Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1901-02-23
OF WATERS
Disastrous Floods Wash the
Roadbed of the E. d
P. Railroad.
Conditions Along the Line as
Described by an Eye
Witness.
No Trains Expected to Arrive
Here for an Indefinite
Period.

tIlOU.
The rainstorm which visited Eureka
on Saturday night last, while amounting
to . steady downpour here. was far more
violent and disastrous 10 its effects in
the northern part Of the county, and the
damage done shereby to the Eureka L
Palisade tracks can as yet be only con-
declared.
The real cause Of the disaster appears
10 be that the snow which covered the
iowlands, foothills and mountain sides TO
the depth Of from . foot to . foot and q
half, was melted rapidly by the warm
rains, instead of gradually as has been
the case heretofore. the large vol.
umes Of water thus produced fairly del
uging the valleys through which it was
forced to pass. and as the waterways
were insufficient to carry of the floods,
the natural result was . succession Of
wsshouts which have caused havoc along
the line Of the railroads.
Conditions Along she Z. d. r.
A special correspondent of the SEN
TINEL, who passed over the greater por-
ton of the deluged district oil Wednes-
day, thus describes conditions along the
road as they existed st that time:
PALIsADE, New, Feb. 81.
On tuesday the crew of the work train
had elevated one end Of the truss bridge
just out of Palisade. and stayed it by
means Of ropes, chains and timbers to
prevent it's being washed away, and 9
large force Of men were at work driving
piles and deposising sandbags in the
chasm formed by the washout to provide
q new foundation on which to rest the
structure.
This crew and the one which left Eu
reka Tuesday morning were then fully
twenty-five miles apart. For that entire
distance the roadbed has been washed BY
the foods, and it is believed that for th'
greater part Of the distance the road il
more or less damaged.
In the Narrows above the Dan Will
Jams place. about three or four mile
from Palisade, the waters were stil
rushing over the railroad track Of q ter
rife speed on Wednesday morning
steadily carrying away the ~embankment
and in many places the rails were onl!
held in place by the ish-plates, the grad
beneath having been carried away il
sections ranging from q few feet to 81
many rods.
For the entire distance between Pail
SADIE and the Hay Ranch the E. & P
roadbed is in many places practically
ruined. and looking south from the lat
ter place to Mineral Station the country
for miles is one sheet Of water. In this dis
trict the railroad track 10 visible here ant
there above the water level, while il
other places nc trace Of il can be seen
which goes to show that either it hal
been washed away or the grade upor
which it was laid is badly settled.
Briefly summed up, the conditions
along the railroad are these: At Curlev
Flat, about forty-four miles from Eureka,
the waters draining that section, And
those of Curlew and Old Pine
creeks, are carried under the track from
the west to the east side by means Of .
large oulvert, and this being insufficient
to carry off the torrents which came
down on Saturday night and Sunday
they were held by the railroad embank
mont until the fat TO the west of the
track was filled up and the waters over
flowed. finally tearing out the cuiveri
and also . large section of the grade.
From that place the waters naturally
flow north on the east side Of the track
until they reach . point about two miles
south Of the Hay Ranch, where Hot and
Willow creeks. coming in from the east,
form . current which again sets west.
ward. carrying the waters back across
the railroad to the west side of Pine Val.
ley, where the stream flows until it
reaches the Narrows.
More Trouble Looked For.
A section man, who is thoroughly ia
miliar with the peouliaritiss OF that SEQ.
ton. told the S%ENTINEL's informant that