OCR Text |
Show FLCRIPPLED SoAD COMMUNICATION All Bridges Across American River Near Sacramento Carried Away Eastbound Trains Are Held Up at Yuba Pass and Westbound at Truckee Parts of Several Small Towns Are Flooded San Francisco. Jan. 15. Tho floPfls resulting from the heavy and continuous contin-uous rains of the past week, have clone considerable damage in the river valleys of the state and have seriously serious-ly crippled railroad communication. All the bridges across the American river, including that of the Southern Pacific near Sacramento, part of which v-as carried away la.st night, are out cf commission, and cannot be repaired repair-ed for several weeks. Two spans of the new bridge of the Western Pacific Railway company have also been w&6hed out, one man being drowned when they went down. No trains are running on the eat side of the Sacra-; luento valley, and overland traffic is piacllcally at a standstill. Travel on the west side has not been interrupted, but washouts which would cause its suspension are feared. fear-ed. Over an inch and a half of rain has fallen at Sacramento during the last twenty-four hours, but there are indications indi-cations of clearing weather. The city of Sacramento has suffered no dam-. dam-. age and none is anticipated, a3 the levees are several feet higher than the flood, and are considered absolutely secure. Part of the town of Biggs is four feet under water. Passengers on Southern Pacific trains Nos. 6, 10 and 24. who were eastbound, will be sent to thtir destinations by way of Los ADgcles. Reports from the San Joaquin valley, val-ley, -Ahich has been threatened with inundation, are reassuring. At Stockton, Stock-ton, no great damage has been done, and Mormon Channel, which yesterday yester-day broke through the levee at Linden, Lin-den, has been falling since midnight. The high water at Bakersfleld. in jvern county, ituniKu im ticsi. uuu:i, tLe night and is subsiding. Although portions of Visalia and Portervllle were flooded, there was no loss of life and the property loss was not large.1 Many families in PoYterville were carried from their homes in boats or on rafts. One woman, who was ill in hpd, was rescued before the water leached her home. Considerable damage dam-age was done In Fresno by the flooding flood-ing of basements. The Santa Clara Valley suffered practically no damage and the rain has been of great benefit to fruit growers and farmers. Heavy rains havo fallen in the Sierras, Sier-ras, a precipitation of 15.20 Inches having been recorded in tho last four days. The melting of snow in the mountains has been one of the chief causes of the rise In the rivers of the state, warm weatTier having prevailed prevail-ed for several days. Reno. New, Jan. IS. A long distance dis-tance telephone message from Sacramento, Sacra-mento, says the' Southern Pacific, rail-' road bridges along tho American river ave been washe l out by floods, cutting cut-ting off all overland routes and that ' k will be two or three days beforo (rains can get through. The only trains coming Into' Reno are those j v from the east. Branch .roads north to Oregon, and south on the Virginia & Truckee roads are blocked by these washouts. The storm continues. Nos. 6 and 10, east bound, are at Sacramento, Nos. 2 and 4, eastbound, are at Yuba Pass, Nos. 2IJ and 3, v OBt-bound, are held at Truckee, while Nos. 1 and 5, west-bound, are on the way from Sparks to Truckee and will be held up there. , The railroad company -has a .full force of men at work on the obstructions obstruc-tions but are not making much head-v.-ay since the rain is still falling and wlih renewed force. Railroad' officials here confirm the report that It will hf at least three days before trans-continental trains will be running from the wesL ' |