Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-22
$4,5OO,0O0 Loss
IN WILD STORMS
Seven Lives Lost Since Last
Wednesday in Southern
California.
FLOODS WREAK HAVOC
IN MANY SECTIONS
Railroad Traffic Demoralized, Bridges
and Tracks Destroyed-3O0
Passengers Marooned.

Los ANGELES, FEBRUARY 21.--With
loss of probably more than 81 100000 and
toll of seven human lives since Wednes-
day southern California began to recover
tonight from the efforts of the worst
storm in its history. Swept by wind and
rain for the, last three days. most of the
territory between the Tehachapi noun
tains and the Mexican line was flooded
but with the sun shining most of today
the situation improved considerably. and
while nearly all of the towns, affected re-
manned isolated tonight progress was
made toward re-establishing wire and
rail communication.
According to an estimate made by A.
c. Hansen, assistant city engineer, Los
Angeles was damaged to the extent of at
least $1,5O0.0G0. One hundred and fifty
thousand dollars represented the damage
to city streets alone. The rest represent
ed losses sustained by railroads and by
citizens whose homes were swept away
by the floods with all their household eff
fects.
Ranches Are Inundated. :
Except in the vicinity of Pomona this
county. where young groves suffered
severely. orange growers reported COM
paratively little damage. Ranches and
small farms in the lowlands were inun-
dated, but no reliable data could be OBJ
tanned as to the losses sustained by them
The flood situation about Los Angeles
became acute early last night and
conditions were greatly aggravated by
gale varying from thirty-eight to fifty
miles an hour.
Weakened by the-Trush Of waters.
poles and towers carrying power lines
and the wires of telegraph and tele-
phone companies went down under the
assault of the winds and with railroads
and suburban trolley lines already out
of commission there was complete
prostration. For nearly four hours
there was no street car service and
during the entire day the city had
with the east Surrounding towns, with
but few exceptions. remained isolat-
ed. without communication by wire,
railroad or trolley.
Railroads report that the collapse Of
big bridges over the Los Angeles river
in this city. and the washing out of
heavy spans elsewhere made ii un-
certain when traffic could be resumed.
Hundred Homes Destroyed.
More than 100 homes were dstroyd
in Los Angles alone by the torrents
that rushed through the Los Angeles
river and the Arroyo Seco. AS the
floods in these waterways subsidized to-
night household goods and other prop
erty were left stranded on sand bars.
After a big steel bridge over the river
buckled and broke early today, the
Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads
sent heavy cars loaded with scrap iron
and heavy boulders plunging into the
flood in efforts to divert further inroads
by the storm waters which threatened
railroad tracks skirting the river banks.
The sweep of the foods was so strong
at times however. that these heavy
barriers were turned aside and crowded
out of the way of the waters.
Besides numerous houses that toppled
off the caving banks. the river-usually
dry bed called river by courtesy
swept away the Los Angeles pigeon
farm.