Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-09-17
THE ROARING CHIPPEWA.
Scene of DesOIation at Eau Claire and
Observation-Disclosures of People Rendered
Homeless by the FlOod-MaDy Valu-
able Bridges Wrecked-The Damage in
the Valley Estimated at 81 100000.

caused floods on all the streams in this
section. Duncan Greek, which flows
through portion of Chippewa Falls,
raised fourteen feet Wednesday.
Every bridge in the city was carried
away. The dam at the Glen Touring
mills was washed out, which caused the
planning mill dam of B. Kehls & Co. to
succumb. Stiles, Lego & Bailey's liv-
cry barn was badly wrecked. They lost
five horses and all buggies. Several
machine shops and residences were car
rled down stream and are total wrecks
The dam of Roache & Riggs mill at
Chippewa Falls went out, involving a
loss OF 100000 feet of logs. Robert
Wallace, single man, while attempting
to cross the creek at Chippewa Falls,
was drowned Wednesday afternoon.
AT 4 o'clock yesterdy morning
six of the largest bridges across
the Chippewa River we're swept
away The first bridge to go
was the new bridge, built last year,
running from Madison Street on the
North Side to the West Side. The
bridge was the highest upon the river
1t broke loose all at once, and thun-
dered down upon the Chicago, Milwau-
kee & st. Paul Railway bridge, togeth-
er with million or more of logs. Next
came the Messy Street bridge, the
main bridge in the city then three 9TH
er bridges, two of them new, were
swept away. The terrible food
reached its climax yesterday, and
as the waters slowly begin to
recede, the surrounding country pre-
sents novel spectacle in the morning
sun. From the north limits of the city
to the extreme portion south, wherever
the ground is low, dozens of boats are
moving about laden with household
goods and furniture, and people seeking
places of safety. The east side of the
city is one immense lake. Thousands
of dollars worth of damage has been
done to sidewalks, fences and cellars, to
say nothing of the houses carried away.
From thirty -four miles above Chippewa
Falls to the Mississippi River below,
devastation and ruin reign supreme.
First, there are 100000 worth of
bridges destroyed and half that amount
will not rebuild the dams and booms
that have foated off in the wild race to
the great tributary of the Gulf of Mex
leo. Then, next in order, come the
millions of feet of logs which have es-
capped from the boom and become scat
tered. No estimate of their value
can as yet be made. The river
has been running full of them
for the past twentyfour hours.
Along the banks of the Chippewa, from
Chippewa Falls to Wabasha, scores of
buildings have been carried away, many
of them having cen demolished by the
huge wooden bridges as they swung
with the current Among the houses
and business blocks to float away to-day
were Bonell's building, new block just
completed; Mayhew's mill; three
saloons; the Eau Claire City Railways
large car barns and stables; six or eight
small tenement houses and residences,
and the east end of the city gas works.
The base ball park has entirely dis
appeared with many other landmarks.
Hundreds of farms we're submerged be-
tween here and Beef Slough. Three
miles of the Chicago, Milwaukee & ST..
Paul Railway track are washed out near
Red Cedar Junction. This company's
depot in our city is now deserted, with
a foot of water upon the floor.
A rough estimate places the dam
age in the Chippewa Valley at ST.
100000, including the damage to farms.
Relief committees have been organized,
and hundreds of people are being fed
in the courthouse and gospel tent of
the Y. M. @. A., while the most destitute
are being taken care of in private
houses. The east and west sides of the
Chippewa, which divides the city, are
entirely cut off from communication
with each other, except by way of the
Omaha Railway iron bridge, which adj
mits of the passage of foot passengers.
It is situated so far up the river that a
walk of four miles is necessary in reach
from the courthouse. The heaviest
losses are suffered by the poor people
who have had their homes swept away.
Work will be commenced to replace the
bridges swept away as soon as the water
goes down.
EAU CLAIRE, Wis, Sept. 13-9A. NJ
Several basement walls have fallen from
under brick business blocks since last
night A. A. Cutler, shoe store, the
Eau Claire Bank, and Leubkeman's
Barstow Street block are settling down
and the occupants moving out. It was
reported at council meeting last night
that 600 people are being fed on the
West Side alone and $4,000 appropri-
ated for their relief. A citizens meet
ing is called for to-day at 2 P. NJ, at
which relief measures will be devised.
The Omaha trains run between the ex-
IRENE outer limits of the East and West
Sides every hour. The river is still too
high for the ferry. The rise was the
greatest ever known in the history of
the Chippewa Valley, and was 1emarka-
BILE for its suddenness- the river having
risen twenty-seven feet in twenty-four
hours. It is still too early to make an
estimate of the damage, but it is safe to
say the loss in the city will be more
than $1,O00,000 The Chicago, Milwau-
kee & st. Paul road loses its bridges,
C1A0 600 oY1 bo Aopooooc t0itc