White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1916-02-04
OVER 100 PERSONS
DROWN in FLOODS
MANY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
VALLEYS ARE DEVASTATED
BY WATER.
AT 0TAY ALONE WERE LOST
Bodies Washed Into San Diego Bay
From Otay Reservoir-CIoud Burst
Adds to Ruins-WhoIe Towns
Are Wiped Out.

San Diego, Cal.,(By Federal Wire
less to San Francisco)- One, hundred
lives have been lost, as nearly as any
estimate can show, and charming lit
tie California valleys for SO miles
north of the Mexican line lie desolate
from floods and cloudbursts.
With the death toll in the Otay val
ley seemingly established at SO souls,
and all relief agencies working in that
direction, reports reached here Sun
day of floods sweeping the San Luis
Rey and San Pasqual valleys, doubling
the loss of life.
Seventeen bodies were taken out of
San Diego bay Saturday. These had
been swept down when the lower Otay
reservoir went out lat Thursday and
the current of the flood was thought
to have carried many others out to
sea.
San Diego Not Damaged.
The city of San Diego remained
virtually unchanged and supplement-
airy sources are available to replace it's
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 it, caused
the flooding of the San Luis Rey and
San Pasqual valleys. The town of San
Pasqual, an ancient, tiny village, cud-
died in tie mountains in fertile val
ley, was said to have been wiped out
altogether.
Fate of Towns Unknown.
Nothing was known as to the fate
of the towns of San Luis Rey and
Oceanside, in the path of the San Luis
Rey river, but if the flood was of the
reported magnitude it seemed impos-
sible that the former, with it's ancient
Franciscan mission, could have escap-
ed humiliation.
Oceanside is a summer resort with
two good-sized hotels and a popula-
tion of about 1000. The San Luis Rey
valley contains one of the great Miller
and Lux cattle ranches, which dot the
state for 700 miles and are known to
cattlemen throughout the world.
Sea Route Only Open Way.
Railways, highways, telephone, tele-
graph-all ordinary means of commu-
nication and relief were gone, with no
prospect of early recovery. Only the
sea route remained and from it aid be-
gan to come. An expedition from the
United States warships in San Diego
bay was started in launches and bar
ges for the Otay valley.
Surmise on Conditions.
No one here knew Sunday what was
going on in the outside world or even
as near as Los Angeles. The wireless,
cept by boat, could not begin to han
die the business offered.
Wall of Water 80 Feet High.
Reports from the site of the lower
dam which were received from Off
Gals of the water department stated
that the entire dam has been carried
away Measurements showed that a
wall of water 80 feet high and 12O feet
wide tore through the valley, sweep
ing everything before it.
The Otay river still was raging
torrent. Twenty-seven houses were
known to have been carried to de-
struction, the water taking with it all
live stock, crops and implements.
Further north the San Diego river
was at flood stage and was cutting
new channels. The Sweetwater river
was causing much damage to farm
lands along it's course and had de-
stroyed several packing plants.
AS Reported Monday.
Reports received from flood-ravaged
valleys of San Diego county showed
that a total of "a bodies had been re-
covered and raised estimates of the
total death toll to 65. Three thousand
persons were homeless, and there was
much suffering despite heroic relief
measures.
Reported breaking of the Cuyamaca
dam, 80 miles northeast of San Diego,
and fear that other dams in territory
already partly flooded might go out
under the enormous pressure of their
mountain waters, added further gloom
to the situation.