The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-03-15
RAGING FLOODS

Cause Immenss Damage Along the Grand
River In Michigan-Booms Oontaining
1000, 600 Feet OF Logs Break Away
Mills aud Factories Partly Submerged. d
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, March ia
Grand river is fifteen feet above high
water mark and lacks but ten inches Of
reaching the point made in 1883 when
the big log jam took out every railroad
bridge across it. 1t rose all day yester-
day at the rate of six inches an hour
and at 10 O'clock last night the waters
became stationary. At 8 o'clock Sun
day morning the first ice Of the gorge
ut Muir put in an appearance and all
day long the huge cakes buffeted the
bridge piers and disputed with logs the
supremacy Of the Eve mile current.
The abutments of two highway bridges
have been weakened by the ice and
logs. Early in the morning the booms
confining the logs Of the Michigan Bar
rel Company gave way and two million
feet Of logs started for Lake Michigan
The flats and the island are inundated
and it was with great difficulty that
stock in barns was rescued. The steam
er Barrett is tied to tree on Grand
Vile avenue and should the waters sud
denly recede will be two blocks from
the river. The huge warehouse OF the
Valley City Storage Company was car
ried mile and finally anchored against
a tree. Wallin's tannery and the plas-
ter mills are four feet under water.
The Michigan Barrel Company and the
Quimby Lumber Company have lost
several hundred thousand feet Of lum-
ber and the latter concern expects its
huge dry kiln to be swept away. The
Easements Of the Goshen Carpet Sweep
er Company. Berkey & Gay and the
Grand Rapids Chair Company are
flooded and the machinery will suffer-
The press and composing rooms OF the
Evening Press are covered by two feet
Of water The loss already aggregates
500, 900 and will be greater, as reports
from points up the river state that
there are ice gorges and rising waters
FLINT, Mich, March 1S.-Sunday af-
ternoon the ice in the north branch OF
the river gave way and with the Inn
mense volume of water that has accum-
mulated during the past few days, car
ried away 1000, 900 feet of pine logs
from the mill Of L. p Smith & Co, Of
this city The railroad and city bridges
in the course OF the rushing logs mad
close call.
IONA, Mich, March 49, Never before
in the history of Ionia has the Grand
river been so high as 1t is at the present
time, and the water is still rising
Hundreds Of men have been at worl
with teams all Of Saturday night ant
Sunday trying to prevent the hooc
crossing the street road. A great line
OF breastworks have been thrown NJ
all along the road and the water ha'
so far been successfully checked Th'
Capital wagon works plant Is now en-
tirely surrounded with the flood, thu
basement and lower floors being inun
dated. The furniture factorys plan
Is in almost as bad shape and all tina
, can be seen Of the fair grounds is tn
upper portion OF the buildings
The bed Of the river lies at least I
! half mile away, but the whole countr!
/, for miles is now but raging, rushing
torrent The bridges at that point ar
all in place, but are in great danger
The bridges on the Detroit Gram
/, Haven & Milwaukee road are In danger
This morning men were engaged :
weight them down, and tons Of sand
bags were piled on them The tresti
at Portland gave way last night, an
passengers must be carried around tn
washout and loaded on other trains
, There Is no ice In the river now to spea
Of, but the current carries large tree
! and debris Of every description dow
: with terrific force, and whatever is
=, It's wake must 90