Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-02-26
GREAT DAMAGE is
CAUSED BY FLOOD
IN GOLDEN STATE

Los Angeles, Cal, Feb. 23.-Three
Gays Of unprecedented rainfall brought
six southern California counties to a
condition of complete prostration to-
day. There were no street car or rail-
road lines in service. High winds off
the ocean Frustrated wires and for
u today Los Angeles and surround
ing territory within a radius of 200
miles were without power or telephone
and telegraph service.
Five men and women have lost their
lives in the floods since Wednesday.
Great damage has been done by the
storm waters which We're the most
menacing in the recorded history of the
southern end of the state.
Fruit District Suffers.
Orange and lemon growers of the
citrus fruit region about Los Angeles.
who suffered severely in the freeze of
January, 1913, sustained another hard
blow in the storm. Groves nipped and
shrlveied by the frost a year ago We're
washed out by mountain torrents and
IN many instances homes floated off on
the crest of the swirling current.
Still More Rain.
The heavy downpours of yesterday
We're followed by a %torrential rain
last night. This was succeeded by q
gals of high velocity and practically
every town and city in six counties are
in complete isolation.
In Los Angeles, although it escaped
the heaviest rainfall, two great steel
bridges collapsed. The usually dry
beds of the Los Angeles river and of
which overwhelmed and demolished
cottages and bungalows that stood
upon their banks.
The rainfall for the three day;; in
Los Angeles was more than seven
inches.
A. xor;c,,o roi,4, ~,;.l;
SO miles as much as 10 inches fell, most
OF it during brief n frequent inter-
walls, which sent torrents roaring.
No attempt has Deer made to esti-
mate damages caused because of the
lack OF authentic reports from outlying
districts. but it probably will amount
up into the millions.
one man was drowned at Alhambra
last night and at Ni~ctorville, in the
Mojave desert q hurricane destroyed
the nome of Mrs. Grace Sprague, who
was killed in the collapse.
At Huntington Beach. Eva Preston.
a % year old student at the University
of Southern California became confused
by the high wind and pelting rain and
stepped in front of a suburban car.
She was instantly killed.
Situation summarized.
Summarized, the flood situation
about Los Angeles follows:
Pomona-Center of a Large Fruit
Growing District-Orange and lemon
groves razed by the storm waters.
Every grove damaged more or less.
Growers suffering losses in each case
estimated at from $500 to 1G,OO0. All
railroad and electric lines washed out.
Covina-Two reported drowned. Miss
Susan Beville, a oma rancher, and
her cousin, II. NJ. Seitz. Temporary
dams held the floods.
Ontario, San B~ernardiiio County
Many groves flooded.
Monrovia, in the Foothills-Citrus
groves m streets swept by torrents.
Scores of poor families driven from
homes and the lowlands inundated
when a temporary dam, erected to pro-
tect railroad tracks, ave way.
Notwithstanding citrus groves
suffered, steam and electric railroad
traffic interrupted.
Whitehall bridges gone, roads
washed out, suburban service democrat
lied. Fruit orchards damaged; large
areas of lowlands flooded.
Santa Ana, Orange County-Rridges
washed away; train and trolley SUI
burban service cut off.
.ICnglewood. South OF Los Angeles
Town flooded when storm waters over
teSed a sewer draining Los Angeles
and burst a monster pipe.
San Pedro-Harbor traffic democrat
lied. Railroad and trolley tracks under
lake spreading to a width of Is miles
and extending nearly 20 miles to Los
Angeles.
At Playa Del Rey, Long Beach and
Venice-Heavy ocean tides were re-
ported, with some damage.