The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-12-05
GORGE NOT BROKEN.
Chippewa Falls and Other Towns
Still in Danger.
Fears THAT the Course OF the River May
BE Changed--waier Drives out Resi-
dents-Damage Already Esti-
mated at SI.OoO.OOO.

Chippewa Falls. Wis. Dec, Sat IL
% feet above low water mark. Every
place of business ON Spring. River and
Lowe Bridge streets IN being vacated
A rumor To the effect that the river
would cut a passageway for itself
through the high banks north of the
central railroad bridge has given rise
TO great apprehension. The rivers
course is seriously obstructed by a
gorge. which has reached within short
distance OF the dam. and the probabls
! turning OF the course OF the stream
upon the city seems so plausible that
everyone is panic stricken. Spring
street is impossible between Bridge and
Bay streets. and the water is climb
ing steadily towards the basement OF
the city hall. Ii is impossible to see
how any of the lower portion Of the
town can escape. for the coming of the
water seems IS sure as il is deliberate,
aud the valley may be completely mum
dated il the ! Sc continues. The Lum-
bermcn's and First national banks have
both been obliged to move. The river
presents terrible appearance. The ice
/ gorge is 40 feet high and backing the
water on the city at the rate OF IA foot
per hour. Poor people are still suffer
ing terribly from the cold.
For ten miles below, the Chippewa
river Is iiled with ice gorged well to the
bottom. obstructing the flow. and back
of II The water is constantly and rapidly
rising 10 the dam at the upper end of
/ the city. Below the gorge 10 Eau
\ Claire the water is recedng. while re-
ports from above the dam indicate TINT
Il water on the upper Chippewa. Flam
beau and other streams. will soon go
down. Vast masses of water are flow
ing over the upper dam above the
Weyerhauser mill, at the upper end OF
! the city bringing down broken ice in
large quantities. Below the rapids. at
the dam. this water flows under the ice
I pack for miles showing against the
/ bridges and backing into the town.
There is a complete cessation OF BUSH
ness here and Hundreds have been to
| great Inconvenience and loss-that is
( all as yet. But the shadow OF great
calamity lies over the Chippewa val
ley. 1t is Of record that 90 years ago
\ nn ice gorge formed near here and that,
when il went out in the spring, it swept
| the valley clean TO the Mississippi.
There were no houses then. but great
trees were cut of. the banks swept
clean and devastation followed. III the
weather is not just right from nov until
| spring. history may repeat itself-not
! in an uninhabitcd, wooded country,
| but in n valley lined with farming homes
and rich. prosperous cities. Eau
! Claire might he swept out Of existence
| by such "A flood and the loss would be
| incalcuabe and terrible. All this is
! possibility. perhaps probability. III
The weather should moderate now, or
| should the force Of the back water be-
come so great as 10 loosen or break the
! jam OF ice and logs, packed almost i'm
extricably between this city and Eau
| Claire, the calamity would come now.
| The wagon bridge across tn river TO
the south OF the town seems now al
most imperceptibly in motion and may
he moved dangerously soon. Even
now its south approach Is trembling
Below IL is the Wisconsin Central
bridge, as yet safe. The entire pack
above the solid gorge has moved 1000
feet in the last "a hours, and attempts
are being made TO open passage
through il by dynamite. Because OF
ihe fact that no high gorge is apparent,
the river being packed for miles, the
project can scarcely be successful. Tel
,grams are being received here con
tinually from parties who have friends
in the city. asking as to their condl-
ton. II may be said there is 10 danger
10 life here. nor will there be. The
city is in darkness, the gas plant hav-
ing been long ago abandoned. The
electric light plant at the dam is forced
TO run under check, by reason Of loss Of
power by the lessened head; and this
may be so much further lessened as TO
stop the whole. The Wisconsin Cen
trail roped in its depot buildings TO hold
them. Late reports from Little Falls,
where the Weyerhausers have the big
gest dam on the Chippewa. are that the
dam there is likely To hold. IL II
should not. or IL the dam should be
oEened. probably great destruction
would result there. as the head of water
at the local dam would be raised TO six
| OF elRnt rect.
Fifty OF the largest business firms
have abandoned their structures entire
ly and every resident has made prepare
tions TO seek place Of safety. An es-
timnte OF the damage already done In
this city and the rich farming country
above IL cannot be made. but IL Is be-
lleved loss of Si,00O.O0O has already
been sustained. Not until after the
flood has subsidized will the full measure
OF damage be estimated.
Chicago, Dec. 3.-Passcngers who
came TO Chicago Wednesday from Chip
pcwa valley stations assured anxious in
quirers that though there was still the
grayest danger of Chippewa Falls be-
ing destroyed by the flood. there was no
longer any reasonable fear for Eau
| rlsfrp