Jan. 17 - 18, 1916

 Mon. Jan. 17, 1916

Rain all day. Most rain up to this date for years. Numerous washouts etc. Pa and I drove downtown in the A.M. bought few groceries, subscribed to the Anaheim Herald, found out the job Pa was going to ask about was taken, and also that because of the rain I would not have to start work tomorrow with packing house. In the afternoon I put on the mackinaw and walked down to the library and read over several college and U catalogs. Also brought home an old "Worlds Work" and "The Ne-er-Do-Well" by Rex Beach. Red paper and in the eve we 3 played 2 games of H.L.J and Pa and I 2 in all of which I won 3 and Pa one. To bed about 9:30.

Tues. Jan. 17, 1916

Rain most of the day. Learned this A.M. that the Santa Ana river had broke through the embankments and was running all over the country. Broke through about midnight and this A.M. Lennon St. was all flooded and most of our orchard. The water was running swiftly across it and into the next man's land. After breakfast Pa and I took the auto and drove around to see the sights. Out on the Santa Ana road about a mile the whole country is flooded and it is impossible to get through. All flooded out Eliots way and also between here and Fullerton. This is the worst flood here in years. We came back and got Mother and took her all around too, going through water above the axle for half a block in a couple of places. We bought a film and took a couple of pictures of the water in the ranch here.

Grandpa's flooded field photo 

In the evening we heard that the dam above had gave way and that we would have a big flood here about 11P.M. So Pa and I drove down town and got some gas so as to make our escape if necessary. We learned from the Telephone Company that there had been a cloudburst in Riverside and quite a bit of water might come down about 10 P.M. so we stayed up, I read the "Ne-er-Do-Well" and played 2 handed whist with Pa. Stopped raining and the water did not seem to rise so we went to bed about 11:30.