The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-12-02
River Damned by Ice Gorgcs which
Have Raised the Water Far Above
Its Normal Level.
EXPLOSIVES OF NO AVAIL
800 POUNDS OF DYNAMITE USED ON
ONE GORGE WITHOUT EFFECT.
Dwellings and Business Houses Aban-
way Traffic stopped.
CHIPPEWA FALLS. Wis. Dec. l--sev-

CHIPPEWA FALLS Wis. Dec. l--Sev-
eral towns in the Chippewa valley are In
danger Of being wiped out of existence. As
stated yesterday. there is an ice gorge in
the river, and all the lowlands are flooded
The ice has formed a perfect dam, ana has
penned the water up almost even with the
falls, which, under normal conditions, Is
fifty feet higher than the bed of the river
below. The confined water resembles
lake in size, and when II is released there
will be a flood against which nothing can
stand. In consequence, the people OF this
place tonight 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 il. Those whose houses
have been fioded have removed much OF
their household goods and belongings TO
higher ground, and are huddled together in
the schoolhorses and other vacant build
ings out Of the path of the torrent that Is
sweeping down several of the main streets.
All hope Of breaking the gorge and thus
allowing the pent up waters to gradually
subside has been abandoned. All efforts
to-day were directed towards removing
household goods and merchandise out OF
the reach of the flood. Every team in the
city has been engaged in this work. Every
resident and 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 tie
water will soon reach the courthouse, eight
blocks from the river.
A report from Little Falls was brought
in this morning that another gorge was
forming thirty miles above here, and this
greatly added to the alarm, as in case 1t
should break nothing could save the city
from being swept away.
Reports of a very serious nature come
where is flooded. The gorge continues TO
grow in extent 1t is now over five miles
long. and in many places thirty TO nifty
feet high. 1t completely dams the river,
and this Is what is causing the rapid rise
of the river here. The heavy rains of last
week was followed byNa sudden freeze.
which quickly massed the floating ice In
the Chippewa, and the swiftly-running
current continually added TO Ii until it
Below here the Chippewa is failing. There
| is no flood at Eau Claire, but this fact Is
causing the people at that place muca
uneasiness, as 1t indicates that the water
is being piled up as by a dam above them.
The ice pack at Badger Mills. half way be-
tween Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, 10
growing I'm extent, and everything seems
to indicate that the river is choking Up
1t is not believed that anything serious can
happen under the present conditions Tor at
least a day two. and 1t Is believed that
everyone has been sufficiently warned ana
is I'm readiness to fly the moment the crash
SITUATION AT NIGHTFALL.
The business portion of Chippewa Falls
is abandoned tonight and the food may
| sweep away many Of the buildings with
| out damaging scarcely n dollars worth or
merchandise and other valuable goods that
were stored there until to-day. The busi-
ness men decided not to take chances with
| the foe that threatened to sweep their pos
sessions from them and at an early hour
to-day oegan the removal Of stocks OF dry
| goods, groceries, flour and feed and furm-
| ture. At G o'clock tonight every business
| house on Spring street and Bridge street,
| from the river TO Center street, is deserted,
stored in unoccupied structures In remote
| portions of the city. where the flood can
not reach. unless the entire city Is over
whelmed and swept away
The Chippewa river shows no sign OF
abatement tonight. 1t rose four feet to-
| day and at o'clock this evening the Wa
| ters are rising at the rate of two inches
an hour. The postoffice is under three feet
of water. and Postmast5er 5 Meoaam frc,,, nsS n,
location. Ten stores on the south slde Oh
| Spring street are inundated. The Offices Of
| the Herald and the Independent, newspa-
| pers. are flooded and the papers will be
| issued from other buildings.
Reports from various portions OF the
Chippewa valley Indicate "a deplorable con-
dition of affairs. At the Flambeau farm,
| fifteen miles above this city, another Ice
| gorge has formed. TIE river has over
| flowed its banks and inundated the country
twenty miles on either side. Domestic AMI
mails have perished by the score. Farms
| and farmhouses are flooded and the losses
| will reach into the hundreds of thousands
Reports are meager and uncorrooorseteo,
| but IL is safe TO estimate at least three
| thousand horses cows and hogs have met
1 in ha n0Od At f-hfnDeWa Falls the
river is fully three-quarters or a mile wide,
| and its surface is covered with anchor ice
| to a depth varying from ten TO thirty feet
| The most stubborn resistance offered by
the obstruction is In that portion OF the
| river between the wagon bridge and the
| Central railroad bridge, about half mile
| i'm length. To-day Mayor Lindley ordered
| an explosion Of 500 pounds OF dynamite, but
after 800 pounds had been exploded the ex-
pertinent was abandoned as a failure.
| Railroad officials who viewed the gorge
| stated that there is not sufficient dynamite
| obtanable to blast channel for the river
through the frozen mass of snow, logs and
ice The river has risen slowly UP TO
o'clock tonight.
Something Awful May Happen.
CHICAGO, Dec. 1.-Tidlngs OF calamity
| threatening villages and towns in the Chip
pewa river valley of Wisconsin
| were confirmed by passengers and
crews OF incoming trains to-day.
| According to them the city OF Eau
| Claire is I'm the shadow Of a big Ice gorge
| which threatens TO give way at any mo-
ment and precipitate a food on the in
| habitants Express Messenger Arthur says
the center point OF danger is at Eau Claire.
| He continued: "An express agent whom
| relieved at Chippewa Falls. told me that a
great ice gorge nearly nifty feet high and
| five miles long has formed near the lower
| portion of Eau Claire. This barricade Jf
| Ice is forming a reservoir of water which Is
| packed with lumber, drlftwood ana great
| ice foes The only thing that keeps thevood
back is the ice gorge When that gives
| way something awful Will happen. Fam
Mics are moving away and carrying their
| household goods 10 high land. The water
| has risen everywhere -Four feet or water
| covers the Wisconsin Central tracks and II
/ Is rising at the rate of six inches an hour
| The bottom lands are covered with winter.
| and great loss OF stock Is said 10 have been
| reported by the farmers. Cellars. where
| supplies are kept. have been completely
| filled with water. The river has reached
the twenty-foot mark and Is rising rap
| idly"
The Wisconsin looming.
| WAUSAU. Wis. Dec. 1.-The flood In the
Wisconsin river continues, and at Granite
Heights ten miles north OF here. the Chi
| cago Milwaukee * ST. Paul tracks are
about a half a foot under water for about
half mile. This water Is thiniy sheets5