The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1896-12-05
WISCONSIN FLOODS.
Vast Ice Gorges in the Chin.
peWa River.
Many Families Were Forced to Move
Their Household Effects.

I chippewa Fails, Wis, Dec. 1-ISna-
/ claLl-Ihc situation in Chippewa Fails
y growing more serious every minnie
+ The mammoth ice gorge which formed
.HA miles down the river has backed into
the city. and the immense volume of wa
I Ter coming from above is sDrcadina, to
/ of the town.
( Today every merchant in the city is
( moving to places of safety. The watrr
/ mas hlied the Easements Of the business
I blocks almost the entire length Of Bridge
/ street anu before evening it is expected
the water will have reached the court
house eight blocks from the river.
Ihere Is much excitement in town.
but everything is orderly. About fifty
families on the south side. who were
torced to move their homes. are report
cd III want, and relief was immediately
dispatched. Some of these families have
taken refuge i'll empty houses and were
without food or warmth
Bridge Superintendent CallagEan of
the Wisconsin Central road was instruct
ed to blast out the gorge 1T our east
bur he would not undertake the task
lie sand that all the dynamite manufac-
tured could not bulge it. and il seems
all that can be done is to sit hands down
ana watch the approach of the food
hc water this morning began to rise
AT the rate of a foot an hour, and ii
looks as though the entire town would
he inundated. 1t Is a critical condition
OF affairs, but there seems to bc no rem
cdy.
The ice gorge fastened by thousands
of logs. formed at the site of the old
Lafayette mill and the enormous BODY
OF water which resulted on account Of
the recent rains is being held in a space
comprising the distance between the
gorge and the Chippewa Lumber com
pany plant IN this city, covering about
SIX mIieS Of the river. The water from
the numerous creeks and lakes tributary
70 the Chippewa Is fast filling the country
along TINS SIX <llcS. and farms ana
dwellings are being inundated and the
city is thrcatcGcd with inevitable dam
age.
Already the basement of every busi-
ness and dwelling house on Spring and
River streets is filled. and the water is
slowly creeping NJ Bridge street into the
city. here seems To be no escape ANA
soon it is believed that the river viii
have reached height of twenty or
maybe thirty feet. Below the gorge the
river Is practically dry. but when the
anchor ice iS released and the water
forces its way through the obstruction
the residents Of West Fan Claire will
Of water IN the reservoir designated
above. and when il goes out il viii 80
with rush. sweeping everything before
1t. Eau Claire has every reason to feel
apprchcn>iyc as it~ danger begins when
this city has passed the critical point.
Reports of loss of life have been re-
ceiyed Ut Durand, but they cannot be
verified.
The Situation at Durand.
Durand. Wis. Dee. 1.-IS9ccial Tho
ice gorge which begun at West Newton
on the Mississippi and gradually cX-
tended up the Chippewa since Friday
has reached Round Hill. three miles he
low this city. The mcarne>S of the gorge
has forced the water 1T this point higher
than ut any time during the flood. al
though the river is slightly falling.
The eighteen miles of the Chippewa he
low Round Hill is one field of packed icc
and the bottom lands over which the
Chicago. milwaukee, x st. Paul railroad
track runs is completely submerged. At
Round Hill the river is thanked 10y bluffs
which makes dangerous gorge. although
the wide bottoms on the west side. max
ing the river over Il mile Wide at this
point. causes the water to rise slowly.
A. far as known no lives have been
lost. but those living on the Chippewa
bottoms have been rescued with difficult
~ Several families on the Buffalo CoUn-
" side We're driven from their homes
nj > o'clock Sunday morning by the
forming of Il gorge at Plum ISland.
Scantily dressed. they wadcd through tn"
ice and water to Il high place ON the
railroad track. from which point they
were rescued by relief train from this
place. Several of the party were badly
frozen. Others have escaped on the ice
pack after il formed around their homes
Stock of all kinds have pcri~hcd and
buildings have been greatly damaged al
though the growing timber has protected
them largely from the grinding ice Dur
ana has not had mail since Fuday fore
noon.
AT Flambeau the river ran over itS
banks. destroying 300 head of livestock
and running Il dozen farms and buildings.
1t iS feared today that the course of the
river will he changed. throwing It III
rcctly on the town and completely IN
Undatiug il.
Hallway Traffic Suspended.
WIusau. WIS. Dec Especial. -
The flood in the Wisconsin river con
tiuuls and at Granite Heights ten miles
north of here, the Chicago. milwaukee,
X ST Paul tracks are about halt tnot
under water for about half mlir. | ms
water * thinly Shcetcd with ice which
is not strong enough for transfer ana Nrt
is enough to seriously impede any at
tempt to clear the track. 10 part Of
the track is vet washed oHt. but II l. not
considered safe 10 attempt 10 run
through the water.
The northhound passenger train cot
through yesterday morning ana was
caught hy the rise. 80 that 1t can "uiH
run now between Minocqua and McrrIil-
\ train has been made up winch runs
on the regular schedule between Nau>au
and New Lisbon. rs it lS impossible -
do any work which will help the dim
Guilty. The =oad seems 10 Ice At tne
mercy of the winter flood, which IN tins
section is a mighty stubborn thing.
There are no new deNclupmt HtN III re-
gard To the flood. Al ; =. IN. ne water
has not recedcd and there i nothing
which can be done 10 lower II. hr ~
Paul tracks cannot hc used until the
water gosS down.
No Alarm at Eau Claire.
Eau Claire. Wis. Dec. -lSpeci4Ll-
There i a total suspension OF railway
traffic, ON the Wahasha X liurauu uIahIL
ot the Chicago. MIlWaukee y - l auI
railway. Great damage has been zone
10 farms along the Chippewa river.
Farmers families escaped 70 the railway
tra.L from the rising water auu were
rescued hy rraiumeut and an engine. Inc
great i., gorge trrce mlio> from f-an
CI,irc i causing the iuundaiIou ~ MP
,,,,,-, Falls but l. protecting Eau t'aiIr
auI Durand. 1t extends for miles ana
cannot be, broken Unless II >h@uid -lNe
yyav no great damage ! looked ~. H,lL
Tbn Chipppwa river NJ p. M. i "lliE
~, f,ot aboy, low water mark ana no
alarm i felt now. At Chippewa aIiS
! said 10 be twenty-five feet al : Z. III
No Rise at stevens Point
Stevens Point. Wis. Dec. 1.-ISpeclaLI
IN Wisconsin river at this pout re
main. stationary. hut reports rtcFlNrd
from M north say that the water i iar
lug.