[Newspaper]
Publication: The Long Beach Daily Telegram
Long Beach, CA, United States
vol. 23, no. 19, p. 10, col. 1-4
FLOOD CONDITIONS IN
LOWLANDS UNCHANGED
Boulevards Under Water and Houses
Surrounded by Swirling Floods — Gas
Co. Starts Local Plant
Though the storm waters are diminishing in certain portions north of Long Beach, they swept down in increasing volume directly north of the Soft Water Laundry and about half past ten o’clock this morning the flood was flowing over the bridge just west of the laundry plant. Several city employees were stationed on the bridge to gather in the tin cans, driftwood, and other rubbish that was swirled along.
West of the Soft Water Laundry the entire country is inundated. Every building that can be seen from the laundry platform appears to be in a foot or two of water. A small Ford car carrying a couple of policemen braved the flood water that had collected on West Anaheim road and tore along the boulevard at a good gait to render assistance to anyone in that section in need of help.
The police department sent several boats to the relief of the families west of the laundry, and towards noon the department got hold of a couple of additional skiffs, which were dispatched to the scene.
Nearly 100 people gathered at the laundry to watch the devastation of the swirling floods. Commissioner J. R. Williams and Fred James of the public works department spent a good portion of the morning at the Anaheim road bridge. directing the efforts of the city employees stationed there.
Early in the morning the flood waters were flowing under the bridge, but about 10 30 the water had risen until it was flowing over the structure.
The office of the California Glass Insulator company was caught by the swirling floods and whisked with terrific force against the railroad tracks. The company's yard is completely inundated, and flood waters have encompassed all of the plants and dwellings in that district.
Carrying along large quantities of mud, silt, and refuse the storm waters are flowing into the harbor with tremendous velocity, and it appears certain that the harbor will suffer considerably as a result of the storm that has been raging for several days.
That the property damage inflicted by the present storm on practically all of Southern California will hasten flood control action is the opinion of city officials. Damaging not only property but valuable land the storm waters are leaving a wake of devastation and are causing untold suffering and inconvenience.
Mrs. W . T. Moulton, who resides on Perris road, today reported that the storm waters were swirling down on both sides of her dwelling. She stated that her property had not yet been reached by the floods. As she and her family have plenty of provisions, Mrs. Moulton is not at all alarmed over the situation.
Last night, Monday, according to Mrs. Moulton, the Bangle family, which resides near the pumping plant, was rescued in a row boat. Besides Mr. and Mrs. Bangle the persons rescued by means of a skiff were Mrs. Bangle's married daughter and her husband.
Though the ocean raged furiously throughout the night, no damage along the water front had been reported at noon. Mrs. S. L. De Tar, who resides on the west beach, stated before noon that the breakers had inflicted no damage as far as she could ascertain.
Chief of Police Cole closed the pier early today, concluding that it would not be safe for people to venture out on the structure with the ocean and wind on a rampage.
People who gathered at vantage points to watch the swirling floods were amused to see dead snakes and mice and other such creatures float past.
Rainfall Record.
Monday and Monday night ............. .46
Saturday afternoon to Monday
morning........................................... 1.85
Total since storm began ................... 4.26
Total for season ............................... 11.67
Last year to this date........................ 8.79
Prepare for Emergency
At 9 o’clock the Long Beach Consolidated Gas company was notified that there had been a break in the natural gas high line of the S. C. Gas Company. Upon receiving this word Manager F. A Green made preparations to have the plant on West Anaheim road begin the manufacture oi artificial gas for local consumption. Manager Green said there was a full holder at the local gas plant, and this afternoon the manufacture of artificial gas for local consumption was begun.
A force of men is watching the gas company’s main on West Seventh street. Through this main the gas is conveyed from the company’s plant on Anaheim road to the consumers. The water this morning was up to the girders supporting the main. Little alarm is felt, however, for the safety of this main.
The American Products company was forced today to suspend its gathering of kelp. Usually the company's harvester and three barges are engaged in the collection or kelp. The company also has temporarily suspended further installation of some of its machinery.
One of the Edison company's high-power poles went out of commission yesterday afternoon, causing an interruption in the transmission of electricity to certain portions of the city.
Telephone Trouble
Manager Jack L. Adams of the Sunset Telephone company said that the storm had inflicted but little damage on the company s property in this city. No cable trouble had been reported, according to Manager Adams, and not more than 21 lines had been put out of commission. Several of the telephones listed to people in the flats went out of order early today, but by noon many of them were again in commission, much to the gratification of the residents marooned in that locality. The Seal Beach lines were reported out of commission, but these will be repaired as quickly as possible, Manager Adams stated
The Home Telephone company's lines were badly affected by storm throughout the city.
Spend Night in Mills.
Nineteen men employees of the Golden State Woolen Mills were forced to spend the night in the plant on Nadeau and Lucerne avenues, while fifty or more of the other workers were taken from the mills by the Long Beach police last night in row boats
The police took the rowboats to the woolen mills late yesterday afternoon, after W. R. Shanks, superintendent of the mills, had sent an appeal for help to the police department.
Those who were taken from the mills included the force of women employees of the plant, and were taken to houses in the vicinity to spend the night.
Due to the late arrival of the police at the scene, operations in taking the marooned mill employees from the plant were abandoned at nightfall. Arrangements were made by the police to take food to the stranded party in the mills. The employees at the mill distributed provisions among many of the marooned homes in the vicinity, while blankets from the plant were furnished to several families.
The night was passed in the office and mills of the plant. Mr. Shanks reported this morning that practically no inconvenience had been suffered. The material damage is slight. The boiler room was flooded and the big burners placed out of condition.
The woolen mills will probably be closed for a month at least, Mr. Shanks stated this morning, involving a loss of more than four thousand dollars in salaries paid to employees and inconveniencing the company at a time when the order department was swamped with demands.
Schools Are O.K.
Business Agent Acres stated at the board of education offices this morning that "all was lovely at the various Long Beach schools today. He said that reports of danger at the South Cerritos school Monday afternoon seemed to be erroneous, and that the children were able both Monday afternoon and today to get back and forth to the building, excepting, of course, those youngsters who were marooned by water which has surrounded their homes.
Miss Vivian Yett, teacher at the school, is residing temporarily at a home in that vicinity.
No school was held Monday at the Bixby school. The teacher was on hand and nothing was wrong in or about the building, but no pupils appeared, it being impossible for them to cross intervening pools which had been formed by the storm water.
No damage was reported at any of the schools. according to Mr. Acres, except the cesspool trouble Monday at the Alamitos building
Salt Lake Out of Commission
The Salt Lake line between Long Beach and Los Angeles was put out of commission last night, when the storm waters impaired the trestle at Workman. According to reports received here a couple of spans of the trestle was damaged by the floods. Reports also stated that the water was threatening the trestle this side of Hobart, a station between this city and Los Angeles. As a result of this damage Salt Lake trains to this city will not run for two or three days. Just how badly the trestle at Workman was damaged cannot be ascertained until the flood waters subside.
P. E. Line Still Open
The Pacific Electric line between Long Beach and Los Angeles is still in operation. The water at the Cerritos trestle has several feet to rise before it will touch the structure. The San Pedro line is still out of commission, as is the P. E. line between Los Angeles and Whittier and Santa Ana. According to reports the P. E company has its Pasadena, Monrovia and Glendale lines in full operation.
Dyke is Demolished
Commissioner J. R Williams, Fire Chief J. R. Shrewsbury, and City Attorney G. L. Hoodenpyl today viewed the land west of the Soft Water Laundry, and this afternoon went to Cerritos to inspect the dam built by the Dominguez estate. About 150 or 200 yards of this dam have been demolished by the floods, and the water that previously flowed into the Long Beach harbor is now flowing with terrific force into the Los Angeles harbor. This fact is not particularly displeasing to city officials, especially since the dam was constructed in opposition to what they considered for the best advantage of both of the harbors.
S. P. Tracks in Trouble
The Southern Pacific line between Long Beach and San Pedro was also affected by the floods. An embankment near the asbestos factory was washed away this morning, making it impossible for S P. trains to run over the tracks in that locality. Early this afternoon employes at the Southern Pacific station declared they had received no intimation that any of the company's bridges had been washed away. The last train to run over the Southern Pacific tracks between Long Beach and San Pedro was Monday morning's train. The Southern Pacific company has been running but one train a day out of Long Beach for some time. This is a freight train. No train ran today and it seems as if there will be no trains over the Long Beach line for several days. The extent of the damage to the company’s tracks in this city cannot be ascertained until the waters have subsided.
Garden Grove Inundated
Assemblyman Joseph A. Rominger started this morning for Anaheim, where he has an orange ranch and a number of bungalows. He felt no misgiving as to being able to reach his destination, since early morning reports stated that the Santa Ana boulevard was in good condition and was, in fact, the only means by which residents of this city could reach Los Angeles.
When assemblyman Rominger reached Garden Grove, 14 miles from Long Beach, he found three feet of water in all of the streets and roads in that section. The bank at that place was in water ranging between 2 1/2 and 3 feet, and a woman who came out of a grocery store had to wade through water up to her waist.
Finding it impossible to go through Garden Grove, Assemblyman Rominger turned south in the hope of being able to reach Anaheim through Santa Ana. He was unable to come within seeing distance of the Santa Ana river, which apparently had broken over its banks early in the day and spread in all directions over the surrounding country. Finally after making every effort to repair to Anaheim, Assemblyman Rominger was forced to abandon his trip and return to Long Beach.
Anaheim Under Water
Reports received by Mr. Rominger at noon stated that the west end of Anaheim, where a good portion of his property is located, was a foot or two under water. Mr. Rominger is not particularly apprehensive that the floods will damage property to any extent in Anaheim and vicinity and believes that the storm waters will soon begin to subside.
How To Reach L. A.
Richard Loynes stated shortly after noon that the only way by which one could go to Los Angeles in a machine was to follow the road to Downey, then along the telegraph road and past the cemetery. All of the other roads leading to Los Angeles are covered by the flood waters.
The Long Beach Los Angeles boulevard is still under water and is impassable to traffic.
James L. Frazer, the well known street contractor, started to return to Long Beach from Los Angeles last night by automobile. Near Compton he found the boulevard inaccessible, and retracing his way to Compton he put his new Buick car in a garage there, while he came to Long Beach in a P. E. car. This morning his chauffeur brought the machine to Long Beach, coming by way of the Santa Ana-Fullerton road. Later in the day this road became impassable.
Near Foot of Signal Hill.
The country round about State and Cherry streets, Burnett and American avenues, and in fact in all of that region near the foot of Signal Hill and around about Willows is inundated. Several families are marooned in those localities, but are not suffering to any extent, inasmuch as they are well stocked with provisions and though the water surrounds their residences it does not threaten to enter their dwellings.
Welcome, Mr. Sun!
Residents and tourists alike were delighted this morning when the sun, a stranger in this locality for a couple of days, poked his head from behind a mountain of rain clouds and cast his benignant warmth in every direction. About two o’clock, as if ashamed of his premature appearance, the sun retired from view and a few minutes later rain again began to fall.
Throughout the afternoon the sun made feeble attempts to disperse the rain clouds, only partially succeeding in his excellent intention.