Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-05
FLOODS BLOCK
TOURIST TRAINS
HUNDREDS OF COL0NlSTS ARE
DELAYED
MAIL SERVICE DEMoRALIzED BY
STORMS AND SLIDES
Letters Both East Bound and West
Bound Go by Wide Detours.
Thousands of EASTERN
ers Coming

The influx of colonlsts from the east
yesterday fell considerably below the
number expected because of the almost
unprecedented condition of transcon-
tinental lines.
With practically only two trans
continental roads open to through
traffic, those who arrived yesterday
with the exception of one trainload
were principally from the southwest
The Santa Fe, via Albuquerque, and
the Southern Pacific-R Rock Island, via
Ell Paso, brought In the only colonists,
but despite this fact 1t is estimated
that there were fully 500 brought
in up to u o'clock last night. No. 8
on the Southern Pacific alone brought
about $50 of this number.
Not only is the colonist travel seri-
ously affected by the avalanches, floods
and weather conditions, but the mail
service is so tangled that unprece-
dented steps have been taken to avoid
congestion.
The cave-in of the Santa Margarita
tunnel on the coast line of the South
ern Pacific, the Meadaw valley wash
out of the San Pedro &, Salt Lake line,
the crippled condition of the Southern
Pacific ogden route and the inability
to make connections with Northern
Pacific and Great Northern trains at
Portland and Seattle, due to the Snake
river floods, considered with the tie-up
on the Union Pacific and D. & r. G.
lines as a result of bridge washouts
and serious snowslides in Colorado, all
have contributed to one of the most
tangled conditions in mail, freight and
passenger. transportation in the history
Of western railroading.
r p Moore chief c1prlr Of tho
railway mail service, yesterday or
dered that all mail for Idaho, Utah,
Montana. Assinab boia and the southern
section of Canada be diverted by way
of Pueblo. Mail for the east from San
Francisco is dispatched via the Fresno
route of the Southern Pacific through
Barstow and thence by the Santa Fe.
Makes Wide Detour
To reach Ogden or Salt Lake a letter
now must go from Los Angeles by
way of Trinidad Colo, over the Santa
Fe. and there be transferred to the
Colorado Southern, thence over the
Denver &c Rio Grande to its desti- |
nation.
Much of the mail for Idaho goes by
way Of Portland. in both instances |
the route requiring from forty to
hours longer than usual.
San Francisco is practically isolated |
by the condition of the Southern Pa |
cific ogden route. and Los Angeles has |
only the advantage Of the Rock Island |
IIl Paso route to relieve the congestion |
lere. The availability of the Albu-
luerque route is beneficial only to the |
north central states in the manipula-
ion of mail traffic
This condition. which mas no pros
)ect of immediate relief, may prevent |
many fasteners from taking advan-
age of the colonist rates, say local !
rafTic managers. 1t is predicted, how
De delayed several days, there will
asst of the colonist specials.
The Santa Fe yesterday brought in
he greatest number. Train No.
,rought in eleven cars. all filed. No.
was made up of ten cars, and No 9,
he fast train, Of nine cars The last
wo named were the first to leave Chi
a go after the colonist ra tes went into
fleet No. 1, which arrived yesterday,
eft Chicago the night before the low
ates were effective, but picked up
hree special colonist cars the next
ay at Kansas City.
Railroad officials say that the colo
lists, however have formed but a
mall portion of the number which
as been pouring into Los Angeles the
lst three or four days. Many Of these {
rivals are well-to-do tourists who !
'ish to enjoy the sunshine of a South /
rn California spring and avoid the
ush and mud of March, April and
lay in the east.