Sierra County CA Archives History - Books .....A Durgan-Flat Incident 1882 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com January 20, 2006, 10:15 pm Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties A DURGAN-FLAT INCIDENT. In the early part of December, 1861, Downieville was visited by a disastrous flood, the turbid waters of both forks having received vast reinforcements from the melted snows of the mountains. On the seventh, houses, flumes, fences, and "Jim Dixon's opera-glasses," floated down between the well-filled banks of the streams. On the eighth, the Jersey bridge swung around endways with the current, being held by cables from floating down. In the evening of that day the Durgan bridge went down with a great crash. The damage along the river was considerable. The people on Durgan flat were entirely shut off from their neighbors by the flood. There was but one place where liquor could be had, and fears were entertained on the other side that before night on the ninth there might be suffering among the Durganites. The Democrat of the week after contained a graphic account of the thrilling affair. We quote an extract: "While deliberations were progressing, but coming to no satisfaction, men gathered on the stormy banks of Durgan and looked longingly across. A sensation is observed: as if moved by one mind, a score of brothers give the signal of distress, and the knights of the E. C. V. respond. Now something will be done. A stone with a string is thrown across. A stronger string is bent on that, and a rope to that; and then a hawser goes over. A shout is raised, and Durgan brightens. A block with tackle and ropes and wheel is rigged, and a message to Durgan goes in these words: 'What do you most desire?' The paper comes back to where the milkmen, and the baker-men, and the vegetable-men stand with their wares exposed. The message is opened; it is read—feeble pencil marks in a shaky hand, just legible—'Whisky, for God's sake.' Foolish waste of time. The men at the ropes upbraid themselves for having asked a silly question. Three bottles and a demijohn go over in a trice. Durgan is revived. Then a few more demijohns, bottles, and some of Wackerman's compliments go over. Two score of happy men are on that pier making the welkin ache with excessive ringing. A message goes to them in pencil: 'Do you want any bread?' The reply came: 'No, there's half a dozen loaves this side of the river now, and it would spoil if there was any more. No suffering among the women and children; but you might send over a basket or two of champagne, for fear-the rope might break.' The two baskets went over. Durgan became saucy over its good store of the necessaries of life, and raised a seven-starred flag. A stove-pipe was reared on their pier and pointed for this side. It was diligently served and repeatedly fired, but their balls proved harmless. A commissioner went over in the chair with a flag of truce, and an understanding was brought about. It seemed that some one had thoughtlessly filled one of the demijohns with milk instead of brandy. The matter was satisfactorily settled by the retention of the commissioner as a hostage until brandy was furnished in place of the milk, and two extra bottles to make up the expenditure for powder." Additional Comments: Extracted from: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties San Francisco: Fariss & Smith (1882) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sierra/history/1882/illustra/adurganf293ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 3.8 Kb