The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-02
FLOOD SITUATION IN THE CHIPPE.
WA VALLEY AS CRITICAL AS
EVER.
WATER is STILL CREEPING UP.
WHOLE BUSINESS PORTION OF
CHIPPEWA FALLS ABANDONED
BY THE MERCHANTS.
EAU CLAIRE PROBABLY SAFE.
No Danger Apprehended SO Long as
the Tremendous Mass of Ice Does
SOt Weaken.

Special to the Globe.
EAU CLAIRE, Wis, Dec. 1.-The re-
ports sent out last night give but a
meager description of the flood situa-
tion in the Chippewa valley The
G 10 be correspondent followed the
river from the Dells dam to Badger
Mills tiday, a distance of eight miles.
The ice gorge commences at what is
known as the cutoff, a mile above the
big dam. 1t extends in a solid mass,
bound by millions of logs, to within a
few miles Of Chippewa Falls, a dis
tance, following the river, of perhaps
thirteen or fifteen miles.
The hamlet of Lafayette is complete
ly ice bound. The water rose to a
depth Of three or four feet in the
houses and has since frozen solid. A
family named Erickson, father, mother
and seven children, who live at this
place, had narrow escape from drown
ing. When they retired for the night
on Sunday they felt secure. A few
hours later Erickson awoke to find the
water even with the top of his bed
He had to carry his wife and seven
children, the Oldest fourteen years.
through water up to his arm pits to
place of safety
All the houses on the fat at Badger
Mills are wrecked. The water rose to
depth of four feet in the Badger
Lumber company's mill and is now
frozen solid. Owing to the gorge above,
the water at this point fell about three
feet, letting the mass of ice down
The mills and houses flooded are badly
sagged. The ice is becoming anchored
to the river bottom, thus gradually
shutting off escape for water
The river at Eau Claire has stea div
fallen all Nay, while at Chippewa Falls,
above the gorge, it has risen 81 feet
above low water. Supt. Callaghan, Of
the Wisconsin Central, examined the
gorge this morning and said that all
the dynamite in the country would no;
open passage through the mass.
There is talk of the officials of both
cities holding a meeting in connection
with railroad men and devising plans
Tor relieving the situation. The citi-
ing, as 1T would be impossible for the
water to move the mass of ice while
the present cold snap lasts
The consensus of opinion is that the
ice will ultimately do great damage
here, even If it holds out till spring.
A-NSly HlIIu udy VIII De source OF
apprehension and anxiety to the people,
while at Chippewa Falls the people are.
praying for soft weather
telephone message from the Chip
pewa Independent at IL o'clock tonight
states that their press room is nine
feet under water. The river is rising
there five inches per hour
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis, Dec. l.
The business portion of Chippewa Falls
sweep away many of the buildings
the merchandise and other valua BILE
goods that were stored there until to-
day. Business men decided to take
no chances with the foe that threat
ened to sweep their possessions from
them, and, at an early hour today, be-
gan the removal of stocks of dry goods,
groceries, flour and feed and furniture.
At o'clock tonight every business
house on Spring street and Bridge
street from the river to Center street
is deserted, and the contents of build
ings have been stored in nunoccupied
structures in remote portions of the
city, where the flood cannot reach. un-
less the entire city is overwhelmed and
swept away.
The Chippewa river shows no sign Of
abatement tonight. It rose four feet
today and at o'clock this evening the
waters are rising at the rate of two
inches an hour. The postoff1ce is under
three feet of water and Postmaster Nc
Call has moved the Office seven blocks
from its old location. Ten stores on
the South side of Spring street are