St. Paul daily globe., 1892-05-29
FLOODS ARE IN SIGHT,
Weather Observer Lyons Says
the Mississippi Will Rise
Three Feet,
Consequent Upon the Heavy
Rains Of Friday Night
and Yesterday.
Serious Damage Is Certain
to Ensue on the Up" =
per Flats,
And the South st. PauliteS
May Expect Lively
Times. u

The end of the high water season IN
st. Paul is not yet. and the river will go,
up nearly three feet within the next
few days. This was the estimate ma de
by Sergeant Lyons, of the local weather.
bureau. yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Lyons
has been keeping close watch of the
Father of Waters for several weeks
The river up to O'Clock yesterday
afternoon had fallen about five
inches below the highest mark
at this point this year. The fall had
been very slow, but many. including
several old river men, were of the Opin-,
ion that the worst was over. and that
there would be steady cessation of the
water until the river had reached it's
natural state. The families on the upper.
fats who have been /
Driven From Their Homes :
by the flood, had the same opinion, and
were anXiouSly awaiting the time when
they could move into their houses:
Most OF these unfortunateS carried
their household goods to places of safety
on the high ground along the leVee and!
sought shelter for themselves with
their more fortunate neighbOIS whose
houses have so far escaped the food
But if the river rises to the eX-
tent that is now expected, all thel
poor people living on the upper flats
will be driven from there and must also
remove their household goods consiG-
cradle distance if they wish TO save
them. There are some two hundred or
more families that will be thus prac-
tlcally thrown on charity.
Where will they go?
A r0DOrtar want m the nnpor fafQ
yesterday afternoon and found many Of
the women in tears, asking each other
that question.
If the expected happens, and they ar
left destitute by the water, some prOvis-
ion must be made by the charitable
people of the city TO care for them and
see that they find both food and shell
ter. 1t will be too big task for the
relief society to attempt alone, andi
that organization must have the cooper
alton of the citizens generally in looking.
after the unfortunate.
The condition of these residents ON
the flats is fairy we'll understood. The
men have various occupations. Some
of them work in the sewers or on the,
streets; others
Drive Dump Wagons
at night, but all are dependent on their.
daily wages to support their large fam
lilies and have nothing outside of that,
They have no means laid by to with
stand siege of the kind threatened
and will be unable to provide for their,
wives and children properly. i
There will be great damage done to,
valuable property if the river goes up
even two more feet. 1t will necessitate
the total abandonment of McAIillan's
packing house and of the sewer pipe!
works Oh the levee. small diStancel
below the high bridge. This will throw
Il number of men out of employment
and will make heavy loss TO the
proprietorS of both concerns. Besides
these there are several smaller concerns
that will be compelled to shut down.,
while on the West side flats the St.
Paul Stove works will be seriously
hampered. This is all in the heart OF,
the city, but South st. Paul will suffer
even much greater damage, and the
reservoirs and dams in the upper river
will hardly withstand the pressure for
any great length of time.
Altogether the outlook is dismal, eS-
pecially for the hundreds of poor peo-
pie.
Sergeant Lyons stated that the rain
stnrin of yesterday anu the night pre-
vious would be the principal cause of
the expected rise, as the rain had been
very heavy in Upper Minnesota. the
fall being something over one and a
half inches. Clearing weather is looked
for today and tomorrow, but it is prob
able that there will be another heavy
rainfall in few days, and if this be the
case, the rise will be even greater than