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4 THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROLMAN

and miles of highways were becom-
HIGHWAY PATROL ACTIVE IN ing inundated. Towns and villages
were rapidly becoming isolated
RESCUES DURING FLOOD without communication, domestic
water, heating or lighting facilities.
A number of motorists were ma-
rooned in their cars, in the outskirts
Lives Are Lost as Santa Ana of, but within the city, of San Ber-
River Overflows nardino, when Lytle Creek over-
flowed its banks and swept across
the highway, leaving several cars
• stalled in the raging current. When
the water began sweeping their cars
Ily LYLE SANARD away these people sought refuge in
J)istrict Inspector,
f'nlif omia Highway Patrol nearby trees. Officers of the Cali-
fornia Highway Patrol assisted in
effecting the rescue of these stricken
• people. However, four of these un-
fortunates were swept from their
HE tranquility of the life of temporary places of safety before
mankind is very often inter- a rescue could be effected.
T rupted when Mother Nature No Warning
becomes infuriated and unleashes
her destructive forces against the In the Barstow area, on the banks
puny efforts of man. When in a dis- of the Mojave River, destruction
pleased mood she will do more de- came almost without warning. The
struction in one moment than in- water rose rapidly, overflowing its
significant man can rebuild in a life- uprooted trees, livestock and human banks and changing its course.
time; and no spot on the face of the beings. Whole blocks of homes were com-
earth is completely hidden from her Captains at School pletely wiped out. The northern
occasional outbursts of wrath. half of Barstow was isolated when
The Captains of my district had sections of U. S. Highways 466 and
My district comprises San Ber- been called to the California High- 91 were obliterated. When the iso-
nardino and Riverside Counties. way Patrol Training School at lated section became inundated and
The mountainous sections of these Sacramento. Acting in their places human lives were endangered, offi-
counties afford delightful play- were Sergeant Tripp in San Bernar- cers of the California Highway Pa-
grounds for vacationists and sports- dino County and Sergeant Hastings trol, assisted by volunteers, rigged
men of the surrounding metropoli- . in Riverside County. The rank of
up ropes and cables and very effec-
tan areas. Nestling in the fertile val- . sergeant had been created but a tively hauled the stranded victims
leys are world famous citrus orch- short time before and the ability of from the turbulent waters to a place
ards, vineyards and ranches which these officers to cope with an emer- of safety. About thirty automobiles
abound in agricultural richness. gency had not been tested. were swept into the river at this
Many of the streams of Southern On the morning of March 2, I point, but due to the initiative of
California find their origin in these left on an urgent trip to Indio. At our officers, not one motorist's life
mountainous sections, and in the that time rain was falling hard. was lost.
summer months they are fed by Streams were rapidly swelling and
There was an auto court on the
melting snow which, when on its endangering the bridges over which outskirts of San Bernardino which
seaward journey, supplies the val- I passed along the route. On my ar- was completely demolished. A
leys with life-giving water. rival in Palm Springs I learned that stream which had been a mere creek
On March 1, due to previous it was impossible to continue my flowing not far from there, soon
snowfalls, these mountains were journey. Upon telephoning Sergeant became a raging river which broad-
covered with an unusua,lly thick Hastings I was informed that he had ened until its course enveloped the
cloak of snow which promised a been warned of an impending dis- entire court. This same creek moved
plentiful supply of water for the aster, due to a cloudburst in the San a two-lane bridge downstream
forthcoming summer months. At Bernardino Mountains. On attempt- about a block, leaving demolished
this time a rain began falling in the ing to return to Riverside I found · in its wake a foundry and a lumber
valleys and it appeared that an even my retreat cut off by washouts. I yard. In many places highways ad-
greater supply of snow would fall was completely isolated and soon jacent to usually dry washes were
in the mountainous areas. The without any means of communica- completely washed away or so un-
ranchers rejoiced at the prospects of tion. Sergeant Hastings and Ser$eant dermined that they later crumbled
a prosperous agricultural season; but Tripp were thrown entirely on their and caved into the void below.
that which appeared as beneficial own responsibility. I hoped for the
soon became a destructive force of best and was not disappointed. Camp Baldy
unbelievable proportions. The rain In San Antonio Canyon is the
that ordinarily would have pro- Bridges Washed Out famous Camp Baldy resort, the
duced snow in the mountains at this When :flood waters became a main approach to which was by a
season became a cloudburst of warm threat to the safety of motorists in highway paralleling a small stream
water which rapidly melted the vast San Bernardino County, Sergeant on the canyon floor. This canyon
storage of snow. This accumulated Tripp detailed officers to the most was heavily wooded with wild un-
force was sent raging to the sea, car- £ndangered areas to safeg,uard dergrowth, but it is now completely
rying in its uncontrolled and de- against the loss of life. Bridges were void of all vegetation. The turbu-
structive course, bridges, houses, being washed out in wholesale lots )ent' water destroyed the highway