
TO a babe, but knew not where the child
or her husband were.'
Among the many good samaritans who
labOred without reward for the distressed
and suffering, was blacksmith named
Freeman, who lived in Washington. He
was poor man, with "a family to sup
port, but he kept his boat going for sew
eral days helping all who needed help.
When DIR. Morse offered Freeman pay
for taking him TO see sick child, he re-
piled: sir, men can't pay me for work
ing under such circumstances"
On the afternoon eff the 10th, when the
flood waters were at their hight, Officers
Yates and Mcintosh were doing patrol
duty in boat, when they encountered
two ladies and two gentlemen, at Sixth
and l streets, looking wistfully for some
means of getting away from there.
The officers took them all into the boat,
and the quartet requested to be taken
to st Roses Church, at Seventh and *
streets. 1t was wedding party, as sub
Sequent events disclosed, and one Of the
couples were married by Rev. Father
Cassin. Ii was a queer time for a we'd
ding, but the parties evidently had faith
III the adage that There is tide In the
affairs of men which, taken at it's flood
leads on to fortune" hence they took adj
vantage OF the hood.
On the 10th q boatman rescued an Irish
woman and her child from the roof of a
one-story house on Eleventh street. The
water was nearly up to the roof of the
piazza, and the child was sitting on the
latter and padding its naked limbs in the
cold, muddy water while the woman was
hard at work scrubbing away at wash
tub full of clothing. She said she didn' t
| think 1t was going to be mach Of food
When the water first invaded the CITY
no boats were To be had in the outskirts,
and one woman who found the water rIs-
ing about her house went out to the barn
let out an OK, placed her two children
thereon, and then mounting the animal
herself, "hawed" and ''geed' the critter
to place of safety.
After the waters subsidized on the third
day family returned to their residence,
in the eastern portion of the city, and
there found a big, lazy hog quietly snooz-
ing on the best bed in the house
While the city was flooded a man
named Lefever was floundering along
Ninth street in a wagon, and at the inter-
section of NJ his vehicle went into a cist-
ern and he was drowned. A little boy
who was with him escaped
These are only a few of the many Incl
dents of the flood, to recite which would
require columns of space. Many persons
lost their lives, while others contracted
ailments, owing to exposure and suffer-
ing, from which they never recovered.
1t required but y feet and inches of
water to flood the city then. As the
levees now Withstand about % feet, some
idea can be lad of the work and expense
required to place the city where it is to-
day.