Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-12-02
WAITING IN FEAR.
People Along the Course Of the
Gorged Chippewa River.
MANY HAVE TO QUIT THEIR HOMES,

Driven Out by the Rising Waters-Attempt
to Remove the Great Ice Dam Fails and
Awful Havoc Is Looked for When 1t
Gives Way-No Immediate Break Ex-
pected - Unconhrmed and Discredited
Report Of Heavy Loss Of Life.
Chippewa Falls. Wis, Dec. Eyes
terday was a day Of excitement and
anxiety and last night found the in
habitants Of this little village in a
state bordering on panic. The worst
OF the situation is the knowledge OF
the impending danger and Of the fact
that they are utterly helpless to stay
or to avert it. All they can now do
Is to sit with folded hands and blanched
faces in a state of helpless inaction and
wait for the coming of the crisis. Those
whose houses have been flooded have
removed their household goods and be-
1ongings to higher ground, and are
huddled together in the school houses
and other vacant buildings out of the
path of the mad torrent that is sweep
Ing down several of the main streets.
Cannot Break Up the Gorge.
All hope of breaking the gorge and
thus allowing the pent-up waters to
gradually subside Is now abandoned.
All efforts yesterday were directed to-
wards removing household goods and
merchandise out of the reach of the
flood. Every team in the city was en-
gagged in this work. Every resident and
business firm of River street has moved
out. The Chippewa Lumber and Boom
company's mill and yards are under
water and all hope has been given up
Of saving the entire business portion of
the place from being submerged, and
the water will soon reach the court
house. eight blocks from the river.
Terrible Report That Is Not Confirmed.
A report from Little Falls was
brought in yesterday morning that an
other gorge was forming thirty miles
above here and this greatly added to
the alarm. as in case it should break
nothing could save the city from being
swept away. Reports of a very serious
nature come from down the river. The
country everywhere is flooded, and
there is a report afloat that thirty peo-
pie We're lost at Durand. However,
there has as yet been no confirmation
OF this and it is not generally credited.
Gorge Continues to Grow Bigger.
The gorge continues to grow in ex-
tent. 1t is now over five miles long and
in many places thirty to fifty feet high.
1t completely dams the river, and this
is what is causing the rapid rise here.
The heavy rains Of last week were fol-
lowed by a sudden freeze, which quick
ly massed the floating Ice in the Chip
pewa. and the swiftly running current
continually added to 1t till 1t reached
its present gigantic proportions.
People at Eau Claire Are Uneasy.
Below here the Chippewa is falling
There Is no flood at Eau Claire. but this
fact Is causing the people at that place
much uneasiness. as it indicates that
the water is being piled up above them
The ice pack at Badger mills, half way
between Eau Claire and Chippewa
Falls. is growing in extent and every
thing seems to indicate that the river
Is choking up. 1t is not believed that
anything serious can happen under the
present conditions for at least a day
or two, and II is believed that every
one has been sufficiently warned and
is In readiness to fly the moment the
era sh cop,aS