Year: 1862

y


......


From the Sacram Daily Union.


TERRIBLE FLOOD OF SACRAMENTO.


1t is our duty to record this morning
the fact that our city has been visited
by the m,st extraordinary food ever
known since the settlement of the State by (
Americans We mentioned yesterday
that the American and Sacramento rivers
had risen to point about eighteen feet
above low water malk--a point never be-


fore attained 50 early in the season. The
rains of Sunday afternoon of course melted


the SHOWS in the mountains which is the


probable cause of the disaster from which


our city has suffered incalculable injury


At about eight o'clock yesterday morning


it was announced that the levee had given


way on the eastern boundary of the city


was being rapidly flooded The report


was treated by many, at first, as an idle


rumor but within an nour the fact become


generally known that an immense volume


of water was steadily advancing from the


direction indicated. 1t appears that du-


ring the night the water had overfowed
and broken down the lcvee of the Amerl-


can river east of the city boundary, and


had flooded a large area of country south


ward from that point. An immense vol


ume of water collected in the angle north


of Poverty Ridge, and east of the levee


which runs diagonally from R and Seven


teentn streets to the vicinity of Sutter


Fort. The water commenced to come


through the openings of this levee before


six o'clock in the morning, but as the pro-


gross of the current was entirely choked


by the embankm ent of Their. street Rail-


road, such mass accumulated in the


angle and along the line Of the eastern


levee that at about eight o'clock it COM


menced to flow over the top, nearly all


along the line from r street to the fort.


and at various points north of the fort.


All the streets of the city south of were


flooded by nine o'clock as far west as
Eleventh and Twelfth streets and many
; of them as far as ninth and Tenth streets
The tendency of the destructive current
seemed to be along the southern section of
} the city--the r street levee damming it
, up and preventing its natural flow towards
| Suttersville Residents of that sectien Of
t the town, even when notified by tber
, friends, seemed unable to realize their
danger until their houses were surrounded
5 by rapidly rising current. Before nine
\ o'clock many women and children in one
| story houses were entirely surrounded and
| hemmed in east of Eleventh and Twelfth
: streets. and in many instances their calls
f for assistance we're distressing There
f were at that hour no boats in service, and
the only means of Transporting this class
!, to dry land was by mules, horses, wagons
c etc. AS early as nine o'clock there was
. very general movement among stock
{ owners and livery stable keepers, to drive
. out of the city, horses, mules, cattle, hogs
: etc. All efforts at exit on the east wer,
s unavailing, and throughout the day large


quantities of stock were driven across The
G Yolo bridge and down the levee towards
Suttcrville When the water at ten and
r eleven o'clock reached the low portion o.
: the city, at Fifth and Sixth street, north
!, Of the railroad, its depth was so great as
: 10 set aHoat and turn over u large number
i of houses in that vicinity. From very


many of these houses, for the space o.
: from one to two hours, women could bt
seen from the railroad at doors and win
$ dows calling for boats, or any means o.
n transportation to the higher portion Of tht
}, city. Boats were at first scarce, and fol
Q some time it seemed as though many
Hives must inevitably be lost. All The
!, boats al levee were soon brought int