Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-12-04

Chippewa Falls. Wis, December g.
A thrilling escape of a family of five
persons. tour miles below this place,
occurred to-day A man named Baker
lived with his family, consisting of his
wife, two small girls and a boy, in
house built upon an island in the Chip
pewa river. The ice had piled up so
fOrmidably about the dwelling and
seemed to threaten every minute to
crush it like an egg shell that they de-
termined to abandon il and make for
the shore. Barker strapped the younger
girl TO his back, and Mrs Barker did
the same for the boy. The older girl
then grasped her fathers hand and the
little party set out on their perilous
journey across the mountainous gorge
and made for the shore. They leaped
from cake TO cake, advancing with
considerable rapidity until they reach
ed a point where the ice had formed a
seemingly impossible gorge. Without
hesitation they started back to clam
Der up the slippery eminence. When
about half way up the little girl Slip
ped and reeled back, but was rescued
by her father and the race went on.
tors had gathered on the shore and
were shouting cheers of encouragement
to the brave little family. After des-
perate struggle they finally reached
the firm ice near the shore. where the
waiting spectators lent their assistance
and the little party was in safety.
THE RIVER FALLING.
"The river is falling at the rate OF
a foot per day, and there is no reason
whatever for apprehension said Col.
A. W. Jones. L. s. A., to an Associated
Press representative this afternoon,
after he had pat in a busy day inyesti-
eating the situation along the Chip
pewa river. Col. Jones, who is IN
charge of the government engineering
works in the northwest, had been call
ed here by the local authorities, who
sougth expert advice in what seemed
like an extremity and a critical sltua-
ton He continued:
"The situation of the river at Eau Claire
and at Chippewa Falls is practically the
same. and the stage of water at Eau
Claire is really the stage of the river. as
the flood here is simply caused hy the
back water. Most of the water is able to
get away under the ice. ard The back
water represents the amount on water
that is unable to get away. As the stage
of the river goes down more OF this water
will flow away under the ice. AMI the
flood here will soon be over The gorge
extends abou. eighteen miles and is 'n1de
mo largely of anchor ice, which is % sort
of slush packed closely but not so hard
as ordinary ice Under this the river is
running i'm somewhat crampcd quarters
and AS the water falls more the ice viii
drop down into the river bed, where II IS
likely TO stay until spring. the water stun
runufne along under the mass OF ice. IL
is o. very pocuIiar circumstance that there
SHOULD BE SUCH a FROST
in conjunction with a flood, but there
would have been a flood anyway. for YOU
know we had very heavy series of rain
faU about Thanksgiving time and the
food was sure TO come. 1 can see no cause
for further fear of damage here.
Colonel Jones will visit Eau Claire ana
look into the situation further tomorrow
b,t This expresses his idea of the situa-
tior here and along the river. The people
of The Chippewa valley will undoubtedly
fool much relieved over such am opinion
from such authority and they certainly
need TO be relieved, for sort oil "e-
rnoralization has seized upon many nusl-
ness men in Chippewa Falls which does
NOT seem warranted by the actual facts
of the case. .,.
But aside from loss of business OF those
In the flooded districts and property loss
in the same location, the loss in the city
t,, noe ts e,raar The big mill OF the
Cbippewa Logging and Boom Company is
I'm serious position and any sudden
breaking of the ice would seriously en-
danger it. even though were there a pre'N
I'm the gorge formed several miles above.
Az the lower end of the gorge near Eau
claire. is banked a mass Of logs contain
i,s, o. million feet of lumber, and this large
amount il is desired to save 10y holding
f. RIGHT where it is. The ice and floods
nave not encroached on the banks Of the
r;,-sr SO much as feared. and the damage
ie much less in the country than had at
first been thought.