Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-02-17
TWENTY CITIES
DELUCED FROM
RIVER FLOODS
Over 5000 Persons Are
Driven from Homes;
Property Loss Will
Be Heavy

SAN FRANCISCO. Cal. Feb. l7.--
Rl-Despite the confusion and roar
of high water. flood stricken south
ern California today turned an eye
toward the growing totals Of deaths
and destruction MS the result of tho
worst storm I'm its history. while
thousands of it, besieged citizens
sought refuge from a menace still
unabated.
With the known death toll stand
ing at 81. property losses from rain.
snow and wind which has beset the
sammy southland with unprecedented
violence for four days probably win
total several million dollars. Up tO
an early hour today approximately
5000 persons had been driven from
their homes.
A survey. made up from reports
received over limited line Of COM
munication, showed at least twenty
cities had been partly or wholly de-
luged. seven Of them badly. Damage
70 bridges alone IN Los Angeles was
estimated at $i,00O.0m.
San Diego Endangered
San Diego stood IN immenent dan
ger Of catastrophe flood for sew
eral hours last night and early today
but the waters finally receded 10
below the danger point.
No estimate of the San Diego loss
rs could be made early today.
"A survey OK damage ut Taft. which
IA out OK the southern flood area.
where wind storm toppled over
nearly 100 oil derricks. indicated the
loss there would run to S250.000 or
more. San Francisco shippers claimed
loss Of 100000 due to the storm.
Union Pacific Railroad officials
said equipment destroyed ih the
wreck of the roads Los AnReles-Chi-
caEo Flyer at Whittier Tuesday night
would represent Sl50.0O0 loss.
Crops Damaged
Untold damage was caused to
crops. orchards, highways and homes
in the San Francisco Valley, where
several towns were inundated.
The death toll In the snow slide IN
the mountains above Fresno reached
l3 last night when coroners' reports
had been checked Two avalanchcs
struck the camp OF the Southern Cal
ifornia Edison Company there. caus-
ing the greatest tragedy Of the
storm. Twenty-four persons caught
in the slide still are In hospitals,
many of them seriously injured.
Besides San Diego and Los An
geIcs. the badly flooded cities include
Long Beach, where some $500 per-
sons were driven from their homes
BY high water, 90 city blocks having
been flooded: Venice. where 800 or
more were forced TO flee; Anaheim.
with 20 blocks inundated. and Full
lerton, where forty blocks were un-
der water
AT Anaheim an oil tank. under
mined BY flood waters, tuppled over
and added its $4,000 barrels ~ pe-
troleum TO the flood, covering the
surface Of the water with a greasy
mixture. At Escondido. one of the
show places OF San Diego county,
6.62 inches Of rain fell Tuesday
night and early Wednesday.
While some Of the rivers and
creeks were reported recedinR and
the flood crest passing. weather rn-
ports said another storm OF unknown
proportions was rolling In from the
Pacific. More rain today also was
promised. The Pacific storm was re-
ported 20 be 4s hours. away.
The death list included one drown
ing Az San Diego. four from traffic
accidents WA Los Angeles. one death
az Taft. and one at Riverside. In
several of the cities the water
reached q depth Of three 70 six feet.
Some places in the Mission Valley Of
San Diego county we're reported 20
have been under 10 feet Of water