Telegram-herald., 1891-03-04
THREATENED FLOODS
Grand River Slowly Backing Up
into the City.
MANY CELLARS ALREADY FLOODED
The ApprshsasieR Of . Big tlsad Ma
Shared Yesterday hs Ala Glasses or
StuxeRs- Coed Nork ~ ths
toaneiI toEoEaGtGex

During the pSst for.y-eight hours,
great apprehension has been felt by
those having property nterests along
tue riyer hank, through fear Of IA over
row OF the waters of the GFana. The
experience OF Grand Rapids in past
years With is noble river has made all
citizens exqnisitely sensitive to the first
suggestions OF danger that are whlsp-
cred. When, therefore, the water OF
the river showed a disposition on sun
day 10 look upward towards the top OF
the banks. all eyes began 10 fix them
selves on the came point. Since sun
day morning, the water has been rising
with uninterrupted progress, and the
Indications are this morning that mis-
chef Is brewing, and If the water rises
during the day as continuously as II
rose during the night, the danger point
will have been reached.
The occasion of the high water at
this season OF the year Is not the qnaa-
is the distribution of II. Some time last
week an ice jam occurred down the
ryer about sixteen miles. As the float
ing anchor ICE accumulates, the line OF
the Jam recedes up the river and
throws the water back of il. That line
has now reached the city, and the river
now presents, aside from the awful
suggestions of danger that lie there, a
scene OF enhancing arctic beauty. From
away down the river far 10 the north of
the dam, the banks of the river are
filled with an immense weaving, way
ing, webbing pontoou of pure white
anchor ice thrown together IN most
phantastc shapes.
All day yesterday the bridges and
river banks were lined with people,
some curious, some anxious, all inter-
ested some way III the scene before
them. As the water rose. slowly but
surely, all sorts of speculations were
thrown off, founded upon the most
contradictory recollections of when and
how the past floods in the city had oc-
Cured.
The Common Council at Monday
nights meeting appointed committee
OF five, who may he called the emer-
geDcy committee, whose duty il shall
be to watch the course of events, and
to take any steps and incur any
rational expense to make war OH any
actual danger that may threaten pro-
perty interests along the river. That
committee, consisting OF Aldermen En-
mer, Saunders, Anderson, Doren and
Stryker, were at work brlgh. and early
yesterday morning. They made per-
sonal inspection of the river from
Lamont down the river TO the Soldiers
Home up the river. OF course, many
plans of defense were discussed, and all
agreed that either the existing jam
must be broken, or else accretions of
ice upon IT should he prevented. Past
experience of the difficulty of breaking
jams of anchor ice convinced the COM
mttee of the ! Utility of any such en-
deavor, and the attention of the COM
mittee was directed to the matter of
holding back the ice above the city.
Accordingly, preparations were made
10 swing boom across the river at the
Michigan Barrel Works.
1t is not alone IN dry times that all
signs fail. Wet times are equally mis-
leading. Expert opinions of the most
ly respectable, were literally showered
about town all day Yesterday. One in
telligent man said that the boom would
back up the water To the low lands TO
the north OF the city, and by that route
the river would surely SWING around
into the town. Another man of equal
intelligence said that the boom would
have no effect, good. bad or inditfer-
ent. The council committee have ex-
pressed their opinions in their deeds.
Cellars and Easements Oh the river
banks, on Canal, Louis, Campau. Pearl
and other adjacent streets had already
began to flood IN the forenoon yester-
day. Most of this water does not reach
these Easements by direct overflow of
the river, but through the hacking mp
the river through sewers, and by ways
that are somewhat undetermined.
The state of thc.river at 3 o clock this
morning was threatening, although the
water IN the basement OF the police
building was lower hy four inches than
1t was at 6 O'Clock yesterday evening.
The river was, at the hour first men
toned, well up towards the basement
windows of the RanDlyJile building.