The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-03
THE ICE GORGE
Still Tcrrorizcs the People OF
Chippewa Falls.
VALLEY MENACED by FLOOD.
When It Braals-People storo ID High
Ground With ailIThclr Effects anL Dns-
Inc. at n standitili-h Day OF Excite-
ment and Dreud-Damugo to Property
ra,lmuted at a Milton Dollar.-DanEer
10 Life when tho Gorge freaks.

10 Life when tho Gorge nrenks.
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis, Dec. a.
Confusion relsns In Chippewa Falls to.
day and tho thoroughly alarmed people
arc making every effort 20 leave as lit
tie for the incoming waters to destroy as
they possibly can. Two hundred teams
and drays have rushed hlther and thlth-
or all day. and the streets are Uttered
With various kinds of merchandise,
which spilled over the sides and ends Of
the overloaded wagons as they were
hurried to places oe safety. The water
remained stationary until about threo
o'clock this morning, when 1t began to
rise rapidly and inside of four hours an
additional rise OF Is Inches had been reg
lstered. The river at 10 O'clock was "a
.eet and rising.
The Spring street merchants, who had
stored their goods in second floors, de-
.ermIned TO take no chances. and every
thing was moved to-day. and by night
there was not a dollars worth OF mate
rial remaining. Business Is abandoned
and the city Is in a state OF tumult.
Thousands OF people were anxIously
awaiting the flood. and groups OF fifty
or more eXcltedly discussed the situation
on every corner. Anything was expect
I'd and nothing may happen, but the
creates: danger lies in the probable
changing OF the rivers course to throw
L Into the town. This danger was more
Insured to-day, for 1t was plainly TO be
seen that the water could never cur Its
way under the fifteen miles nf Ice gorga
which has formed at the bottom 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 1t. Its natural course
in this event lies directly behind the
town.
Three thousand pounds OF dynamite
arrived this morning and men have been
at work extending at various points
along the river. The attempt has so far.
failed TO relieve the situation. All the
buildings on River street to-day were
Hooded TO the second story and the for
nation Of ice around them is doing Sc
r!ons damage to the structures. &
The Central depot Il under three feet
Of water The Milwaukee freight depot
IS In @ similar situation and the Goa!
sheds nearby are wrecked and torn by
the Ice A report reached here this
morning thu: the. gorge at Little Falls
dam. eighteen miles ahove-tte city, had
broken away, permitting rush OF water
upon the town. Fifty OF the largest
busines firms have abandoned their
structures entirely and every resident
has made preparations to seek n place o.
safety In case the worst occurs. An es-,
Innate CT the damage already done in
this citSsand, the r!eh farming country
above Il cannot be made. but Il IS belley-'
ed loss of a million dollars has already
been sustained. Not until after the flood
has subsidized will the full measure of
Damage be estimated.
Darand In Danger.
A special from Durand, Wis, says:
The ice gorge below the city has forced
the water within four feet OF the great
81 flood, last night filling cellars, and
overflowing the lower streets. The ice
has closed in and the line Of formation
Is mile above the city, the.river Slight
ly falling here. Below Round Hill the
gorge has broken and the river has fall
en- rapidly there. Should the Chippewa
Falls gorge break, Durand will be In.
great danger. as the bluffs at Round
Hell will hold the gorge there.
A special from Black Rlverfa WIS,
says: The recent flnods on Black river
surpassed anything in the history Of the
county at so late a period In the fail.
AS the returns from the lower river
c5uatry come In much loss of stock and
osner property Is reported.
pete Peterson, a farmer living few
miles below this city. lost seven head of
SOCK which were feeding In the bottoms
and were swept away by. the flood, which
cane SO suddenly. i
Losses Of light character are report
~ az other points. II Is reported that
me long and expensive ill at the end OF
the Melrose bridge Is washed away. and
mat the new bric.ge was all right at the
uHle. The break jam saved the bridge
us II gave an outlet 10 the immense body
~ water held back by the anchor ice
"n'ea was gorged against the bridge.
az numerous other points the high
ways are reported to be In a demoraliz-
ei condition. Otherwise the flood has
Ter. - = 4 - - :, 80 ~
az AZ 70 o'clock tonight trc situation in
nn.ppewa Fails Is more hopeful. Tile
tnIafr mas receded about six inches and
:. Is believed that it may not rise hlgb-
81, 81, although the city has twice been
ttuvIeu within the past forty-eiGht hours
~ ,%acsly the same conditione. Last
.'!sht the water receded eight Inches be-
wee, a%eeA the hours Of eight and twelve, but
"''sr e.. mat hour II can1a up rapidly until
= nad gone two feet above It's former
r.sh water mark. To-nlghts bright
mtVspects may be a repetition Of, those
!, H. idSt night and the night before, and
..., ss',He daylight many expect that the
;S..e. VIII be creeping UP Bridge street
'"'" inc residence portion OF the city.