Imperial Valley press., 1916-01-18
Traffic of All Kinds Interrupted With
With Prospect That Several Days
Will Elapse Before a Resumption of
Normal Business.

w
Normal Business.
1t is deuge.
Rare the occasions when the Southwest is trans
formed to swamp land and terrific torrents but this one
of those times On mountain and valley and DESERT from
the Pacific to Texas the storm that has prevailed for days
is still pouring down it's waters until streams that orna1
lily but brooks have become mighty and menacng
Wife and property.
Washouts railroads are holding up trains that may
not be running again for week two while stage traf
fic is temporarily suspended.
Fortunately the power telegraph and telephone lines
have stood in spite of the storm and communication thus
remains, while industry usual.
Locally, unpicked cotton is being considerably dam
aged while cattle tramping the pasturage badly At
the time traffic cutting up the roads, but off
set all growing crops are being benefited.
Reports of high water in Arizona rivers indicate that
the Colorado may reach flood stage but it is believed
that any damage will result to the irrigation system.
The washout the Southern Pacific line at Cabazon
east of Banning, is serious and while force of men
worked all last night the break no headway was made
against the torrent of water and expected to be
eral days before train traffic is resumed
The loss of the Southern Pacific bridge the Santa
Ana Cotton presents bad problem for the railroad
but it hoped arrangements may be made to divert trains
by way of Redlands to the Santa Fe
Should the valley be cut off from freight receipts for
week there is doubt there would be great nconveni-
ence for the usual prompt freight service has prompted
many houses to carry small stocks of kinds and
week will bring about exhaustion of these supplies
1t was learned this morning that the Cottonwood
bridge the San Diego road taken out one of the
drivers for the United States having passed the bridge
but few minutes before it went out His auto the
only one through from San Diego since Sunday the others
behind him being held up by the lack of the bridge
man who in from the mountains horse
back this morning reported that there at least two
landsides in the MOUNTAIN and that truck hauling
from the valley to San Diego caught between them.
The train which left here yesterday morning expect
ing to transfer passengers and mail at the Whitewater
washou and return found it impossible to approach close
enough to make the transfer and reports today are to
feffect that for several miles the country is washed
out and it will take several days to make the necessary
repairs The section affected is the long slope downward
from San Gorgono pass to the desert, where the White
water creek flows parallel to the track for long dis
tance 1t has been the of trouble whenever heavy
storms have prevailed in the past
This morning the valley train was dispatched as
usual but it not expected that would go beyond
Indio simply serving local traffic on the desert
Until last night overland trains from the East were
allowed to go far as Indo, where number now
marooned but beginning this morning they halted
at Yuma thus cutting the valley off from rail communi
cation with the East we'll the West and there is no
hope that the MAIL passenger and freight blockade in
either direction will be lifted for several daVs