Evening star., 1896-12-02
LATE NEWS BY WIRE
People at Chippewa Falls Alarmed
Over the Flood.~..a..
MOVING GOODS TO PLACES OF SAFETY
Business Abandoned and the City
in a TumuIt.
THE WATERS BANKING UP

MILWAUKEE Wis, December "A spe
cial to the Evening Wisconsin from Chip
pewa Falls. Wis. says Confusion reigns
in Chippewa Falls today, and the thorough
ly alarmed people are making every effort
to leave as little for the incoming waters
to destroy they possibly can. Two hun
dred teams and drays have rushed hither
and thither all day. and. the streets are lit
tered with various kinds of merchandise.
which spilled over the sides and ends Of
tie overloaded wagons as they We're hur-
ried to places of safety.
The water remained stationary until
about o'clock this morning; then il began
to rise raridly and inside of four hours an
additional rise of eighteen inches had been
registered The river at 10 o'clock was
twenty-four feet high, and rising. The
Spring street merchants who had stored
their goods In second floors det ermined tc
take no chances. and everything was
moved today. and by night there will not
be a dollars worth of material remaining.
Business Is abandoned, and the cfty IS In a
state of tumult.
Thousands of people are anxioIsly wait
irg the flood, and groups Of fifty or more
excitedly discuss the situation on every
corner Anything IS. expected. Eut the
greatest danger is in the probable chang
lng or the rivers course to throw it into
the town. This danger is more insured to-
DAY, for it Is plainly seen that the water
can never cut Its way under fifteen miles
OF ice gorge which has formed in the bed
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 it. Its natural course
in this event lies directly behind the town.
Using Dynamite.
Three thousand pounds of dynamite ar
rived 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 are to-
cay Hooded to the second story and the
formation of ice around them is doing
serious damage to the structures The
central depot is under three feet of water
an ana VIII be carried away before night
Inc Milwaukee freight depot is in a similar
situation. and the coal sheds near are
wrecked and torn by the ice
Little Falls in Peril.
A report reached here this morning that
the gorge at Little Fails dam. eighteen
miles above the city. had broken away.
permitting a rush of water upon the town
Ii TINS report IS authentic the entire town
VIII be inundated just soon as the water
reaches US Manager Irvine of the c., L.
and b. Company. dscredits the story
The report caused considerable consterna-
ton. and there VIII be no cessation of wor-
ry until il is denied Fifty of the largest
business firms have abandoned their struc-
lures entirely. and every resident has
made preparations to seek place of safety
in case the worst occurs An estimate of
The damage already done in this city and
the rich farming country above it cannot
be made. but ii is believed a loss of a mill
ion dollars has already been sustained
Not until after the flood has subsidized will
the full measure of damage BE- cstimu; ed
"A special from Durand. Wis. says: The
ice gorge below the city has forced the
water within four feet of the great "a
flood. last night filling cellars and overflow
ing the lower streets. The ice has closed
in, and the line of formation is a mile
above the city. the river slightly falling
here below, Round. Hll."The gorge iias
broken. and the river has fallen rapidly
there. Should the Chippewa Falls gorge
break. Durand will be in great danger as
the bluffs at Round Hill will hold the
gorge there.
special from Black River Falls, Wis,
says: The recent floods on Black river sur
pass anything in the history of the coun-
ty at so late a period in the fall As re-
turns from the lower river counties come in
much loss of stock and other property is
reported. '.+'''-'
Pete Peterson. a farmer living few
miles below this city. lost seven head of
stock which were feeding. IN the bottoms
and were swept away by the flood which
came so suddenly. The losses of a like
character are reported at other points.
1t is reported that the long and expensive
fill at the end Of the Melrose bridge is
all right at the time. The break in the
jam saved the bridge, as 1t gave an outlet
to the immense body of water held back
by the anchor ice which was gorged
against the bridge.
At numerous other points the highways
are reported to be in a demoralized con-
diticn. Otherwise the flood has placed
things in good condition for the winter