New-York tribune., 1896-12-05
THE WATER GOING DOWN.
LESS DANGER FROM THE FLOOD AT
CHIPPEWA FALLS.

-,,r prvrp RELIEVED TO BE FORCING A CHAM
NET. Under THE GORGE. WHICH IT is NOW
HOPED WILL HOLD TILL SPRING
AND THEN MELT GRADUALLY.
Cbinpewa Falls, Wis, Dec. 1.-The situation
hare to-day is more hopeful. The water has re-
coded a yard and is gradually going down. II Is
Thought that the river has forced channel Tor
,,.e,f under the gorge. The weather is moderat-
ing and. unless all signs fall the water Will con-
TIVE 20 recede. It will probably be two weeks
before the river returns to its normal state.
The neople are less excited and all feel more
,or,.frl In an interview Colonel Jones. of St
p.u, United States civil engineer, said that. IN
80. on,r,on. the worst was over. and il there was
-. ,,r,her rise Il would be only few inches.
ri. liver ,s falling above the dam one foot per
no said and as the river is gradually ris-
:, Eau claire, it Is proof conclusive that the
s,.- hoe made channel under the gorge.
Co,ore ZONES thinks it would be only waste
-. r,orsv 10 use dynamite at present. as the
r,ver is doing more to free itsen than any
amount of dynamite could DO
.,I,o ,ou think there is probability OF the
.o-ee going out suddenly and thereby DONG
go, damage at Eau Claire?' the Colonel was
asked so--
. think the ice in the gorge will remain
,,,,u spring. and that the river will force
channel plenty large enough under II. IN 'he
snrine the ice will gradually melt and VIII cause
no flood" .
Many OF the merchants returned to their busi-
ness places this afternoon. Mayor Aiho'c''
Colonel Jones and party made the trip down
.hs river to-day in special train stopping at
various places to examine the condition or the
gorge. After the party returned Mayor Liho-
lev made the following statement
We were all quite firmly convinced INA! .,e W.
receding OF the water is permanent ana that the
oorre will not become any more menaclns imam
!, Is at present. 1t is quite evident that lhe
water has cut large passage beneaih the 6o' go
and Colonel Jones thinks that the snow anu ne =.
NAV disappear gradually until all danger Is
nassed If this weather continues Weeh lne
gorge will be rendered as helpless as IL mas oeen
threatening Anchor fee is still coming ooWh III
large Quantities but 1t is passing beneath tne
gorge and not adnering to il as il did yesterday.
The condition ras undergone a complete chanse
ond such a sudden and satisfactory termination
OF what threatened 20 be a great disas.e' was
hardly looked Tor b. the most sangulne
Milwaukee Dec An. F. Whitcomp' general
manager and s. :. Collins, general superihtehu
ent Of the Wisconsin Central lines. have returned
from the flooded district about Chippewa ra'is
Mr. Collins, who was seen relative to the cono'-
ton Of affairs in the flooded city. said:
II do not believe the damage TO Property VIII VIII
he heavy There has not been as much daiiiahe
as would be imagined. because the storeKeepeis .
knew the waters were coming and had liihe "
take their stocks out of reach. The snops ana
lighter structures are swept away. but the SUI
stantial buildings are not damased much. ne
only thing that know OF that VIII put an sru ILL., ~
the calamity is good cold snap that VIII lree1e s
I'm the water in the river and keep II frozen Tor
q while. -,,, ,., ., sor,- -
age will be considerable, do not regard the re-
suits as being SO serious and terrible as they
have been reported. AS for the Wisconsin Cen
trail property in the town. it has not been dan-
aged in the least. The trains Wednesday night
nas.ed over the road through Chippewa Faiis
all right. s
Durand. Wis. Dec 4.-The ice is gorged at
Pound Hill three miles below Durand and the
Chppeva here is within four feet OF the hiShcst
mark reached in 1884. Cellars and lower streets
are flooded but the damage is slight The gorge
hejow Round Hill forced people out of their
houses and destroyed some property ana STOCK.
No lives were lost. The river fell hVe ihches
Yesterday. and no further trouble is expected
unless the dam at Chippewa Falls breaks