Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-03
A PROMISING PROSPECT.
THE WATER At WEST ST. PAUL RAP
IDLY SUBSIDING.
The Day Barren of Notable Inoidents-The
Inhabitants Cleaning House After the
Unwelcome Visitor Damage Done to
Foundations and Fences.

There was a very noticeable improvement in
the condition of affairs yesterday in West st.
Paul. The water of the river was constantly
subsiding, and as 1t fell many Of the currents
that had caused so much devastation disap-
peared altogether, or became so slight as to
cause little Inconvenience and to threaten lit
tie danger. By 8 o'clock the fall In the water
amounted to over two feet from the highest
point reached. People early began to feel
their confidence restored, and returned to their
homes by scores. The first business they
found to do was to clear their first floors of
the water that had accumulated. Holes were
bored in the floors and the water, as well as
the filthy sediment that had accompanied 1t
was swept out, and preparations made to re
sumo complete occupancy. Some of the stone
foundations were found to have been consider
ably washed away, and occasionally huge gaps
had been made in the mortar, while the houses
had settled more or less, rendering them unfit
for habitation for time, or until they san be
repaired. There are not more than score Of
houses that have retained perfect equilibri,
um. All are more or less sunken, but
the greater part are not serious
ly injured. The damage to the base
ments, the swelling of the doors and windows,
and the damage to floors and plastering will
require considerable expenditure of money.
Under all the circumstances the people take
their losses with an exemplary fortitnde, and
are even cheerful In the satisfaction that they
have not lost all.
When the GLOBE reporter left the scene as
the shades of night were falling, he found
vast improvement in the condition of things.
Part of Fifth street was above the water,
though there was considerable water flowing
over It in some portions, forming rapids of
much velocity. There was little debris dow
ing down the streams, and the subsidence of
the water showed that many fences were in
viceable. Though many of the barns and out
houses were overturned or foated from their
foundations, they can be righted with but lit
tie difficulty. Comparatively little furniture had
been greatly injured, as most of It had been
stored in the upper stories. If the river falls
at the same rate for three days longer, the en-
tire fat will be above water. The greatest
difficulty the inhabitants will experience will
be the loss of the streets, that have been more
or less washed away, and will be impossible
for teams until they can be repaired.
A crew of stout boatmen, under Capt. Star
key, was stationed at the rounding of the bluff
below A street armed with pixies and provid-
ed with ropes, and succeeded In catching and
anchoring to the shore considerable guam
ity of loose property which is now awaiting
defamation.
The police boats were busy all day taking
residents to and from their homes. Several
parties persisted in demanding the use of the
boats for the purpose of making tours of curl
osity, but they were invariably refused. One
couple of young men became abusive when
their requests were refused, but when threat
ened with arrest skunk of, threatening to have
the police "written up'' in the Pioneer Press.
The officers had all they could do to attend to
the wants of those in need without giving
their services to pleasure parties.
The barracks were well filled, and all those
occupying them were as we'll cared for as cir
cumstances would admit. The crowded state
of the houses generally presented serious
difficulty, and there was q general desire for
better accommodations. The rapid fall of the
water, however, afforded a prospect that before
many days all this inconvenience would be
rcmedied. The committee of the common
council was doing all In their power to assist
those who were most needy. The Berlandi
gang, however, were trying to use the liberty
Of that body as we'll as of the chamber of
commerce for political effect, and, as result,
some of those who did not absolutely need
assistance received it, while those more de-
serving were required to wait. This was not
due to the council committee, however, the
members of which could not be expected to
know the individual needs of every applicant,
but to the persistence Of q lot of partisans
who sought to make political capital out Of a
great public misfortune, and trade On the
liberality of the city.