The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-03-22
WORSE THAN THE
FLOOD OF 1904
Sacramento Valley Under Wa
ter and Appalling COndi-
tons Said to Exist.
LEVEES CRUMBLING AWAY
SIXTY MILES OF UNBRoKEN IN
LAND SEA.

Sacramento. Cal. March 2l.-From all
6own-riyer points comes alarming news
that the Sacramento river is higher IMAM
ever known and that the situation all
sIong the levees is appalling Every
able-bodied man is assisting in the fight
against the water that Is pouring into
tnc branches and inundatiug thousands
of acres of the finest farming land in the
state.
Special dispatches 10 the Union from
Frceport. Courtland, Walnut Grove ard
rrsnI-ffu state that the river has reached
tbe highest stage ever recorded and If is
rredictea that the terrible scenes which
we're Witnessed during the tremendous
floods of 1905 will he surpassed.
Immense Inland Sea.
STANDING ON the Ievee near CORTLAND
one may look for sixty miles TO the
southeast across an unbroken sea of Wa
Tor which extends clear to stockton
thousands of cattle are being sheltered
al TON of the levees as there is no other
oiace for them. and if the water does not
IAN soon. an indesCTibable condition Of
disaster is considered inevitable.
Above CORTLAND the situation Is in
,srss all the way from the RoSsmOOre
rlacs on the Freeport road. to the HOi-
lister estate. a distance OF six miles,
ibere being three breaks i'm the river
ierss through which the water Is pour
Ing Everything is being swept before
me flood and the only livestock saved is
that which was gotten to the top of the
levee before the breaks occurred. Their
are TWO breaks on the Terry ranch ana
il was expected that the Terry home
could not Doe saved. The Stewart and
Cannon ranches are also threatened
with complete desolation and great anX-
ietv is expressed for the Johnson ranch
Situation Desperate.
The river al CORTLAND has touched the
q G-foot mark. two feet higher than all
previous high water records. Randall
island is shaky and the PiersOn district,
in which CORTLAND is located. Is threat
eDed with inuudation, The RandaH Is
land pump whistles were blowing an
evening and all men who could get TO the
scene were aiding in building uD the
leveC with sacks. IL was thought that
the water had reached its highest level
esrly in the evening and at last reports
III was said that there Was fighting
chance for Randall island and the Pier
son district. The telegraph operator al
CORTLAND al . o'clock tonight said that
The people are preparing for the worst
Ho expected communication with this
rit,- 10 he cut off at any time and since
mat time no word has been received from
him
Houses washed away
From Walnut Grove come reports Of
further disaster. Staten island, with its
SplA acres of rich land. was submerged
rapidly after the levee broke this morn
ing under the pressure of water from the
Nokslumnc overflow. and tonight the
island was flooded under six inches more
Of water than in the prOVeTblal deluge OF
1907 A ma ioTity Of the farmers succeed
Cd in saving their stock, but many val
usbc buildings have been washed away
Many other islands i'm this district are
thrpatened and the leVees are Straining
Under all the pressure they can bear.
fhe water was still rising tonight and
TTler and Merritt islands were in par
ticuar distress. From all of these places
e was reported that new high water
mark has been set The Tyler island
leyees were still holding at last reports.
but We're crumbling badly II was said
hat should a wind blow it would mean
The doom Of Merritt island and a large
force of men is patrollinS the leVceS.
watching for the first break At Rydc
The wharf was under water tonight,
which was still coming up.
Inundation Expected.
The conditions around Franklin and
Frcep0rt are not so strained Both
places are surrounded by back water
from the Mokelumne. but the overflow
fell about two inches today However,
with the new breaks in the Sacramento
river levecs north OF Courtiand, a foot
or more of water in the streets of Frank
hn is not unexpected. The water was
within a quarter of q mile Of Franklin
tonight and a rise was looked for at any
TINE Several houses IN the vicinity have
water running over the floors. At Free
port the levees are holding well. but
there has been 2 break on the Taylor
ranch a short distance TO the south.
Sacramento is in no danger. The lev