Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1904-03-03
A WET MONTH
Southern Oregon Placer Miners
Wear Broad Smiles

A'Ntf - WV wy w w
recorded in tho history of Southern
Oregon as one of the record breaking
months for wetness. The ground hog,
who "seen his shadder" on February
,, and went back into his burrow
for good, long stay, was certainly a
sagacious brute, for there has been
scarcely a day since when his hide
would not have been soaked full of
moisture if he had been out in the
weather. From one end of the month
to the other IL has rained and rained,
until even the Oregonians have cried
enough. " The reservoirs Of the
skies have seemingly been inexhaust-
ible and Jupiter Pluyius has adminis-
tered a stinging rebuke 10 those who
had the assurance to prophesy dry
winter.
Twice during the mouth, on the
lith and 10th and on the 25th, and
26th. the rain has poured in manner
that would have seemed homeliko to
Noah II he had been here to oxper-
fence il, and both times the creeks
have been swollen TO rivers and every
gulch carried raging torrent. Rogue
river itself has not reached any alarm
ing flood height, nothing to compare
with last year, but all the creeks
and smaller streams have been near
their record height. In the higher
mountains the precipitation has been
in the form Of snow, SO that the
Rogue river channel has been Obliged
to carry only the extra flow from the
lowland creeks. A Chinook wind in
the Cascades at the proper time would
have caused tremendous flood
South Of the state line, however, the
rivers reached u very unusual height
The Sacramento has been higher this
season than for many years past
Many miles OF the bottom lands Of
the Sacramento valley have been IN.
undated and break in the leveo near
Sacramento oaused some anxiety to
th inhabitants of that city.
Tho time has been voiy busy one
for the trackmen Of the Southern
Pacific company as slides aud wash.
outs have been causing continual
trouble all along the line. On the
night Of the 18th the Jump.oG.Joo
bridge at Merlin was put out of com.
mission aud long stretch Of track
nundated The sustained height Of
tho stream made all repair efforts
futile until the next night Almost
at the same time a huge slide at Wall
creek in the Siskiyous stopped all
traffic for some q hours. On the
night of tho Goth, mammoth slide
covered the track at tho historic
Roberts hill near Rosoburg and the
steam shovel was brought from the
Siskiyous for the purpose Of clearing
the track. Az the same place, on the
eth, a huge slide came down immo.
diately behind the south bound pass.
enger train, No. 10, started no doubt
by tho jar Of that train. II was not
until some 80 hours later that the
railroad people succeeded In getting
the track clear. On the night Of the
23d, tho south bound train No. 10
was strnck by slide near Keswick
The train was running very slowly
at tho time, otherwise there might
have been tragedy to report The
mass Of dirt and rock buried the
chair car to tho height Of the win.
dows, five Of which were broken.
Tho passengers made precipitato
rush for the smoker. No damage re-
suited except to the chair car, which
was badly SCARED besides having the
windows and steps broken. The
train was cut In two and the forward
portion was taken ON to ReddinR
while the other part was run back to
Keswick until the track was cleared
The Cow creek canyon, formerly 50
dreaded on account Of It's slides, has
made no trouble worth mentioning
this year and, indeed, for several
years past, the slides in this canyon
have been small affairs.
The placer miners, except IN some
cases whore the high water and
saturated ground have occasioned
damage to bitches, have revollod in
a wealth Of water during tho entire
month. The weather has been ex.
coptioually favorable for the "dry
RUlch" miner, the man who has water
tor operation only when It is raining
briskly. There are considerable
number Of such miners scattered about