[Newspaper]
Publication: The Long Beach Daily Telegram
Long Beach, CA, United States
vol. 23, no. 27, p. 3, col. 5-8
CITY FACES SERIOUS
FLOOD CONDITIONS
Overflowing Rivers Cover Many Acres North
of City — Basements Flooded in Business
Section — Many Rescues Reported
With the rain unremitting in its torrential downpour of the past twenty hours and with the Los Angeles weather bureau forecasting a thirty-six hour storm, Long Beach today was facing the most serious flood conditions in its history.
Sweeping down from the higher ground to the lowlands, the overflowing rivers brought a veritable ocean of water which cut through along certain sections of the Los Angeles river and covered great areas of ground in the north section of the city.
While many scores of acres of land in the Burnett and industrial districts are inundated, they are the most sparsely settled of any portion of the city, thus the number of families and houses marooned was comparatively small.
At the office of the commissioner of public works and the police station, which are the clearing houses for all such reports during hood or storm periods, it was estimated that from 60 to 70 homes. and practically every industrial plant in the harbor district, were cut off by the great lake like and constantly spreading sheets of water. The plant of the Long Beach Fertilizer Company, recently the subject of litigation, was being threatened with danger of being undermined and washed into the harbor.
With roads being covered by the constantly rising waters, and with the rivers carrying an immense capacity of the flood, continued rainfall seriously threatens communication to outside cities and possible isolation of the district by either railroad, electric line or automobile.
Conditions have been rendered more serious from the fact that much of the water which fell during last week's great storm had not been drained off from the lowlands, despite the efforts of man to assist nature in this process.
From the best statistics at hand the night’s fall was the second heaviest in a like period in the recent history of the city, the precipitation measured by the rain gauge maintained by the Telegram on the roof of the National Bank of Long Beach building being 3.67 inches up to 11:30 o’clock.
Thus to date the season of 1915-16 bids fair to be the wettest in the 21years during which exact rainfall records have been kept by local sharps. The total to date is 16.62 inches, or more than the complete fall during all past seasons since 1894-5, except 1902-3, 1905-6 and 1914-15.
As the last week of January seems to be the particular favorite of J. Pluvius, a tabulation of the rainfall for the period gives a record of 4.35 inches and for the month 13 inches.
The precipitation to the corresponding date last season was 15.62 inches, the greatest in any former year, and in 1913-14 was 9.54 inches.
So rapid was the rising of the waters from the Dominguez overflow, caused by a break in the dyke erected near the Pacific Electric trestle by the city of Los Angeles and by cuts in the natural bank of the stream, that quick action was necessary to save marooned families from great inconvenience and suffering.
Members of the police department, fire department, works department, and private citizens were responsible for some three dozen rescues up to a late hour this morning.
Reports received by Safety Commissioner James R, Williams caused that official to order out the life guards with their boats and with all available members of the police department to assist in the work.
Among the rescues were the carrying of Mrs. Mande Cullen, 943 Dayman avenue, and nine children for whom she cares, to a place of safety. Mrs. Cullen issued her first call for aid to the police at 8 a.m., but when the officers reached her the waters had covered the porch of the home and a thin coat of silt was forming in the outer rooms of the house.
"Daddy" Valentine and daughter were rescued from their home in the Burnett district by a volunteer corps of "flood guards" consisting of Smith Shallenberger, assistant wharfinger, George Lillie, and Walter E. Morrison, 2475 Pasadena avenue.
The Morrison family was also carried away to safety from the same district. Other rescues reported from different parts of the city were the owns family, State and Cherry avenues; Osborn family from State and Alamitos avenues; the Neff family from State and Cherry avenues, and the George Clark family from Orange and Hill streets.
A. B. Rothrock, street foreman of the works department, took a family of a wife and four children from a house at Nineteenth street and Myrtle avenue and took them to his home where they could be assured of comfort and safety.
The rapid sweep of the waters from the easterly channel carved out by the waters overflowing from the river, early reached the low grounds in the neighborhood of Pico and Hill streets, where many houses were surrounded.
The water at noon was more than two feet in depth in this district and was sweeping through the ground floor of many of the low built houses and bungalows. Among the families compelled to leave their homes in this section was that of Mrs. Mary K. Leuer.
Reports from Los Angeles that traffic was demoralized throughout the southern section of the state had their parallel here by the arrival of the 9 o'clock Salt Lake train at noon, by the uncertain schedules maintained by the P. E. on all lines, and by alarming reports of danger to bridges on the San Pedro and Los Angeles branches.
The wires of the Salt Lake road were placed out of commission about 10 o’clock by many poles being swept away by the force of the flood waters. With communication thus lost no track of the trains could be kept.
Emphasizing the danger to the bridges which, if washed out, would practically isolate the city in every direction, were reports received by City Engineer Alberto De Ruiz.
At 11 a.m. these reports were to the effect that a rise in the slough of one foot would cover the Anaheim street bridge near the Salt Water laundry, a rise of 8 inches would flood the Pacific Electric tracks at Willowville, and a similar rise in the river would threaten the Pacific Electric trestle over the Los Angeles river.
With threatening conditions at that point, officials of the works office placed a squad of men at the task of laying 400 sacks of sand at Perris and Anaheim roads to protect the new paving work recently laid there.
Outside of minor incidents all city departments were free from danger or worry by the storm, Plumbing Inspector Charles B. Murphy issuing a statement to the effect that the sewers and the incinerator plant were efficiently performing their functions and in no danger of damage.
Private enterprises, both in many sections of the down town district and in the harbor district, were either handicapped or at a standstill. Basements and downstairs store rooms in many mercantile establishments were flooded, heating plants were placed out of commission, and some stock, such as furniture and carpets, were damaged.
Among the sufferers in this direction were The Telegram and The Press, the basement of The Telegram being flooded to such an extent as to put some of the machinery out of commission. While sustaining less damage than this paper, The Press was the object of much attention by the fire department, large quantities of water being pumped.
Due to the flooding of the machinery of The Telegram, through the kindness of the management of The Press we were permitted to issue our today's edition from the latter office.
For a long period during the night and frequently during the day the electric current was shut off in various sections of the city, due to the breaking of the wires by the falling of some tree. The gas distributing system was also threatened at various times.
A gum tree in the northern part of Pacific Park fell with a great crash this morning, severing the wires of the Western Union Telegraph and the Sunset phone line.
A bad hole was washed in the street on Alamitos avenue, south of Ocean avenue, near the Pacific bath house.
A culvert closed for repairs along Obispo and Anaheim avenues caused the flood waters to seek their outlet via residence basements, and swamped the establishment of the Consumer's Feed and Fuel store.
Mrs. H, Farrington, 108 Pike avenue, reported to the police that the back water had caught her establishment, causing slight damage and necessitating closing its doors.
At Nineteenth street and California avenue a herd of 12 cows belonging to the Holmes Dairy company were floundering in mud up to their bodies and were beyond reach of rescue. Near 1085 Lewis avenue another bovine was said to be sinking in the mud and would probably be buried alive.
Patrolman McConahay at 7:35 am. reported that the walk at the foot of Pine Way was being undermined and was sinking.
Though Long Beach did not escape without inconvenience or loss and may face a more serious condition with additional rains, telegraphic reports shows this city will be lucky in comparison with the experiences of other cities.
Consultation of storm records gives the following banner rains of local history:
Jan. 5, 1895..............................................................1.97
Jan. 27, 1896............................................................1.96
Nov. 24, 1896...........................................................3.83
Nov. 22, 1900...........................................................2.71
Feb. 26, 1901...........................................................2.15
Dec. 17, 1902...........................................................2.80
April 16, 1903..........................................................2.25
Dec. 31, 1904...........................................................2.38
Nov. 26, 1908...........................................................2.03
Dec. 16, 1914...........................................................2.84
Jan. 29, 1915............................................................2.38
All indications with the present storm point to the complete isolation of Long Beach on all of the auto roads out of the city, and the torrential running of the rivers and sloughs, which are rising at the rate of a foot per hour this morning, and in some in stances rising a foot and a half within that period of time, are seriously placing the bridges of the P. E. and the various boulevards in danger of being swept out.
Indications on the Anaheim road appeared so menacing to the work that the construction of the protective bulkhead on the road a few hundred yards west of the Soft Water Laundry has been abandoned, and Contractor J. L. Frasier removed all of the lumber to be used for the construction work from the road.
Daisy avenue at the foot of Anaheim is a racing stream this morning, the entire road being covered with water, which is sweeping clear across the intersection of the streets at this point
The banks of the various channels in the Inner Harbor are being undermined and swept out by the racing rivers.
J. A. Kemp, who operated a boating landing, and hired row boats and launches, reported that his entire barge had been swept away, and the complete loss of all row boats and launches owned and operated by him. The big barge was swept away and thrown against the piling of the Municipal wharf, and pulled under the surface through the suction formed by the racing waters. The damage here is estimated at $1,000.
At the American Products company's plant all of the installation work was checked through the water standing on the premises, but no material damage was reported. The work will probably be held up for more than a week, and the actual production of the plant will not be taken up for a month or more.
At the glass and insulator works on West Anaheim road further damage was reported this morning, and the watchman was forced from the premises. Work on the flume which was under construction at this point to relieve the flats from a considerable amount of water was completely abandoned. while the trestle bridge of the P. E was again placed in serious condition and a washout is likely at any time. The service up to a late hour this morning, however, was in excellent condition and all cars are running on the regular schedule.
Bruce C. Hatch, who has been ill at his home, 1948 Lemon avenue, for a week, was rescued from his residence this morning in a horse-drawn coupe, while the flood water was rising rapidly about the place, threatening serious damage to the house and much danger to Mr. and Mrs. Hatch. The sick man and his wife were taken to the home of Mr. Hatch's brother, P. E. Hatch, on East Ocean avenue.
The coupe was sent out by J. J. Mottell, in charge of his employe, Thomas M. Parks, who was accompanied by P. E. Hatch,
The water was so deep around the house that Mr. Mottell’s ambulance could not get near it. The horses harnessed to the oupe [sic] coupe waded through water which was almost deep enough to compel them to swim. Mr. Hatch was helped into the coupe from a side door of his home and later was transferred to the ambulance, in which he was taken to his brother's residence.
Umbrellas seem to have gained much unpopularity with the rains today, as a number of the rain shields were blown off the handles, while others collapsed under the stress of the heavy winds. W. F. Rider of American avenue was painfully injured this morning when he was struck in the face by the point of an umbrella carried by L. Williams, who was going down Pine street at eleven o'clock this morning. Rider received a long gash in the face, just below his eye, and although the wound bled freely and was painful in its nature, it was not serious unless infection sets in. Dr. Smith of the First National Bank attended to Rider's injury, and stated that no serious developments were likely.