The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-03
PERIL FROM RELENTLESS FLOOD
STEADILY INCREASING AT
CHIPPEWA FALLS.
RISING ONE FOOT AN HOUR.
CITY IN DARKNESS AND MER-
CHANTS FORCED TO MOVE
gHEIR STOCKS.
LESS ANXIETY AT EAU CLAIRE
Fears of a Sudden Break In the Ice
jam A1layed-Suffering Among
Refugees.

Special to the Glcbe
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis, Dec g.
The water is still rising with no hope
of breaking the gorge. The water is
now twenty eight feet above low water
mark. Every place of business on
Spring, River and lower Bridge streets
are rapidly being vacated. The water
is over the business portion of the town.
One rumor to the effect that the river
would cut a passageway FOR itself
through the high banks north Of the
central railroad bridge gave rise to
great apprehension. The rivers course
is seriously obstructed by the gorge,
which has reached within "A short dis
tance of the dam, and the probable
turning of the course Of the stiram
upon the city seems so plausible that
every one is panic stricken. A report
that the Little Falls dam had given
way to the pressure upon it has reached
the city. If it is a fact, an enormous
body of water will be precipitated upon
the city about o'clock a. M, as it
will take that length of time i3r the
rush to traverse the forty miles of
river bottom between here and the ;,oint
indicated. Spring street Is impassa 5le
between the bridge and Bay streets,
and the water is climbing steadily to-
wards the basement of the ity hall.
Cellars on the high ground in that
vicinity are filling fast, and the water
in many instances trickled into the
street, indicating that a great height
would be attained before morning. 1t
is impossible to see how any Of the
lower portion of the town can escape
for the coming of the waters seems to
be as sure as it is deliberate, and the
valley may be completely inundated
if the rise continues.
A busy scene continued to be enacted
in the city all day, and all sorts of vahi-
cles were brought into use The Lum-
bermen's and First National banks
were both obliged to move. as were
nearly all the business houses. The
river presents a terrible appearance
The ice gorge is 40 feet high and is
packing water on the city at the rate
of a foot per hour. Poor people are all
suffering terribly from cold
The Wisconsin Central depot and
tracks are under water All business
is being done over the Northwestern
line. The city is in complete darkness,
as the gas and electric light service is
shut off by the water. The Chicago.
Milwaukee & st. Paul has suspended
it's service through the Chippewa val
ley, it being utterly impossible to get
a train through the flooded country
Logs and limbs of trees are strewn
many feet high on the tracks. On low
grades the water rises many feet above
the ties, and high enough to extinguish
the engine fires. No effort will be
made to run trains on this division
until the road structures are clear and
examined. Train crews report that an
engine and coach went out to the low
lands below Durand and came back
with two score of women and children
on board who We're driven from their
homes by the water and were found
nearly dead from exposure and cold.
The Engineer said that he could not
finish the trip on account of the rising
water. 1t looks at this writing as
though the entire city will be inun-
dated.