Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1914-02-21
RAIN, FLOQI AND HIGH WINDS
BRIDGES ARE WASHED OUT AT
LOS ANGELES AND ALL
TRAFFIC STOPS
COMMUNICA TON is CUT Off
WIRES ARE DOWN IN. A REGION
covEREn az six LARGE
COUNTIES

Los Angeles. Cal, Feb. 21.-Three
days 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 pfoa ated wires, and for
hours today Los Angeles and sur
rounding territory wirnin radius Of
200 miles were Without power or teIe-
phone and teiegfaph service. Six
men and women have lost their lives
in the floods since Wednesday Great
damage has been done by the storm
waters, which We the most menac-
ling IN the recorded history or the
southern end o1 NE state
The heavy downpours Of yesterday
were followed Isl torrential rain last
night FMs was aeceeded By 4 gale
Of Hign yelocit ma all wires, tale
paone and seis 81 tnd power lines
supplyiag elect TO the city and
suburban raiIV went down. ieavl9g s
practically ever an and cts ii slx
counties il enap
The gia
niles an hour ir.i4os ANGELES aud "a
miles at san Diego Similar veloclties
were recorded at Santa Barbara and
other coast towns
In Los Angeles, although it escaped
the heaviest rainfall, two great steel
bridges collapsed lne usually dry
beds Of the Los Angeles river and Of
the Arroyo sec0 carried racing
streams which overwhelmed and de-
molished cottages and bungalows that
stood upon their banKs
All railroad lines, steam and cleo
trio, city and suburban, were helpless.
Cars were halted in the streets, rail
road trains stalled in the suburbs, and
people walked and waded miles to
work Street car service was not re-
stored here until 9:45 a. NJ.
In the towns Of the citrus fruit belt
citizens struggled to stem the floods
which had already brought great dam
gae and were threatening with great
er destruction
The rainfall for the three days in
Los Angeles was more than seven inc
ches. At various points within ra-
dius of 5Olmiles as much as 10 inches
fell, most Of it during the brief and
frequent Intervals, which sent tor
rents roaring. The storm and result
ant floods were the worst in the rec
orded history Of southern California,
according to weather bureau officials.
No attempt has been made to esti-
mate damages done because Of the
lack Of authentic reports from outly-
ing districts, but 1t probably Will
amount up into the millions.
One man was drowned at Alhambra
last night, and at victorville, in the
Moiaye desert, q hurricane destroyed
the home Of Mrs. Grace sprague. who
was killed in the collapse.
At Huntington Beach, Eva Preston,
a 22-year old student 1T the Uniyer-
sity Of Southern California. became
confused by the high wind and pelt-
ing rain and stepped in front Of a.
suburban car. She was Instantly killed.
The Los Angeles aqueduct stood the
strain Of big flood, but the water
systems Of several nearby towns sus-
tained heavy damage, while the Heye-
irion sewer Of Los Angeles at Engle
wood burst and flooded that town.
The storm was severe III the neigh.
borhood Of san Bernaraino, where a
cloudburst swept the mountains and
created flood conditions which were
greatly aggravated by the high winds
Train Service Cancelled
San Francisco, Feb q The south.
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