Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-22

Pasadena was visited by the heaviest
rain it has known for many years, four
inches falling in the twenty-four hours
from 5 p. m. Wednesday to p. nj.
Thursday. Between o. m. Wednes-
day and Qoen of yesterday 3.38 inches
fell, but the heaviest downpour was be-
tween $50 and p. m. yesterday. The
total for the season is over ten inches
The business streets were swept from
curb to curb by raging torrent pour
ing down from the northern section of
the city by way of Fair Oaks, Raymond
and Marengo avenues. In places even
the sidewalks were awaSh, and it was
not until nearly noon that the flood sub
sided, leaving behind it an inch or more
or earth and slime on the asphalt.
Much damage was done in the streets
where paving and other work is in
progress. In Los Robes street, where
one side is not paved, a big stretch of
cement curbing was undermined and
toppled over.
The storm water ditch draining the
southern half of the town, which dis
charges near the Raymond hotel, be-
came choked and the water backed up
to the depth of fourteen inches, and
as it was feared the high water would
undermine the tracks the Pacific Elec-
trio railroad practically abandoned it's
Short Line schedule and sent most Of
it's cars to Los Angeles by way of Oak
Knoll.
A recent fill in Elizabeth street be-
came so saturated with water that the
street department considered it dam
gerous for travel and closed the street
to all teams.
Sand and gravel covered the tracks of
the Santa Fe railroad to such a depth
at the East Colorado street crossing
that a handcar propelled by Mexicans
was ditched. They had to get out into
the water, which was pouring down the
hill, and push the car through.
The Arroyo Seco and other mountain
trails are reported impossible.
Autos Stick in Mud
Water from the old San Gabriel wash
poured in immense volumes across the
main road between Monrovia and
Arcadia. Many automobiles became
hopelessly mired and were abandoned
temporarily, while those who had
driven over from Monrovia earlier in
the day were compelled to leave their
machines and return by the cars.
The heavy rain at San Pedro put an
almost total stop to loading and unload
ing vessels, and the steamer Roanoke,
bound for Portland, was compelled to
delay her departure. Although all the
beach towns report a large precipita-
ton no damage of Importance was sus-
tained.
At Long Beach 1:45 inches fell within
twenty-four hours, making the total
for the season $685. and San Pedro re-
ports 1.33 inches for the>same period,
bringing. the record up to S12.
Rain fell in torrents at San Bernar-
dino, flooding the streets, 2.73 inches
having fallen in the twenty-four hours
- L. l.,
precipitation in the mountains has been
exceptionally heavy, Pine Crest -eport-
ing four inches within a few hours
Very little snow has fallen, the weather
remaining warm. 1t is still raining.
In Los Angeles the rain of the last
thirty-six hours in itself exceeded the
total rainfall last season to date, which
was 27S inches. The average for the
past thirty-one years has been passed
as at o'clock yesterday afternoon the
Los Angeles weather bureau showed a
total rainfall this season of S.17 inches
AS compared with an average to date
of about seven inches.
The present storm is one of wide ex-
tent yesterdays weather map showing
rain all along the Pacific coast, from
Cana da to Mexico. The low pressure
area east of Los Angeles disappeared,
but a storm in the extreme northwest
rapidly moved down so that it's effect
was felt as far east as the western edge
of Colorado. The extent OIL the storm
makes it impossible for Los Angeles to
lose it readily, hence the weather man
has predicted a rainy Friday, ''with
occasional cessations.''
High School Dismissed
Yesterdays rain caused considerable
inconvenience, aside from trouble with
storm water. Some of the schools al
most lost working attendance The
Los Angeles high school was dismissed
at 10 o'clock, as water in the engine
room prevented a supply Of heat, and,
as many pupils had come with damp
clothing, the teachers thought the SAT-
est plan would be to send all home
for the day. The school attendance
throughout the city was cut about one
third by the rain.
In some sections the flood water
went above the curbs ard on the
lawns, this being particularly marked
in the University section. Edward
Kern, who succeeded D. K. Edwards as
head of the street department took
the rain as philosophically as his pre-
decessor had done and said he had not
had any reports of unusual damage. Pe
does not expect visits from committees
of improvement associations until the
rain ceases.
Trains were delayed on the northern
divisions, and the Southern Pacific pas
senger service was set back six to eight
hours behind schedule. Eastern traffic,
however, was not otherwise impeded, as
the Santa Fe and Ell Paso routes have
not been affected.
The rain was gladly received by those
who recognized its benefit to agricul-
ture. cit will make things grow,' was
q common remark yesterday. The
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