Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-12-09

rising. The Spring street merchants who
had stored goods in second floors deter
mined to take no chances and everything
was moved today, and by night there will
not be dollars worth of material re-
naming. Business is abandoned and the
city is in state of tUmult.
People Await the Flood.
Thousands of people are anxiously
awaiting the flood and groups of fifty or
more eXcitedly discussing the situation
are to be seen on every corner. Any
thing IS expected and nothing may hap
pen. but the greatest danger lies in the
probable changing of the rivers course
to throw it into the town. This danger
is more insured today, for it is plainly
to be seen that the water can never
cut its way under the fifteen miles of
ice gorge which has formed in the bed
of the river
Experts believe that the gorge will
soon become anchored to the bottom of
the river. In this case the river must
flow out around il. Its natural course
IN this event lies directly behind the
town
Three thousand pounds of dynamite ar
rived this morning and men have been at
work at various points along the river.
All attempts have so far failed to relieve
the situation. All buildings on River
street are today flooded to the second
story and the formation of ice around
them is causing serious damage to the
structures.
! Central Depot in Danger.
The Wisconsin Central depot is under
three feet of water and will be carried
away before night The Chicago, Mil
waukee & St. Paul railway freight depot
is in a similar situation and the coal
sheds near by are wrecked and torn by
the ice.
A report reached here this morning
that the gorge at Littel Falls dam, eight
cen miles above the city, had broken
away. permitting rush of water upon
the town. If this report is authentic
Chippewa Falls will be completely mum
dated just as soon as the water reaches
here. Manager Irvine of the Chippewa
Lumber and Boom company discredits
the Littel Falls story. The report had
caused considerable CONSERVATION and
there will be no cessation of worry until
it is authoritatively denied.
Business Houses Abandoned.
abandoned their buildings entirely and
every resident has made preparations to
seek a place of safety in case the worst
occurs.
An estimate of the damage already
done in this city and the rich farming
country above it cannot be made, but it
is believed a loss of 81 600 600 has al
the flood has subsidized will the full meas
ure of damage be estimated.
Situation Unchanged.
Chippewa Falls, Wis, Dec. 3.-With
the temperature still lowering not very
far above z-ro and the water again
climbing, the outlook for this threatened
valley is still rather uncomfortable. For
fifteen miles between Chippewa Falls
and Eau Claire and for nearly the same
distance at Durand the river is a mass
of packed ice and timber and hourly be-
coming worse. The water has backed
up flooding parts OF Durand and the
lower levels in this city, but the worst
damage is really what threatens, rather
than what has actually occurred.
The lumber mills are ali surrounded
and partially engulfed by the water,
which has frozen and seized them in it's
icy clutches. Nearby business places
and dwellings are in the same predica-
ment. although being a little farther
away from the river channel, their sltua-
ton is not so serious. The railroads are
not suffering as much as might be ex-
pected The Omaha road runs along
high bluffs and has not been in the least
hampered in it's workings. The Wiscon-
sin Central tracks are lower and have
at times been covered by the water so
that many of their trains had to use the
Omaha tracks. Last night the water
dropped over a foot and they used their
own tracks, but early today the water
started up again and their line had to be
abandoned entirely The river branch
of the Milwaukee & st. Paul has stopped
all business for the present, its line ex-
tending along the course of the Chippewa
river. where the ice gorges and floods
prevail.
Anchored the Central Depot.
The CentraPs passenger station was
abandoned two days ago and this morn
ing the freight depot was surrounded.
The current was very strong in the new
channel and the sweeping water threat