New-York tribune., 1896-12-03

GREAT SUFFERING REPoRTED-A SIM
liar FLOOD FIFTY YEARS AGO
SWEPT THE VALLEY CLEAN
CLEAR TO THE MIS-
sIsSIPPI.
Chippewa Falls. Wis. Dec. AT | o clock
this morning the water is twenty-eight feet
above low water mark. Every place OF business
in Spring River and Lower Bridge SITS. has been
vacated.
a rumor to the effect that the river would cut
a paasa geway for itself through the high Danks
north of the Central Railroad bridge. has given
ris, TO srcat apprehension. The rivers course is
seriously obstructed by The gorge, which has
reached within short distance Of the dam, ana
the probable turning of the course of the stream
upon the city seems so plausible that everyone Is
panic stricken.
\ report that Little Falls dam has given way
To the pressure upon It has reached this city.
II it is a fact. enormous body OF water VIII De
precptated upon the city about = o'clock in the
morning. as it will take that length of time for
the water to travel the forty miles of river bot
tom between here and the point indicated.
Spring-st is impossible between Bridge and
BAY SITS and the water is climbing steadily TO-
ward the basement of the City Hall. 1t is impos-
sbIe TO see how any Of the lower portion of the
town can escape for the coming of the water
seems as sure az it is deliberate, ard the valley
MAJ be completely inundated il the rise con-
tirues The Lumbcrmens and First Natlohai
banks have both been Obliged to move.
The river presents a terrible appearance The
Ice gorge f. forty feet high and backing the
wa:-r on The city a: the rate Of foot per hour
Poor people are all suffering terribly from the
cold
Chippewa Falls. Wis Dee THE situation
grows worse here hourly. The water continues
TO rise and the destruction of property is reach
ing enormous proportions The loss is already
nearly 81 Gi0 nDo. and III" indications are that
it will be much greater before the waters sub
side Fifty business structures in this city have
been abandoned and the thoroughly alarmed
people are making every effort to leave as little
for the incoming waters to destroy as they pos
sibly can
Two hundred teams and draws have rushed
hither and ihiiher all last night and to-day. and
the streets are Uttered with various kinds Of
mcrchandisc which spilled over the sides and
ends Of the overloaded wagons they were
hurried 70 places OF safety
The river AT this point IA fully thrcc-quartors
~ 4 nile wide. and its surface is covered with
anchor fee to a depth varying from ten to thirty
feet. The most StubbFlf 'NlHldi'' 'hflNt ps
the obstruction is In that portion Of the river
between tho wagon bridge and the Central
Railroad bridge. about half mile in length.
HOW THE GORGE FORMED
The gorge continues to grow in extent. II is
now over 1--WE miles long. and in some places
thirty to nfty feet high. Il completely dams the
river. and this is what Is causing the rapid rise
~ the river here. The heavy rains Of last weeh
were followed by a sudden freeze. which quickly
massed the floating lee in the Chippewa. and
the swiftly running current continually added
to It till It reached It's present gigantic proper
TORS Below here the Chippewa is falling.
A report that another gorge Is forming at Lit
tie Falls thirty miles above here has been
brought IN. ana increases the alarm, as, in case
Of its brcaiing suddenly. the whole city would
be swept away.
At FIambeau Farm, fifteen miles above this
city. another ice gorge has formed. The river
has overlooked It's banks and inundated the
Try to the extent II twenty miles either side
Domestic animals have pcr-hcd by the score
farms and farmhouses are flooded and the losses
in this direction w,ll reach into the hundreds OF
| thousands The reports are me3gre and uncor-
roborated. but it is safe to estimate that least
5000 horses. hogs and COWS nave met death in
the flood
~ midnight The water forced back from the
Chippewa ice gorge was creeping up the street
toward the Wisconsin Central station This
morning al o'clock the water two feet
above the tracks. An hour later the tracks
were abandoned Th" water rose steadily. and
a, noon Spring-st. in it's business section was
a lake For several blocks further back hotels
and business houses were chilly 'the water hav-
ing eXtinguisheG all fires
For ten miles below the Chippewa River IS
nllod with ice gorged well to the bottom oh
sructirg the flow. and back of It the water is
constantly and rapidly rising to the dam at the
upper end OF the city. Below the gorge to Eau
Claire the water is rcceding while reports from
above the dam indicate that the water on the
Upper Chippewa FlamDeau and ether streams
| will soon go down.
There Is a complete cessation OF business here
and hundreds have been To great Inconvenience
and loss-that Is all yet. But the shadow
If a great calamity lies over the Chippewa VAL
ley
DESTRUCTION FIFTY YEARS AGO
1t is Of record that fifty years ago an ice
gorge formed near here. and that when 1t went
out in the spring 1t swept the valley clean to the
Mississippi There houses then. but
great trees were cut off. banks swept away and
devastation: followed. If the weather is not just
right from until spring. history may repeat
itself-no- in uninhabited. wooded country
but In a valley lined with farming homes and
rich, prosperous cities.
Eau Claire might be swept out Of existence by
such n flood and the loss would be incalculable
and terrible. All this is n possibility. perhaps
q probability.
IL the weather should moderate now should
the force Of the back water become great
TO loosen or break the jam of ice and logs packed
almost inextricaby between this city and Eau
Claire the calamity would come now. With the
mercury at zero the suffering from the flood
would he beyond the power of imagination.