The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-01
Water Backed Up by the Ice
Gorge at Chippewa.
ROSE 8 FEET IN 4 HOURS
People Perishtng, and Town
Threatened Below.
AVERAGED 6 INCHES AN HOUR
There Are 5000, 900 Feet OF Logs and
Forty Cribs of Lumber in the Jams
Suffering Among Women
and Children Intense
and Children Intense

and Children intense
Chippewa, Falls Wis, Nov. 30.-A dis
astrous flood threatens Chippewa Falls.
An ice-gorge has formed in the Chippewa
river, near the Dalles, and the water is
backing steadily to the town From O
height of ten feet it rose to fifteen and a
half in two hours to-day, and residents
in the lower portion Of the city are NOV
ing their stock and household effects to
protected ground Great excitement pre-.
| walls in this city. The thermometer regis
ters five degrees below zero.
St Paul, Nov 3O.-Tbe Pioneer Press
special from Eau Claire, Wis, says: An
| ice gorge formed at the mouth of the
Chippewa, which caused the water to
back up rapidly Saturday night and Sun
day morning. On the low lands below
| Durand the rise was so rapid that many
l families had to flee in their night robes
| to places of safety AMI leave their all
| behind them. The suffering among the
women and children was intense, and
many are reported as having frozen feet
and limbs. Those who could fed to the
railroad track, there built FIRE and tried
/ to protect themselves from the frosty
weather. An engine and coach sent out
from Durand yesterday morning gather
ed about forty of these unfortunate people
| pie but so fast was the water rising that
| the train had to go back to Durand 1t
| is thought that some of the people were
not reached by the rescuing party, and
possibly may have perished. The bottoms
are still under water, and the stock and
produce are complete loss. Dead ami
4 Is ha a nbn 4bo I.,..
hood, frozen stiff in the water. In most
| of the homes were stored the winter sup
| plies and these were all lost.
Tonight, farms and farm buildings
along SIX miles Of the Chippewa valley are
| under water. At o'clock tonight base
ments Of all the buildings on Spring street
| are flooded and in several instances the
lower floors are under water People liv-
| ing in or occupying business houses in
| the lower part of the city. are hastily re-
moving their personal effects to higher
ground. In 1894 a similar flood occurred,
causing the loss of many thousands of
| dollars. 4 great deal of railway property
is threatened and many highway and
railway bridges probably will be swept
| away.
Below the immense gorge the river
/ is practically dry and when the jam
| breaks the body of water in the Reservoir
must carry destruction to the valley be-
low. Eau Claire has every reason to feel
apprehensiye, as its danger begins when
that OF Chippewa Falls has passed. Be
/ tween the hours of 6 and 10 a. m to-day,
the water rose 6 feet, whein there was
/ q temporary abatement. At six tonight
| there had been an average rise during
| the day OF six inches an hour. The gorge
| is five miles long.
At Irvine the Wisconsin Central Rail-
way is under water and the electric light
plant partly flooded so that the town is in
darkness
FOUND FROZEN STIFF.
Minneapolis, Mimi, Nov. 30.-Elmer
| Holte, aged IA, was frozen to death in
| the terrible blizzard of last week. On
Thanksgiving day he and his father
started with n team for the Poplar
woods, Is miles distant, to get a load Of
wood. On returning they lost their bear
ing in the binding snow, and started a
foot to look for shelter They became
separated. The elder HOlte succeeded
in finding a farmhouse after wandering
about all night Searching parties start
ed next morning to look for the boy, but
it was not until Saturday that he was
found, frozen stiff The father was
also badly frozen.
REFUGEES FROM CHIPPEWA.
Eau Claire, Wis, Nov 30.-On ac-
count Of the flood there have been no
trains for three days on the Valley di-
vision Of the Chicago, Milwaukee and
St. Paul. A messenger from Durand
= s,sR.& o
Durand as being under three feet Of wa
ter. Thirty-seven men, women and chill
dren refugees from low lands are quar-
tered in the Durand courthouse.
FLOOD INCREASING IN FURY.
Pepin, Wis, Nov. 30.-The food In
the Chippewa bottoms is increasing in
fury. The Chicago, Milwaukee and
Chippewa Valley road is badly washed
out and is covered with trees and logs
and ice gOrges for miles. There will be
no traffic for a week or ten DAYS. The
bridge over Smiths Slough, one mile be-
low Trevno Junction on the Chicago.
Burlington and Northern Rail
road, is unsafe. A rock train
and a big crew Of men are
Mt work tonight on it. There are jams
of ice and logs in the Chippewa at Bur
lington bridge, at Chippewa Valley
bride, at Reads landing, and at the
head of West Newton slough above
Alma. The water is at a standstill, but /
more trouble IS feared unless the jam
break. There are three million feet Of
logs and forty cribs Of lumber in the |
jams.
OKLAHOMA TOWN ANFLED
Perry, o. r., Nov. 30.-News reaches
here Of a destructive cyclone at Ralston, a
4 =.