The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-12-04
WATCHING 1T Else AND FALL
People at Chippewa Falls Pass Ano her
Anxious Day.

Anxious Day.
Chippewa Falls, Wis, Dec. 3.-with
the Thermometer still lowering very far
above zero and the water again climbing,
the outlook for this threatened valley is
still rather uncomfortable. For fifteen
miles between Chippewa Falls and Eau
Claire and for nearly the same distance
at Durand the river Is mass of packed
ice and timber and hourly becoming
worse. The water has been backed up,
flooding parts Of Durand and the lower
levels in the city, but the worst damage
is really what threatens, rather than thar
which has actually occurred. The lumber
mills are all surrounded and partially en-
quilted by the water which has frozen
and seized them in its closest cluches
Nearby business places and dwellings are
in the same predicament, although, being
little farther away from the river cham
mel, their situation Is not so serious The
railroads are not suffering so much as
might be expected. The Omaha rune
along high bluffs and has not been in the
least hampered in its workings. The
Wisconsin Central tracks are lower and
have. at times, been under water so that
many OF their trains had to use the Oma-
Ia tracks. Last night the water drop
ped over a foot and they used their own
tracks. but early today the water started
up again. and their line had 10 be aban-
doned. The river branch Of the Milwau-
kee and St Paul has stopped all bust
ness for the present. its line extending
along the course of the Chippewa river,
where the ice gorges and floods prevail
ed. One of the great uncertainties is the
way the water rises and falls. 1t will
drop foot or more and people viii be-
gin TO hope for relief and then the river
rises faster than before. and their fears
are redoubled. The water seems 10 find
occasional crevasses in the ice. and the
filing OF these lowers the water which
Immediately rises again. In this way the
level was lowered twelve inches during
the night, and then climbed five inches
in two o. three early morning hours.
Col. w A. Jones Of the United States
army. of St. Paul, in charge OF the gov
eminent works in this section, arrived
during the night and VIII confer with
the authorities in regard Ia another at
tempt 10 break the ice dam here
Along the river there are a number Of
critical situations. In this city there are
mere fears from the result If the Little
Falls dam should break than over the
local flood situation. II is feared that a
break in this Little Falls dam, thirty
miles above here, would carry nearly
everything away here In the same way
the people Of Eau Claire fear tie resul
If the ice gorge breaks too suddenly,
while the people below Durand are enter
tanning fear for the outcome there The
water yesterday reached twenty-eigh.
four inches. the hishest. and later drop
ped back nearly q foot hu- al hat past
eight this morn y SAD ~.sen 20 the high
est figure OF yest-Sey G1i was stiil
slowly rising a. 9 clock Ta4 mayor and
manager Irvine OF the ,ogSES company.
drove down the river - s5ravel Island
SIX miles from he wtrre an attempt
sas made 10 break ths garge.
There - stu Z ga-i ,:azl % moving
from the houses ;oday AZ ne water :.
rising rapidly. and u raly thing FOR the
people 20 do seams u - 20 get away
from the Hood Yesterday, however.
saw the EaoeI Of the exodus ara the peo-
pie today are generally watching tie rs
ing waters and wondering when j, VIII
stop
Chippewa Falls. Wis Dec S-Colone.
Jcncs. after an extended trip along .lle
river. viewing TIE big rec gorge from
various points. sSiG that ne coGId Eof
give an opinion as 10 what xas bess % do
bur that he ast found that the zee PACK.
o. gorge. extended eighteen miles ana
Sas'e the water xaS r.si.aE in Ch;7pexs
Fails the river Itself was falling and that