The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-02
ICE GORGE FIVE NILES LONG.
Fifty Feet High In PIaces-Town of
Chippewa Falls Submerged. and
the River SsfII Rising-counsry
People Rescued by locomotives
Roandhsll IL Threatened. and
Eau Claire n In Danger should
the Gorge suddenly Break.

avert n Those whose houses have been
hooded hare removed much Of their
household gsods and belongings to hishel
ground and are huddiad together In shs
sc9ooi houses and other vacant buildings
cut OF the path OF the torrent that i.
sweeping doxn several main streets.
Al hope OF breaking the gorge. and thus
silo wing the pent-up waters 10 gradually
subssde Is now abandoned. All efforts 10.
day We're directed 10 removing household
goods and merchandise out OF the reach oi
tae food. Every team in the city has
been engaged IN this work. Every resi-
dens and business firm on River street
have moved out.
The Chippewa Lumber and Boom Com
pany's mHs and yard are under water AL
hope has vanished OF saving the entire
business portion of the placs from befna
submerged. and the water viii soon reach
the courthouse. eight blocks from the
river
A report from Little Falls was brought
in this morning that another gorge had
formed thirty miles above here. and this
greatly added 20 the alarm, as IN case ii
should break. nothing could save the city
from being swept away. Reports OF a
very serious nature come from down the
river. The country every where Is flooded
The gerge continues TO grow in extent
il is now over five miles long. and in many
places thirty 10 fifty feet high. Ii CON-
pietely dams the river. and this Is wha,
Is causing the rapid rise of the river here.
The heavy rains of last week we're fol-
lowed by a sudden freeze, which sudden
~ massed the floating Ice in the Chippe-
wa and the swiftly running current con-
tinusliy added TO IL. until II reached tts
present gigantic proportions
Below here the Chippewa II falling.
har 10 ~, etr.s.s1 tns ali hst
fact IS causing the people at that place
mach uneaslness, as X indicates the water
is being piled mp as by dam above them.
The Ice pack at Badger mills, half Way
between Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls.
Is growing in extent, and everything seems
10 indicate that the river is choking up.
At F1smbeau Farm the river ran over
the banks and destroyed 800 head OF I've
stock. 1t is feared the course Of the river
viii be changed. throwing it directly on
the town and completely ingndating IL. In
that event heavy loss of property and life
cannot be averted.
ssrsae ..usiress pertlon OF Chippewa Fails
IS ABB sdo1et. tonight, and the food may
sas@s 1wsy many OF the buildings, With
ct asnag.ng scarcely a dollars worth OF
merchandise and other valuable goods that
were stored there until today. Business
men decided not to take chances with the
flood that threatened 10 sweep Their pos
sessions from them. and at an early hour
today began the removal of their stocks
At O'Clock tonight every business house
on Spring street and Bridge street, from
the river TO Center street. is deserted. and
the contents of the buildings have been
stored in unoccupied structures In remote
portions OF the city which the floods can
not reach, unless the entire city is over
wheimed and swept away.
The Chippewa river shows no signs oi
abatement Il rose four feet today. and al
so'ciock this evening the water ts raising
at the rate of two inches an hour. The
postofiice is under three feet of water
and Postmaster Mccall has moved the
office seven blocks from its old location,
At Chippewa Falls the river Is fully three
quarters OF mile wide and its surface Il
covered with an inch OF ice. The most
stubborn resistance by the obstruction Is
in that portion OF the river between the
wagon bridge and the Central railroad
bridge. about half a mile in length. Today
Mayor Llndley ordered an explosion OF 5s
pounds OF dynamite. but after 800 pounds
had been exploded the experiment was
abandoned as failure. Railroad officials
who viewed the gorge stated that there IS
not sufficient dynamite o5tainable 20 blas'
a channel for the river through the frozen
mass or snow, logs and ice. The river has
risen slowly up 20 o'clock tonight.
Buxines. Houses Flooded.
Milwaukee. Dec IA special 20 ths
Wisconsin from Chippewa Falls says:
THE situation at Chippewa Falls Is
growing more serious every moment The
mammoth Ice gorge which formed SIX
miles down the river. has backed into the
city. and the immense volume OF water
coming from above IS spreading on each
f~s4 1a4 M Ia rsftYffDn% fHH
town Today every merchant ia moving
TO a place Of safety. Water has llied the
Easements of business blocks almost the
entire length of Bridge street. Before
evening Il IL expected the water viii have
reached the courthouse, eight blocks from,
the river. There is much excitement, eu'
everything Is orderly. About nfty families
on the south side who were FORCED "a
move we're reported IN want, ard relief
was given. some families who had taken
refuge IN empty houses. were without FOOD
or warmth.
Bridge Superintendent Callahan. of the
Central road. was instructed 10 blast ou'
the gorge at East. but would nos under
take It. He said that all the Dynamite
manufactured could not bulge the Jam
The water this morning began 70 rife Al
the rate OF foot an hour. IL looks Is
though the entire town VIII be inundated
a
rand. wis. SAYS: The ice gorge which
began al West Newton. on the Misssssipp
ard gradually extended up the Chippewa
Friday, has reached Roun0niiL three miles
below thts city The nearness OF the gorge
has forced the water at this point hiEhei
sf,an at any time during the food, al
though the water IL slightly fAltug. The
eighteen miles Of the Chippewa below
Roanah9lI Is one field OF packed ice. and
she bottom lands over which the Chicago
Milwaukee, a. -. Paul tracks FGn II com
plsfely submerged
At Ro,srdhill The river Is f1rEed ~
hluf.s. which makes she gorge there Can
re-ous >, thss city. All through the bot
te~ss sf thA west s'ae ths river is a mis-
vvgse. ara causes the water % rise slow
" As far as knoSn ID lives have bses
1axt but those living on the CnippeS S'
bottoms have hssu rescued with Glfficuliy
several families OF the Buffalo eonati
ssse were driven from shelr homes A.
cfcsock Sunxiay morning by TIE forfu3Hi
of a gorge a. Plum is5ar3- SANITY cEess
ed shey wased fhrough the watsr and &C.
20 a higher R1lnt on ths railroad. fFps'
whfeh shsy wsre resc pa.d - a relief tratr
froga thas pace. Several q ne 1aIll
wsr@ baby trozsn Others escaped ca ~
Ice raek asHnr it forae-5.
Sess~& of all 1 ends has usr - a1f
haFalugs A&Fs h@@n greatly 6aFnaset. a.
thosaxh ne growing timber sSs proFes-fes
fnesn largely freH the grin1inS fes
ruransi has rot had a na&1 service s'nc'
Fr51ay
Tne w1srsrslr Csrtrst o-7essls receives
aHeiceS fregn CAlppsNa Fails TIA morn
snx tAas the wafer Lad reached % within
sAxee xxss ef tae<Aslss With i<aascaz&cz'