The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-03
STILL PANICKY.
CHIPPEWA FALLS IN A SERI-
Gus SITUATION.

Chippewa Falls, Wis, Dec. AT 10
O'Clock tonight the situation in Chippe-
wa Falls is more hopeful. The water
has receded about six inches and it is be-
lieved that it may not rise higher, al
though the city has twice been flooded
within the past forty-eight hours by eX-
actly The same conditions.
Last night the waters receded eight
inches between the hours of 8 and 12,
but after that hour it came up rapidly
until it had gone two feet above its
former high water mark.
To nights bright prospects may he bnt
II repetition of those Of last night and the
night before, and before daylight many
expect that the water will he creeping up
Bridge street into the residence portion
of the city,
The gorge in the channel of the river
has been added to all day and tonight
it seems vertible mountain which tons
of dynamite cannot affect. If the water
succeeds i'll cutting passage beneath
this immense mass of frozen snow and
ice, II further rise may not be experienced.
but it is doubtful if sufficient volume
can find it's way under it to save the city
from further destruction.
At o'clock tonight an immense
amount of anchor ice is piled up in the
L.,
eating that the gorge had landed on the
bottom and that the water was no longer
finding its way underneath The fact
that the river had fallen fifteen inches at
Eau Claire seemed to warrant this belief.
but nevertheless the water did not con
tinue to rise in this city after that hour
1t may be possible that the water found
another means of passing down the river,
but the citizens will not feel absc lutely
safe until it has been demonstrated by
several days observation that the river
has reached its maximum height.
The situation here was interesting in
the extreme to-day The city was panic.
stricken and men with blanched faces
rushed back and forth scarcely conscious
of their actions. Wild reports reach
town of the havoc wrought by the stream
above and terrible catastrophe may over
take the city at any moment No one
knows just what is in store, and the con-
dition of uncertainty adds more to the en-
citement of the moment than the actual
destruction of property by the river pos
sibly could. One rumor to the affect
that the river would cut IL passage
through the high banks north OF the CITY
gave rise to n great deal of apprehension
The river course is seriously INSTRUCTED
by the gorge which has now reached to
within short distance of the dam, and
the probable turning of the course of the
stream upon the city seems so plausible
that everyone became more panic strick-
ell. Hundreds of teams started Mt dav-
light TO move the effects of merchants
out of possible danger and Bridge and
Central streets were choked with wagons
loadde down with merchandise. BY
morning NOT building in the business
portion of the city will he occupied.
it is impossible to see how any of the
lower portion OF the city can escape, for
the. coming of the water seems as sure as
it is deliberate and the valley may be
completely inundated.
1t is thought the flood may have spent
its force for the outlying districts The
critical condition here, however, ..contin-
ues to excite fear and the DEVELOPMENTS
OF the next twenty four hours will be
anXiously awaited.