The San Francisco call., 1904-03-24
BOuldin, in the San
Joaquin, DiSap-
pears.
Thousands Of Acres Of Re-
claimed Land Now
Under Water.
Devastating Torrent POurS in Through
Break in LeVee -Four Hundred
Feet in Width.
Special Dispatch to IN. Call

ENN-lAA -AsEelN1 70 Inc NeA-
STOCKTON, March 2s.-Bouldin ISL
and has gone under the food and by
morning the big protecting levses will
be but the rims OF a great inland sea
The first break occurred about $50
o'clock this morning, and was nothing
but small gully worn away by the
tide that has sent its ripples along the
levee tops for several days past. A force
OF men was promptly on hand and be-
gan fight 10 save the great reclaimed
island. employing the same tactics that
have held the waters at bay for so
many anxious nights and days. q
But sand sacks and shovels availed
naUght this time. Although the big
force OF workmen contested every inch
Of the ground. the gap grew broader
and deeper and by noon the water was
shooting through the break with the
force of a millrace. Three hours later
the break had Widened TO from 400 TO
SEQ feet and the water was rushing
down on the island like a mighty tor
rent and spreading out over the broad
and fertile acres which but for its
coming, would IN a few short weeks
have welded a golden harvest in as
psragus and other high-class canning
vegetables. Preparations for an aban-
oonment OF the danger points have
been made for several weeks, and when
j. was seen that all was lost the island
ers lost no time in taking TO the boats
and steamers in waiting.
WATER COVERS TSTANO
The first authentic and confirmatory
news that the island was gone reached
here this evening from Woodard. a
Santa Fe station on Middle River, at
which place the steamer Napa City ar
rived. The boat left the island landing
about o'clock this afternoon, bringing
away considerable produce and num-
Der OF passengers. Among those on the
steamer was a buyer for a San Fran
cisco commission house and over the
telephone this evening he told The Call
correspondent that the reports that the
Island was lost were true, and that
when he left there on the Napa City
tne water vas pouring through a
break more than 400 feet wide and was
already stretching out over the island
as far as the eye could reach. in one
vast sheet BY morning the flood will
have annexed its thousands Of fertile
acres TO the great area it has held in
It's grasp since the great torrent came
down The Sacramento about three
weeks ago.
FAILURE ENDS LONG VIGIL.
The fight 10 save Bouldin Island has
been one Of the most remarkable in
the history of the reclaimed lands.
When the water came down AZ the
nrst OF the month il rose steadily until
II tapped the topmost rims of the
ievees- Hundreds OF guards patrolled
the emoankments DAY and night and
not a move Of aggression did the wa
ter make but it met with prompt
resistance and check.
On a recent Sunday an excurs;o-
steamer went down along the island
10 snow a party Of citizens the slb-
merged country just across the river
from the Bouldin levees. The launches
that were moving I'D and down
along the levees were at once alert
d one ran out with a warning to the
pilot 10 keep on the other side Of the
river lest the waves from the paddle-
wheel run in against the levees and
wash their tops A constant guard
was maintained on water and on land
but the great torrent escaping from
the Sacramento through the Edwards :
break and the rising Of the river have
proved too much, and the fight OF
weeks has been lost.
LOSS OF LIFE IMPROBABLE.
communication with the island di-
rect is shut off and no reports are
available since the Napa City left. but
al midnight or thereabout the regular
river steamers are scheduled TO pass.
Il is not thought that any lives were
lost, as the island is so large that even
with river pouring in il would ill
slowly. This island contains the cele-
brated asparagus canneries and fields,
and i is not likely that much OF the
crop VIII be saved, as the draining OF
The island VIII be very slow.
The pressure came from the Mokel-
umne side. and the break would nat
urally occur there. The strain along
the San Joaquin has not been heavy,
but the levees there may be taken in
the rear. and the amount of damage
possible can only be conjectured at this
time.
This city is again hemmed in tonight
by high water on all sides. and from