St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-05-21
river ON A RAMPAGE.
The Mississippi Rapidly Ap-
preaching to the Point
Of Danger.
Already the Upper Flats Are
Surrounded by the
Floods.
Observer Lyons Says Yester-
days WeathePlWaS Un-
precedented,
But Prophet Kellogg Calls to
Mind That He Had Pre-
dieted 1t.

The river is nearing the danger line
Within twenty-four hours the water
will have reached an altitude sufficient
to overflow all of the upper flats and
much of the West side low ground; or
the subsidenca of the flood will have
begun and all danger past
The river went up nearly two feet in
4 few hours yesterday, and the hign
water period commenced in st. Paul.
At O'Clock last evening the river
measured ten feet above low water
mark, and was rising Yisibly every
hour. Six families living in flatboatS,
or scOws. on the west side of the river,
Just below the Robert street bridge, were
flooded out and obliged 70 move from
their Odd-loOking homes to places of
safety OH the West side flats. The boats
have been on dry land for several
months and were not secured in any
way. The water rose so rapidly
that some of them were upset
and are now floating in the
water, bottom side up. The men
secured boats and rOwed most of their
furniture to shore before abandoning
their treacherOus houses.
The cOtIagerS on the West side flats
are in no danger as yet. as the river
must rise at least four more feet before
it will overflow the embankment and
flood the flats. Not so with the 200 fam
lilies living on the upper flats, in the
neighbOrhOOd of the Omaha bridge
and between that and the high
bridge. The water has leaked
under the levee and filled the
low ground. Most of the houses are
clustered Oh high ground near the river
bank, and the flooding of the low
ground has shut them off from any di-
tTect communication with the city. An
other rise in the river like that of yes
terday, and the buildings will be in
great danger The families Lying in
them are prepared TO leave at any time,
and many of them kept watch upon the
river last night TO prevent being taken
by surprise. Further down, below the
higf@ bridge, there is another
large number" of small frame
houses, and the occupants of these
are in closer proximity 10 the river than
the others. Many of them removed
their most valuable household effects TO
places of safety yesterday afternoon. j.
Il. Mcmillan packing house will be one
of the first big buildings to be flooded if
the water rises few feet more, and his
men were at work yesterday getting
things in shape to stand season of
high water. The cellar of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul warehouse, at
the foot of Sibley street. contains two
feet of water. and a portion of the
sewer pipe works, above the Wa
basha street bridge, is under
water, Old river men now look for
rise of at least four feet more within
forty-eight hours, and say 1t is liable to
come with a jump, as did tue rise yes
terday. The highest mark ever reached
by the river in st. Paul since records
have been kept is 1913 feet, and there is
no probability at present that that point
will be reached at this time. At 10:30
last night the gauge at the foot of
Jackson street measured 10 feet inches,
showing a rise of three-yuarters of an
inch an hour since o'clock. At this
rapid rate the danger line will be
reached in the next twenty-four hours.