Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-01-24
OUT OF SIGHT.
Mountains Of snow and Valleys OF
Water-Fearful Tales from
California.

Sacramento, Cal, Jan. 24.-The scene
in the Sierras is one of most surpass
ing magnificence. 1t seems as if the
route of the Central Pacific we're laid
through the line of the greatest snowfall
with drifts forty feet deep and snow
twenty-five feet deep on the level at the
summit. The utmost energies of the
railroad people are put to the test. The
rotaries are tossing snow in continuous
streams from the roadbed, but from Gold
Run to Truckee snow is falling at the
rate of an inch al hour or more. Luck
lily the wind is not blowing and the situa-
tion is not complicated by the formidable
land or snow-slides that 30 often make
railroading and even existence in the
Sierras perilous.
In places hardy mountaineers in the
smaller towns communicate by means of
tunnels through the snow. Habitations
are obliterated, and the reign of the
storm king, magnificent but desolate, is
supreme. =
Trains procede cautiously through
solid perpendicular banks of snow like
marble walls towering above the coaches
The rotaries proceed them in ceaseless
toll, cutting the way that couple of
thousand men have prepared. The snow
is falling SO fast that it is not certain that
the push plows will not have to be in
voked to keep the way open.
The latest official reports received
show that during the previous twenty
four hours the snowfall was as follows:
Truckee, 3 inches, on the ground, feet
8 inches; Summit, "a inches, on the
ground, 20 feet inches; Cascade. 80
inches, on the ground, 16 feet inches;
Emigrant Gap, IL inches, on the ground,
Is feet; Blue Canon, - inches, on the
ground, s feet 8 inches; Towles, inches,
on the ground, feet inches; Gold Run,
6 inches, on the ground, 8 feet 10 inches;
Colfax, inches, on the ground, 3 feet.
If the storm continues it Will severely
test the levees. A warm rain on the noun
tains of snow now would bring greater
body of water on the valley than in
1861. 60.
Word was received early this morning
that the snow on the summit of the
mountains had reached to level with the
cross arms of the telegraph poles, and
that four more inches of snow would
PROSTATE every wire over tho mountains
RIVER FLOODS BEGIN.
San Francisco, Cal.-Rain is still fall
ing at every point in California north of
San Luis Obispo. Heavy rains are re-
ported in the Sacramento valley, and the
river is rising steadily. At Red Bluff it
was twenty-five and half feet above low
water mark at noon-a rise of three and
half feet since last night. The water
now in sight will carry the river to
twenty-six feet at Sacramento. There
are now 175 square miles submerged in
the valley.
The storm, which has steadily increased
in severity, is one of the worst of the bad
season. The water in all the rivers and
streams is higher than for many years.
Local trains in many localities are at a
stand.
In the mountains the snow is twenty
feet deep on the level in many places. 1t
fills up the ravines, weighs down the
branches OF trees and is imprisoning
mountain settlers, who are suffering for
necessary supplies, roads having been
impossible for days. Great damage has
been done to farms by rains, snow and
gales.
The town of Napa is flooded. Rivers
are coursing down through the streets
Many residents were taken from their
homes in boats to higher ground. Half
of the town is still practically sub
merged and the rain continues to fall
steadilv.