The record-union., 1891-03-05
The Town of Washington, Across the
River, Under Water.
Reeds Orchard Submerged = Stock
Taken to High Ground-Not
Much Damage Yet.

| eiilDiukiflenI.
The levee gave way about 9:15 A. NJ. al
most directly opposite the electric light
plant below the gas works. Persons or
the Sacramento side heard a shout across
the river from the men who were work
ing to save the levee. and immediately
thereafter the roar of the rushing waters
could be heard quite distinctly. A
RECORD UNION reporter fastened across
the 1olo bridge to the scene of the break
along with hundreds of citizens, and the
water was already commencing to flow
up into the streets of the little town oi
! Washington, across from Sacramento.
A BIG GAP.
Upon arriving at the crevasse which is
about mile above the old Paine break,
and few hundred yards this side of Con-
rad's house, ii was found to have widen
ed to about seventy feet in less than an
| hour, and the water was tumbling into
| the low land in Il hugo volume, breaking
| into large waves as it struck the soft earth
inside, and evidently cutting into it deep
". The course of the water inside the
| broken levee was turned mostly uD to-
wards Washington through G.. w. Reeds
pear orchard. and the people in the little
town We're preparing to put their houses
! in order to meet the Hood, and getting
their stock on high ground. There were
| no houses or barns in the direct line OF
the crevasse, and most stock had been re-
moved, so that no particular damage will
! result TO improvements except that of the
loss OF crops which were in, and it was,
perhaps, as good place for a break as
could have been chosen.
REEDS ORCHARD SUBMERGED.
The current in the river set in strongly
| toward the break, which occurred in q
sharp bend in the levee, and the river
water was running up stream us well as
down, towards the new outlet Reeds,
fine orchard will be completely sub
merged. 1t was in fine condition and the
trees (mostly pears had been lately
| sprayed. Ii the water recedes before the
weather gets warm, it is thought the trees
viii not be greatly damaged, as they will
stand the water better than most other
varieties of fruit trees. All crops of po-
tatoes, beans, vegetables, alfalfa, ETC., viii
of course be total loss. The leyee op-
poslte the lower portion of the orchard is
low and weak, and the sipage is causing
il to slip on the inside slope The water
at this point is higher than the leyee and
is kept out with sacks filled with earth.
Ii the river should rise higher or remain
as 1T is for several DAYS, it would likely
break the levee at this point unless it is
watched, and in the same manner as near
| Conrads, where the
EARTH CRACKED OPEN LENGTHwIsE
And slipped to the inside, leaving only a
small portion of the front, which could
not resist the pressure of the great body
OF water thrown against it, resulting in
the disaster above stated. The levee, as
a rule, down to the break is q good one,
but it is useless for people in reclaTna-
ton district to build good levees so long
as one of their neighbors maintains Il
weak one. There should be strong law
compelling all to come up to the standard
required.
This particular break occurred in a
place where it would not be difficult
matter to stop it. There is a good deal of
brush growing in front of it, bat as the
levees are not strong enough above and
below. it is almost useless to attempt
closing it until the river falls. The brush
i'll front may keep the break from WIDEN
ing. but it is certainly dangerous for peo-
pie to go too near the ends of the broken
levee, as
1T WILL UNDERMINE.
There are a couple of houses back of
the break, $50 yards or So but not in the
direct line of the current, and there is 10
danger of their being carried away. Sew
erai thousand sacks have been used in
the endeavor to save the place and men
worked like Trojans all night Tuesday.
Even the ladies lent helping hand, Mrs.
Snider bringing hot coffee and lunch to
the men at midnight.
The river Will not remain at high
stage as long as last year, as there is not
much snow in the mountains. In fact,
the chief cause of this sudden rise is due
to the warm rains of last week, which
melted the loose snow and brought Il
deluge of water down the slopes of the
Sierra Nevadas and from the Shasta
| region. The river fell slightly after the
break occurred, and yesterday afternoon
registered 26 feet inches.
The river was still at the 2G-foot-9-inch
mark at midnight last night, notwith-
standing the immense volume of water
that was rushing through the break in
the Yolo side. The roar of the water
could be heard plainly at the bridge
Men were at work covering the ends of
the broken levee with sheets of canvas. to
prevent it from being undermined and
washed away.
THE RIVER ISLANDS.
The high water is not yet felt in the
lower Sacramento among the islands but
about Sunday or Monday next it viii
probably reach its highest stage there.
The levees of Grand, Andrus and other
Islands are good and no fears are enter
tanned OF Grand Island at least, if the
weather remains calm. y fierce .'norther''
IS what creates terror along Steamboat
Slough and the reach opposite Rio Vista
along Brannan Island The levees along
the Sacramento side below the city have
held thus far, but need close watching in
places. The Yolo break takes off some
of the strain, but unless something is
done to strengthen the levee between
here and Sutteryille, there may be trou-
BILE before long. The land is rich and
amply able to bear the expense of good
leyees, and it is inconceivable that the
owners will invite disaster in trusting to
such weak ones as some of them MAIN
tain. Unless the break in the YoIo side
widens considerably, weak places will
need to be carefully guarded until the
river falls, as the volume of water runs
ming through the gap is nothing like as
large as in the case of the Paine break a
year ago, and consequently does not re-
ileve the swollen river to any great ex-
tent.
SIGNAL SERVICE REPORTS.
The Signal Service reports at 5 O'Clock
last evening showed the barometer at
Fort Candy to have fallen from above
30 inches to few hundredths of an inch
below that mark, and the reports further
show that the barometer has fallen at all
points along the Pacific Slope from Sacra-
mento to Vancouver, with the wind
changing from northerly to a southerlv
direction. The precipitation for the u
hours enfing at 3 P. NJ. was: For OIym-
pia, .06 of an inch; Fort Candy, rs: Port
land, .04; Roseburg and Eureka, nothing:
observer at Red Bluff sick and having no
assistant, there have been no reports re-
eelved for the past q hours; Sacramento,
no rainfall.
Lieutenant Finley's prediction, as pub
lished in the evening papers. predictinr
rain and snow in Sacramento. has failed
to be fulfilled, for snow i'll March in this
city would surprise the oldest inhabitant.
The highest Signal Service temperature
in this city was $50 and Az; the highest
was 81 lower than the day before eTues-
d.arrA