St. Paul daily globe., 1884-09-14
Chippe,ca Falls, Wis.


CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis, Sept. 13.-The
city and river banks present q deplorable
condition. The waters have receded so much
that the streets are mostly dry, but the base
ments are filed almost full with mud and water.
AT this writing the fire engines are at work
pumping the water from the easements many Of
these easements have been occupied by saloons
and barber shops. Barber chairs, boxes of ci-
gars, billiard tables, barrels of whisky and bar
h1tures are swimming aronnd promiscuously
AS the water rushed into the cellars of the busi-
ness blocks it swept away large portions of the
abutments and has left them unsafe and very
dangerous. Posenanski, one of the largest
wholesale dealers, is moving out this morning on
account of the condition of his building. A
great many men engaged in the debris, that
was caught by the tressIe work
OF the Wisconsin Central road. +,
picking out carriages and sleighs. machinery,
saws, betting and all kinds of property. The
Omaha railroad bridge alone stood the test, and
that seems badly strained. There is only one
span OF the large wagon bridge left. Several
families have been imprisoned in the upper parts
OF their houses until yesterday evening and
barely escaped, remaining as near to the top of
their houses as they could get. The boats are
all In use, and command fabulous prices. The
city has gone to work with energy and despatch,
and will soon have one bridge spanning Duncan
creek. The comfy board of supervisors met
yesterday and have advertised for bids to build q
large new bridge across the Chippewa large
Terry boat Is now in process of being built. There
Is hardly thousand feet of lumber left in
the French Company lumber yard. Their loss is
estmated at $4,000. The Chippewa Lumber
ana Boom company's lumber yard, in which
was pied about six million feet of lumber is in
a terribly damaged condition, with not one pile
lett standing upright. 1t is strewn about and
twisted and filed with mud and the broken
houses and machinery Their planning mill is
partially tipped over, and most of the machinery
oroKen or injured by water, which reached the
ewes Oh their large dry house, in which was
stored thousands of dollars of valuable lumber
oI all Kinds Their immense mill was only saved
by miracle. A large jam of logs lodged above
II ana directed the water toward the opposite
bank, which tore and undermined
over hundred feet of solid
river bank. Both ends of Paint creek
dam are gone. Their loss is variously estimated
at from $s50,0OO to 100000. j. B. Kehl 81
Co. lost heavily. Most of the dam at the Glen
mills, the fume and much of the machinery
went out as also their sash, door and blind fac
tory, entailing loss of perhaps S25, ,OOO Stiles
u Co. lost in the neighborhood of S1O,O0O The
mill, known as the Gravel, is land mill located
aooutthree miles below this city, owned by the
State Lumber Co., has been damaged greatly in
the loss OF booms, logs and machinery, to the
extent OF say 100000 The Wisconsin Central
Railroad company has gone to work quite
cheerfuly with their construction
trains from the st. Paul branch
and are filing in and repairing the
tracks and roadbed in this city,
and making more bridges to place across the
Chippewa, and claims it will be running regular
Trains into the city in short time.
Only one death is reported, that Of Mr. Wal
lace, who started across the river to save the IN
mates of house that was two thirds under wa
ter. The boat which he and another man was
i'll capsized in the waves He was drawn under
the floating boards and beams of a house and
never rose again, while his companion, who was
good swimmer, reached the shore, but in ter
ribly exhausted condition. Many instances of
great heroism have been displayed by the river
men in saving lives and property. 1t is reported
that there has been found two houses floating on
the delles In one of which were discovered the
lifeless bodies of man, woman and two chill
dren, In the other a. boy about six years
old, and baby six months old were tied up to
the ceiling for safety and were both alive and
well, but very hungry.
AS part of one of the railroad bridges passed
one Of the men standing on the bank Of the
river, he saw six freight cars loaded with gravel
standing just the same as when they were run
on to the bridge, with brakeman still holding
on to his brake. Going down Birch street, which
follows Duncan creek and up River
street which lies along the Chippewa
one can see picture not often met with or
seen. There is not basement but which is
filed with water and all kinds of property. Not
whole sidewalk is to be found or crossing.
Windows are broken and houses tipped partially !
over, and the streets filed with dirt and rub
bish. Every available team is employed in
cleaning away the remains of what has been the
most disastrous and memorable storm In this
county, +