Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-02-12

The FREsHET IN THE CITY.-Satur-
day will long be remembered by oul
citizens and especially those owning
property on the river as day of great
anxiety and excitement. There were
certainly good grounds for this, for new
er since the flood of ls49 were the pros
poets so gloomy, for a disastrous freshet
as they were on Friday. The long con-
tinued rain, the state of the ground, the
swollen river and the crowded craft that
blocked it up, all threatened the direst
disasters if the thaw continued. All
day vessel owners were securing their
crafts by fastening additional cables and
the bridges were closed SO as to have
them swung at moments notice.
.fOn the South Branch the water rose
very fast flooding the wholeregion round
Bridgeport. The wharf of Messrs. Sew.
erance ~ Co., was carried away with a
large quantity of Salt Considerable
salt belonging to Messers. Hoyt & Co.,
and other parties was also carried away.
A gorge was formed at this point into
which two or three canal boats were
swept; second was formed at the All
Line X. r., bridge above Twelfth street
and it was found impossible to swing
the bridge, on account of the lifting OF
the breakwater At three O'Clock an
Hnmense gorge was formed Immediately
above Van Buren, street bridge, which
! by order of Superintendent Granger,
was opened in the forenoon, and remain
ed in that condition.
At Madison Street anothergorge form
! ed, owing to the sbstructions in the riv-
Z or caused by the new coffer-dam, piles
and other materials for toe new bridge
at that point Here at this point the
river overlooked on each side, flooding
the lumber piles in that viciNity.
! 1t was feared that the Aux Plain riv-
er, would as in ls49, pour its waters in
to Mud Lake, and thence flow into the
South Branch and Mr.. Doty was sent
out by the City Superintendent ia report
upon the state of the river He found
the river higher by at least four feet,
than it had been at any time since l849.
The Plank road bridge was gone, and
| it was momentarily expected that the
old bridge, short distance up stream,
would be swept away. A gorge of ice
was formed at the island, just below
Mud Lake portage, precisely as in 1849.
The ice barrier is said to be heaped
twenty or thirty feet high. The entire
country was inundated and the waters
rushing rapidly towads the lake.
Nearly all the culverts on Blue Island
Avenue have been swept away.
| The damage on the North Branch
was more serious. Several gorges form
ed, the principal one being at Chicago
Avenue bridge. The water above this
gorge raised about four feet above the
| level of that below it. The bridge was,
with considerable difficulty, thrown open
towards evening. The Chicago and
Milwaukee railroad bridge across the
North Branch was injured, so as to pre-
vent the passage of the FIVE o'clock train,
and also the evening train from Milwau-
kee. This bridge was constructed upon
spiIes, and was but few feet above the
surface of the water. 1t will not take
long to repair it.
The river at present is free from ice
and is falling rapidly, although owing to
the large body of water above, the cur
rent is still very powerful Chicago
Journal