The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-23
Seven Lives Lost and Property
Damage $4,5OO,OOO in
Southern California,
THE DECIEs RETURN SAFE
Blizzard in Middle West Will
Affect Country From
Lakes to Gulf.

Los AN0ELeo, Feb 2S--The storm which
has been sweeping southern California
for three days resulted In loss Of seven
lives and property damage of S<.5O0,0 900.
The rainfall was from ten to twelve inches
and this flood was increased by high
winds which made the water much more
destructive.
City engineers estimate that Los An
geles suffered a damage loss Of at leas;
N,5o0.000. One hundred and nifty thou
sand dollars represented the damage to
city streets alone. Tho balance was made
up of losses to railroads and to citizens
whose homes were swept away with all
their household effects
Except In the vicinity of Pomona, where
young groves suffered severely. orange
growers reported little damage Ranches
and small farms in the lowlands were
inundated.
The flood situation about Los Angeles
became acute early on Friday night and
conditions were greatly aggravated by
a gale OF from thirty eight to nifty miles
an hour.
Trolley service Cut or.
Weakened by the rush Of waters poles
and towers carrying power lines and tele-
graph and telephone wires went down
and with railroad and suburban trolley
lines already out of commission the re-
suit was that for nearly four hours there
was no street car service and during the
entire day the city had only brief periods
OF communication with the East Sur
rounding towns with few exceptions re-
manned without communication by wire
railroad or trolley.
Railroad officials said that the collapse
OF big bridges over the Los Angeles River
In this city and the washing out OF spans
eisew here made II uncertain when traffic
could be resumed.
More than 100 homes were destroyed
In Los Angeles by the torrents that rushed
through the river and the Arroyo Seco.
As the floods In these waterways sub
sided last night household goods and
other property. including everything from
stew pans to pianos and beds. were left
stranded On sandbars
After big steel bridge over the river
buclSled and broke early yesterday the
Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads
sent cars loaded with scrap iron and
heavy boulders p!unging 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 floods was so strong that
these barriers were turned aside.
Pigeon Farm IL Destroyed.
The Los Angeles pigeon farm on the
edge of the river was swept away and
hundreds Of pigeons were drowned.
Pasadena suffered from drinking
water famine and the Orange Grove
avenue district, populated almost exclu-
sively by wealthy persons. had to get
it's supply of drinking water from water
wagons sent out by the city after the
big water main broke.
Three hundred railroad passengers on
the Santa Fc railroad are marooned at
Summit In the San Bernardno Mountains
and have been there for three days. All
the provisions of the dining cars are ex-
hausted and automobiles were sent out
from San Bernardino tonight win sup
plies
SAN Francisco. Feb. az. - Throughout
northern and central California rains
have been heavy for three days. but
most of the damage is confined TO flooded
ranches in the San Joaquin and Sacra-
mento valleys The railroads suffered
severely. but they have been able TO main
tain regular trains.
Nearly all trains to southern California
have been annulled because OF washouts
between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
Lord and Lady Deries have returned to
San Francisco after being lost In the
storm since last Thursday. They were
on their way to Los Angeles, but had to
turn back at Santa Barbara.