The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-02

CHIPPEWA FALLS. Wis, Dec. H.
This has been day ot excitement and
anxiety and tonight finds the lnhabl-
,lnts Of this little village In state bor-
dering on panic. The worst of the sltua-
ton IS the knowledge of the Impending
danger and OF the fact that they are
utterly helpless to stay OF avert 1t. Those
whose houses have been flooded have re-
moved such OF their household goods
and belongings TO higher ground and are
hUdlled together in the school houses
and other vacant buildings out OF the
Yath OF the torrent that Is Sleeping
down several OF the main streets.
All hope OF breaking the gorge and
thus allowing the pent-up water to grad
udlly suoSide is now abandoned. All
Efforts to-day were directed towards re-
moving household goods and merchan-
disc out of the reach OF the flood. Every
team In the city has been engaged In this
work. Every resident and business 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 en-
tire business portion of the place from
being kubmerged and the water will
soon reach the court house. eight blocks
from the river.
4 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 It
would break. nothing could save the city
from being swept, away.
Reports of very serious nature came
from dawn the river. The country
everywhere is flooded. The gorge con-
t!nues 10 grow in extent. 1t Is now owe:
five miles long and in many places thir-
" to fifty feet high. 1t completely dams
the river here. The heavy rains of last
Week followed by sudden freeze which
quickly massed the floating ice in the
Chippewa and the swiftly running cur
rent continually added to It until Ii
reached its present gigantic proportions.
Below here the Chippewa Is falling.
There is No flood at Eau Claire, but
this fact Is causing the people OF that
place much uneaslness, as 1t indicates
that the water Is being piled up as by a
dam, above them. The Ice pack at Bad
ger Mills, half way between Eau Claire
and Chippewa Falls, Is growing in ex-
tent and everything seems to indicate
that the river Is choking up.
II is not believed that anything serious
can happen under the present conditions
for at least a day or two. and It Is be-
lieved that every one has been sufficient
" warned. and. ia in readiness TO fly the
moment the crash comes.
fATER.-The business portion Of
Chippewa Falls Is abandoned tonight
and the flood may sweep away many
OF the buildings withou. damaging
scarcely dollars worth of merchandise
and other valuable goods that were
stored there until to-day. Business 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 began the removal OF
stocks of dry goods, groceries. -four
and feed and furniture. At G o'clock to-
night every business house on Spring
Street and Bridge street from the river
10 Center street Is deserted and the
contents OF buildings have been stored
N unoccupied structures In remote por-
tons Of the city, where the food can
not reach, unless the entire city is over
Whelmed and swept away.
Reports from various points OF Chip
pewa runs indicate 4 deplorable condi-
lion Of affairs. Al the Flambeau farm,
ifteen miles above this city, another ice
gorge has formed. The river has over
Nowcd It's banks and inundated the coun-
Try twenty miles on either side. Farms
and f3rmhouses are flooded and the
losses will reach into the hundreds of
thousands. II Is safe to estimate that
at Last 1000 horses, cows and hogs have
!ae. ICu;k in the flood