Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-04-13
Floods i'm the East.

the government in the signal service
that the coming season threatens to be
one of the most disastrous in violent
storms ever experienced. This con-
clusion is reached after series of OBJ
servations revealing condition of at
mospherical phenomena at once pecu-
liar and hitherto undesirable. It j.
fact that barometric indications the
last forty days have shown atmospher-
ical conditions in different parts of the
country which have been at variance
with all natural law, denoting high
state of temperature in southern lati-
tudes and a corfespondingly low state
in more northern ATTITUDES at the same
period, which as we understand have
not been marked by any theometrical
scale, as would naturally be supposed,
and here is the mystery which, while
it never may be solved, will work dew
astation perhaps, as has already been
the case in southern Wisconsin and
along the northern line of states en-
bracing Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and
extending eastward as far as the At
lantic coast.
A pent up volume Of heated atmos-
phere encased as it were between two
volumes of atmosphere of cooler tenn
perture, and i'll a degree dense, and, if
We may be allowed the expression, an
tagonistic, is the scientific interpreta-
ton Of this condition of things elemen-
tai, which threatens to wage deVastat-
ing warfare with mundane things the
coming season. That there is some
thing in this cannot be denied. The
terrific storms have more than partial
ly corroborated the theory already, and
the recent storm wrapping Chicago in
mantle of drift, and extending to
the eastern states. we think clearly
proves the correctness of the theory
of savants.
Before the existing condition of
things had awakened investigation and
had aroused scientists, terrific storms
such as had never before visited the
east, had done fearful damage to man
ufacturing and agricultural interests
in the coast states. The immense res
ervoirs in Massachusetts, and Connect
icut, which furnish the waterpowers
tor the hundreds of manufactures Of
those states have felt in an unusual de-
gree the effect of these storms, and
while the recent breaking away of the
banks of these reservoirs may in a
large degree be attributed to decay,
still it is fact that the terrible rain
volumes have much to do with the I'M
looked for destruction. The Mill Riv-
er disaster of three years ago has been
duplicated and Implicated only very
recently, and only last Thursday the
city of Worcester was threatened with
complete destruction by the giving way
of reservoir embracing over one hun
dred and seventy acres of water.
Fortunately the catastrophe has been
in a measure averted. but perhaps on
ly for time.
A plain looking of facts in the face
squarely, warrants US in believing that
the erection of manufactures upon
water privileges SO artifcially arranged
as to endanger constantly life and
property, as is the case in the New
England States, is not only foolish,
but at the same time in degree GRIM
inal. Capital has no right to make
life subordinate to its graspisg de-
mands. Perhaps we digress in speak
ing of mechanics and capital, in con-
nection with our original theme, but it
occurs to Us that if the mills and man
ufactories so recently swept away by
destroying floods, had been located up.
on our magnificent waterpower which
remains unchanged under all action of
the elements, they would still be stand
ing, and lives now sacrificed would be
as buoyart and full of hope as only a
few days ago. That such industries
would prove just as remunerative, il
not more so, upon the Grand Rapids,
as upon the artifcially constructed
dams of swelling brooks, is truth, we
believe, that will one day be realized,
though We don't expect Massachusetts,
will move to Wisconsin. We do ex-
pect however that the location of Just
such industries upon our noble water
privileges is only a question of little