The record-union., 1896-12-02
The City Of Chippewa Falls Threatened
With Inundation.
Bottom Lands Covered With Water,
Farmers Suffering Great Loss of
Live StOck-Residents Forced to
Leave Their Homes and Seek
Places of Safety in the Woods
Railway Traffic Suspended.

CHIPPEWA FALLS (Wis.), Dec. l.
The Chippewa River is gorged at twenty
points tonight, and the backing up of
the water is becoming quite alarming.
At this point the water has crept up
from the bridge to the street two blocks
back of the river, and the river is now
twenty-five feet above the low water
mark. The Wisconsin Central tracks
are covered with water two feet deep,
and the road uses the Omaha tracks, the
transfer being made AT Eau Claire.
Duncan Creek, a tributary to the
Chippewa River here, is also doing much
damage, as the water is backing up in
it from the river The Chippewa Lum-
Der and Boom Company's mills and
lumber yards are all under water, and
every resident and busiess firm on River
street has moved out.
The very latest is that an ice gorge is
forming just below the falls. 1t is the
opinion Of river men that this will be
the saving of the city; that it will scat
ter the water on the low lands above
the falls, and give the water below the
falls a chance to recede.
AT F'lambeau farm the river ran over
its banks. destroying 300 head of live
stock, and ruined a dozen farms and
buildings. 1t is feared that the course
Of the river will be changed throwing it
directly on the town and completely
inundating it. In that event loss to
property and lives cannot be averted.
water, and a great loss of stock has
been suffered by farmers.
In making it's way past the region
where the flood is raging a train on the
Wisconsin Central running from st.
Paul to Chicago lost more than two
hours. Finally it succeeded in reaching
Irving Station, a small place near Chip
pewa Falls.
AS far as mile on every side of the
town of Irving Station it is said the
water has reached such a hight that
men and animals can no longer venture
out with safety. From 100 to 1000
men were at work and the scene was
dotted by lights of the lanterns used in
the work. 1t has been decided by the
residents that the use of dynamite
might save their homes and the town
from destruction. Tonight sticks of
endeavor to break the ice gorge Mean
while wagons loaded with household
goods and the portable possessions of
residents were being hauled away to
places of safety in the woods to the east
of the city
The flood in the Wisconsin River con-
tinues, and at Granite Falls the Chi
cago, Milwaukee and ST. Paul tracks
are under water for some distance. This
water is thinly sheeted with ice. which
is not strong enough for transfer, and
yet is thick enough to seriously impede
any attempt to clear the track. No
part of the track is yet washed out. but
it is not considered safe to attempt to
run through the water.
There is total suspension of railway
traffic on the Wabasha and Durand
section of the same road.
FORCED FROM THEIR HOMES.
DURAND CWis), Dec. 1.-The ice
gorge which begun at West Newton. on
the Mississippi. and gradually extended
up the Chippewa since Friday, has
reached Round Hill. three miles below
this city. The eighteen miles Of the
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul Rail-
road track runs, is submerged
AS far as known no lives have been
lost, but those living on the Chippewa
bottoms have been rescued with dif1
Guilty Several families on the Buffalo
County side were driven from their
homes by the forming of a gorge at
Plum Island. Scantily dressed. they
waded through the ice, and went to a
high place on the railroad track. from
which point they were rescued by a re-
lief train from this place Several of
the party were badly frozen.
GREAT LOSS TO SHEEP MEN
PIERRE Is. d., Dec. Later storm
returns from the range country are not
so favorable as those which came in
earlier. While there were but few cat
tie lost, the storm has proved to be
serious one for sheep men. Henry Sc
vile, a rancher, came in this afternoon
and reports passing 1,500 dead sheen
which belong to a Montana man. So
far as has been learned at least 1000
are lost, with a large part of the sheep
range to hear from.