The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-03
FLOOD In WISCONSIN.
Chippewa Pals Merchants Moving
Goods to Higher Grounds.
THE RIVER MAY CHANGE It's COURSE.
In Such Event Great Damage Mould
Certainty Result.
ICE PILED MOUNTAINS HIGH.
Toms OF Dynamite would Not Diow
Pnssaae Through the Gorge.
outlook Murc Hopeful,

| Chippewa Falls. Wis, December AIT 10
o'clock tonight the situation In Chippewa
Falls is moro hopeful. The water has re-
coded about six inches and 1t is believed
thut II may not rise higher, although tho
city has twice been fooled within tho past
forty eight hours by exactly the same con-
ditions, Last night the high water recedcd
about eight inches between tho hours OF
and II, but after that hour II came up rap
| idly until 1t ha dgono two feet above itn
| tormer high water mark.
Ionights bright prospects may be hut
repetition of those Of last night and tho
night beforv. and before daylight many OK
pcot that the water viii be creeping up
Bridge street into the residence portion of
the city, This gorge in the channel OF tho
river had been added TO all day aud to-
| mint IL sccms u workable mountain, which
tons Of dynamite can not Affect III the
water succeeds IN cutting u passage be-
meath this immense inaas OF frozen snow
and Ice, n further riso may not be eN~
percneod. but II Is doubtful u II sufficient
volume can find It's way under 1t TO save
the city from further destruction.
At Q o'clock tonight an Immense amount
Of anchor Ice piled np III the river at tho
foot OF bridge street. indicating that tho
gorge hnd anchored In the bottom and that
the water was no longer finding ite way
beneath The fact thu, the river had fallen
fifteen inches a, Eau Claire seemed to war
rant thiH belief but nevertheless the water
did not continue to rise In this city after
that hour. II may be posahio that tho
, water found another means of passage down
the river, but the citizens VIII not feel an
soluteiy safe until it hna been demon
Rtrated by several days observation That
the river has reached It's maximum height
, Ml1 roach the havoc
wrought by the stream above. ana q terri
BILE catastrophe may overtnku tho city at
any moment, No one knows Just what IN
In store aud tho condition of uncertainty
adda more 10 the excitement OF the mo-
mcnt than the actual destruction Of 1lor-
crty by the river possibly could Now ru-
mors to the effect that the river would cut
n passage for itsolf through the high hnnks
north OF the city gave rise to great deal
! OF apprehension.
Tho rivers course IL seriously obsiructci
: by the gorge, which has reached now to
' within n short distance OF the dam, and tho
probable tnrni,g Of the course OF Tho
J stream upon the city seems so plausible
!. that every ono becamc even more panic
stricken,
Hundreds Of teams started nj daylight ~
move the effects Of merchants further away
from possible danger. and Bridge and Cen
trI streets were crowded With wagons
IthAatN tiuWH WIN l'ifHniN'-'f ~ h'"hS
Instances these wagons werc filled TO such
, an oxton, that the contents spilled over tho
sldes and ends and the scene was one Of
Understandable confusion by morning not
:. n building IN the businesa portion OF the
, city will be occupied. Both the Lumber
mems ana Firat National bnnka moved this
: afternoon and the higher portions OF the
a city arc fairly congcstod with the enormous
q amount Of material that has been stored
O there for safety.
= At ~ o'clock Spring street was impassa-
: bic between Bridge and nay ttrcorz and
, the water wns climbing steadily toward the
basement OF the city hall.
Cellars on the high ground In that vlcin-
'iy are filling rapidly and the water In
X many instances triekled into tho ntrcets.
Indicating that A great height would be
attained shortly.
IL In impossible TO see how any Of tho
z lower portion OF the city can escape. for
t the coming of the water seems ns sure az
= 1t In deliberate and the valley mny no com
pletely inundated.
% II IL thought the flood may have spent
q its force In the outlying districts
Eau Claire. Wis. December 2--rhere IL
:, not much alarm here tonight, an there IL
little likelihood that the water coming from
above can either push the Ice gorca down
or make nm overflow which would reach
:. this city.
" All the families who had vacated their
y homes In anticipation Of danger have moved
back into them.
Durand wis, December 1.-The Chippewa
river at this point has fallen 3 inches since
y morning. The ice jam at Round hin Ia
s firm and the river still closed in, hut there
!, Is no other danger here unless the Chippewa
gorge breaks. No lives have been lost in
the bottoms and no persons are missing 80
far as In known The loss Of stock and
property In heavy. A portion OF the Mil
waukec road il washed out between here
y and Wabash.
|. Trempelu. Wis. December 2,--Over 900
: 600 feet OF logs are fast In the ice gorge be-
:, tween here and La Crosse. They came
. from Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers dur
ing tho recent foods The Mississippi at
this point has risen feet within The last
j., forty eight
g Has Reached Georgia.
A Atlanta, Ga. December IA anow storm
70 Of almost unprecedented severity for this
4. season OF the year broke upon this section
II this morning. Snow began falling ~ =
n o'clock and fell without cessation until ~
70 o'clock. when It lay 4 inches deep The
street car service In badly iinpeded.