The San Francisco call., 1904-02-28
Cuts Through LeVGeS
and Floods the
LOWlaldS.
Thousands Of Cultivated
Acres Are Swept by
Angry Stream.
FarmhOuSeS Are Washed Away, Large
Trees Are UprOO!ed and General
Destruction Is Wrought.
Special Dispatch to The CAN.


SACRAMENTO. Feb. 27.-From the
dome of the State capitol Sacramento
would appear to be located on the
edge of a peninsula with dry land only
at Its back and with a sea widening
TO the very horizon to the north, south
and west. Water in tremendous vol
ume is coming down the Sacramento
and American rivers, which converge
at a point about a mile north Of the
oity's wharves. The Sacramento is
fed farther up by the Yuba and
Feather rivers, while all the surging
mountain streams pour into the Ameri-
can and contribute to make the Sac
ramentO at this point a magnificent
body OF water. rushing on with cur
rent as fast as a mill race. Some dis
tance above Sacramento the river finds
a measure of relief in the YOlO tuie
basin into which it has spread. inun-
dating a considerable portion of YOlO
County and beating like the waves Of
the sea against the railroad embank-
ment. So fierce is the flow in the basin
that one time to-day a portion OF the
main track. near Webster. was under
mined. and trains were stopped until
the road could be reballasted- The
water is everywhere level with the
tracks, although in the dry season they
rise far above the surface Of the
ground.
CREVASSE Is WIDENING.
The crevasse about two miles south
of Sacramento. the first in that local
ity since 1881 is widening every hour
and now reaches 800 feet. The water
is coming through it with terrific force.
but while it might be thought that II
would relieve the swollen river, the
fact Is that the river has risen since
the break occurred. thus indicating the
immensity of the freshet that is driv-
ing down the great river from all the
valley and mountain sources. Fifteen
thousand acres of land worth as high
as $500 per acre is under water below
the city and valuable crops are threat
ened with ser destruction
The Trustees Of Reclamation District
535. on the river border OF which the
Edwards break occurred, to-day ap-
piled TO the Board of Supervisors for
assistance in closing the break. but Dis
trict Attorney Seymour advised that
as only private interests were thus far
involved public money could not be
appropriated for the purpose. The wa
ter Is tearing through the break With
a roar which can be heard miles dis
tant and is washing away houses and
trees in its path 1t is slowly spread
ir- over miles Of country and has
reached tc the southern borders OF the
city, which are protected. as is all the
city. in fact. by an invuInerable levee-
1t is expected that the break will re-
main open at least ten days and that
no work can be done until the river
recedes. On the YOlo side Of the river
conditions are even worse. The dairy
farm Of Bryte A. Ritter. about four
niles up the river. is almost entirely
under water
MANY FARMS UNDER WATER.
> The water is also several feet deep on
the Merkley and Lovdal hop ranches.
The Ievee on the Todhunter and Bell
ranches is being closely guarded night
and day. The levees Of the valuable
Lisbon district are still intact. but
There, as elsewhere on the river where
extensive property interests are in
voIved. the strictest vigilance is being
observed, the smallest gopher hole be-
ing regarded as the gravest menace.
Snow was falling to-day throughout
the mountains and with the intervening
warm rains there is every prospect for
a continuance of the high water cOndi-
tions for several days. with consequent
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