The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-15
MICHIGAN'S UNRULY RIVERS
The Grand. Belle, Kalamazoo and Flat
Playing Havoc Along Their Courses.
Hundreds Of Houses Flooded, Bridges and
Dams Swept Away. Factories Closed and
Farms Covered with Water ard Ice.

DETROIT. Mlch., March lathe high
water in some OF the rivers in Michigan
has subsidized. while In others il is still do
ing considerable damage. At Grand Rapids
the water Is past the highest point In forty
two years. ana is still rapidly rising. One
hundred houses on the west side are sur
rounded by water. Children go to school
in boats. and fifty families or more have
been taken out on RATS. and have suffered
intensely from the cold storm that has been
prevailing. Last night the city was in
darkness because the electric-light works
were flooded. Many factories have shut
down to-day. Four inches more of water
will stop the engines in the electric street,
railroad powerhouse. and the cars will
have to stop running in consequences. Sew
eral bridges above and below Grand Rapids
have been carried away. The Gunneson-
swamp district, where many rkingm
reside, Is afloat, and houseowners are using
boats in going back and forth. The Black
Hill regions are also under water.
Above Marine City the Belle river Is ris-
ing rapidly, and great damage is threat
ened. The river Is i've feet higher than
usual. and Is blocked with heavy Ice at the
upper bridge and o half mile further up.
There Is u meet of forty OF more vessels In
tAO ooo ga heNo kohth
by putting out anchors and extra fasten-
ings to keep them from being carried
down stream.
Every factory in Midland is closed down.
cannot be operated. The body of Mrs.
Sullivan, who was Sunday, has
not yet been found.
At Lowell a large number of stores and
other business places are flooded. several
mills have closed, and many small build
ings along the river have been carried
away. Telephone communication between
the two sides OF town has been cut Oft.
Fifteen families have been forced to
abandon their homes. Flat river above
she dam is full of Ice. and 1t is feared that
when the gorge breaks loose the entire
village will be flooded. The river in some
places Is two miles wide.
AT lonia, Mnir. Portland and q number
of other places on the Grand river no
further damage Is feared. Around Muir
thousands of acres In the Grand river
valley are still paved with jams of ice from
one to six feet deep, which will stay until
thawed out. This will delay putting In
spring crops too long for them to mature.
In Ionia county total loss to farmers and
others is estimated at $4,000
Many Easements have been flooded and
factories and mills along the river In Ssgi-
nav compelled to shut down because of
high water, but the danger is over for the
present. A bowling blizzard from the
northwest has prevailed since this after
uOOn, huu ufO luCucS VI buOW his lhllSus
Both the Shlw assoc and Titabawassee rIv-
ers are falling.
The Kalamazoo river has risen at Kala-
mazoo. and ell the streams running into it
are higher than for many years. Railroad
tracks in that town are Illuminated, and
more than one hundred dwellings are sur
rounded by water to such q depth as to rem
der it necessary to use boats in gettiDg
back and forth. The Howlandsburg dam
on the Kalamazoo, which holds back Gull
lake. has gone ont. and the GalesburQ dam
is in great danger. The dam at Plain well
went ont yesterday. and flooded a large
area. The Otsego dam holds back o lake of
eight Thousand acres of water, and may
also be forced ont.
At ST. Louis Pine river is the highest in
seventeen years. and the mills and electric
light works are flooded out. the town hav-
ing been in darkness five nights.
Edison's Loss Exaggerated.
SCHENECTADY. n. u, March 1.-THE gen.
eral manager of the Edison company say
the estimates of losa nv she flood have heen