The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-02
death RIDES RUSH
OF WATERS CAUSED
by HEAVY DOWNPOUR
II Of Bodies Recovered Are Not
identified; 90 Persons
Are Missing
PROPERTY DAMAGE HEAVY
Losses in Millions Caused by
Heaviest Rainfall in HE.
tory Of District

Los Angeles. Jan. 3-(R,-Dehris-
strewn sections Of southern California
were being searched Tuesday q Los
Angeles and it, environs sought to
count tho toll Of death and destruc-
ton In tho greatest rainstorm and
flood In it, history.
Thirty-four bodies were reported
recovered, % being identified. In ad-
dition seven persons were killed In
automobile accidents resulting from
the storm. A list Of 50 missing was
reported.
That would indicate = probable
death list. including automobile IA
talities, Of -, but the bodies not yet
identified may be those Of missing
persona and other supposed victims
may b found safe.
Property damage, It was estimated.
would run into the millions Of dol
lars.
The most chaotic conditions were In
the foothills Of the La Crescenta-
Montrose. back Of the city Of Glen
dale, In which Z forest fire several
weeks ago denuded the watershed.
Scores Of houses were torn away
by torrents that crashed down tho
arroyos. Many automobiles were
buried. i may b weeks before the
exact toll or death can b ascer-
tanned.
River q Dooth Ttap
The ordinarily dry Los Angeles
river, which during tho storm became
q mad stream l2S feet vide, was also
4 death trap. Police ware searching IT.
course for flood victims, Q number
already having hem taken from parts
Of the rtverbed.
There were disaster reports from ~
sides Of Los Angeles . well q with
In the city. In the nearby 0ants
Monica mountains, canyons Woro
turned into torrents and homes WaGh>
ed away.
Down b. the - to the southwest
Of Los Angeles. . creek hank q Cd
yer City was being seayched 1og ~.
Tins. II was reported that q leaG1
che woman was swept 70 death IN t1ho
swirling waters.
Many Of the victims ware carried
to death IN thar sleep . tho Tor.
rents washed away thar homes N the
IA Cresceuta region.
Il was the third catastrophe I'd
visit the region In nine month"; Last
spring IN earthquake shook the dis
trict and during October y men were
cremated In Z brush fire.
From . New Years week end
normally counted % one Of tho hap
ptest periods here, augmented BY the
famed tournament Of roses and Rose
Bowl football game, southern Cali.
fornia awoke to scenes Of appalling
disaster.
Search for Missing Kin
Fear and grief written into their
faces, people searched the morgues
and hospitals for missing kin. Store
owners surveyed store stocks dam
aged by silt and water. Others
counted possibly 5000 homes and
$500 automobiles damaged badly By
water, score Of bridges washed out.
highways swept away, railroad
tracks inundated and roadbeds un-
dermined.
The collapse Of bridges and the
W~Os.sss0 eW0y - AAOA44O0 S00OOO 111OO1
OF the human Casualties. Babies.
boys and girls, young men and wom-
en-, middle-aged and elderly persons
were among the victims.
So furiously did the Hoodwaters
sweep through the area that for :
time nearly al traffic was paralyxed.
Twenty-4our hours after the first
roar Of mud and rock-laden waters
terrified the victims there was only
: semblance Of orderly interurban
and railroad train movements.
Tracing the course o. the disaster.
flood control engineers agreed that
. cloudburst in tho kontroso area
precipitated most Of the damage md
loss Of life.
Girl Tells Experience
Raining constantly, beginning late
last Saturday, water accumulated uu-
til wall Is fest hieh was freed.
Fourteen-year-old Jean Besuchamp
told what It sounded liks-what e
did.
Il WAS In the house alone when I
heard . roar like . windstorm a.
CONTINUED a QaRA Uda,rl