Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-30
TOLL OF WATERS
FURY MOUNTS TO
A HUNDRED LIVES
Little California Villas for Fifty
Miles North of Mexican Line
Ruined by Floods and
Cloudbursts.
TWO MORE VALLEYS SWEPT
Estimate Of Dead Doubled as San
Luis Rey and San Pasqual
Wales Heard From.
BODIES WASHED OUT TO SEA

SAN DIEGO (By Wireless to San
Francisco). Jan. 29.-one hundred
lives have been lost, as nearly as
any estimate can show, and charm
ing little villas for fifty miles north
OF the Mexican line lie desolate to-
night from floods and cloud bursts.
With the death toll in the Otay
valley seemingly established at
fifty lives and all relief agencies
working in that direction. reports
reached here late today Of floods
sweeping the San Luis Rey and San
Pasqual valleys. doubling the loss of
life with communication almost al
together cut off it was impossible to
list accurately the number of the
dead; conjecture and meager re-
ports alone were available.
bodies Carried ont to Sea.
Seventeen bodies were taken out
of San Diego bay before night fall.
These had been swept down when
the Lower Otay reservoir went out
late Thursday and the current OF
the flood was thought to have car
ried many others out TO sea.
The town OF San Diego remained
virtually undamaged, and supple
mentary courses are available TO re-
place its regular water supply, cut
off by the breaking OF the dam.
Many injuries were reported from
Tijuana, Hot Springs, where hotel
collapsed.
A cloudburst, reports had IL, caus-
ing the flooding OF the San Luis Rey
and San Pascual valleys. The town
of San Paseual. an ancient. tiny viii
lage. cuddled in the mountains in a
hide-shaped fertile valley was said
{ ohave been wiped out altogether.
Mssrion May he safe.
Nothing was known as to the fate OF
the towns of San Luis Rey and Ocean
side In the path .of the san 4suls Rey
river, but II the flood was Of the reported
magnitude II seemed impossible that the
former with its ancient Franciscan mis-
sion could have escaped annihilation.
oceanside is summer resort with two
good-sised hotels and population OF
about 1000. The San Luis Rey valley con-
tains one OF the great Miller a Lux
cattle ranches which dot the state for
100 miles and are known TO cRttlemen
throughout the world
Railroads. highways, telephone. tele-
graph. the ordinary means OF oommuni-
cation and relief. were gone with no pros
pect OF early recovery. Only the sea re-
maIned and from It aid began to come.
Cane Penetrate Valley.
An expedition from the United States
warships I'm San Diego bay was started In
launches and barges for the otay valley.
Reports were that the first landing party
had been unable TO penetrate the valley
for reasons not given The destroyer
Lawrence moved down from It's station
here and anchored off the mouth OF tho
Otay river. which stream ran bank full
after being dry for years.
An overland expedition also was started
from San Diego. with pontoons and en-
gineering equipment by which It was
hoped swollen streams might be crossed
and mired roads made passable. No word
came back as to its success.
No one here knew tonight what was go
ing on In the outside world or even as
near as Los Angeles. The wireless, the
sole means OF communication except by
boat could not begin TO handle the busi-
ness offered or even the press dispatches.
II was impossible even to estimate the
amount OF immediate relief work 20 be
done because no word from the stricken
valleys conveyed any idea OF the number
or plight OF the survivors.
FILLED for First Time.
First reports of the Otay disaster
reached here late Thursday They told OF
ranch houses washed away and OF cattle
and stock drowned. Investigation APP
peared TO indicate exceptionally high
water and word came that the lower
Otay dam was holding. This dam started
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