New-York tribune., 1896-12-02
CITIES IN PERIL.
,cr GORGE DRIVES THOUSANDS FROM
THEIR HOMES.

MY
or FARMING COUNTRY UNDER WATER
GREAT SUFFERING FROM
THE COLD.
c,,nney,a Falls. Wis. Dec. 1.-The Chippewa
.,.or ,s gorged at twenty points tonight. and
-. backing UP Of the water is becoming alarm
50 this point the water has crept up from
' ,r,dqe TO the postoiiica two blocks back
- the river and the wster IS now twenty
w., NV ,.e+ above the low water mark. The Wis
.-.,r Central tracks are covered with water
W.. w.. Too, deep. and the road IS using the Omaha
-. tho transfer being made al Eau Claire.
Ian Creek a tributary to the Chippewa
s,.,r here IS also doing much damage. as the
.....~ Is backing up In II from the main river.
~. rh,n7ewa Lumber and Boom Companys
,,,, and lumber yards are all under water. and
'"', .r. resident and business firm in River-st.
has moved out
r,s latest report is that an ice gorge Is form
- .,et below the falls. 1t Is the opinion or
~.r.nosted river men that this will he the saw
~. =, the city; tha. it Will scatter the water on
49,. ,oxlands above the falls. and give the water
n.,or o chance to recede. At Flambeau Farm
,,o -,ver ran over its banks. destroying 800
...a 4, I've stock and running dozen farms
IA hu,dings 1t is feared the course OF the
-,r.r will be changed throwing it directly on
49,. Town and completely inundating the latter.
=, ina. event heavy loss Of property and life
.o,no be averted. The bottom lands are COW
.,.s with water and a great loss Of stock has
been reported by farmers.
There IS much excitement in Chippewa Falls
m. everything is orderly. About nifty families
=, the South Side who We're forced TO move
AZ. OF their homes were reported in want this
evening and relief was Immediately dispatched
Some Of these families had taken refuge In
enrty houses and were without food or warmth
Bridge Superintendent Callaghan. Of the Wis
consin Central road. was instructed to blast out
IRE gorge at the East. but he would not under
take the task He said that all the dynamite
manufactured could not bulge It.
Eau Claire. fifteen miles south, is In tho
shadow OF the gorge which threatens to give
way at any moment.
The gorge began at West Newton on the MIS-
sssippi. and gradually extended UP the emp
pewa Since Friday 1t has reached Round HILL
three miles below Durand The eighteen miles
Of the Chippewa below Round Hil Is one heio
NJ hacked ice. and the bottom land over which
the Chicago. Milwaukee and st. Paul Rairoau
track runs is completely submerged
\
neon,e living on the Chippewa bottoms at
Durand have been rescued with difficulty. Sew
oral families on the Buffalo County side were
lr;van from their homes by the forming or
rorce at Plum Island. Scantlv dressed. they
raded through the ice 70 a high place on the
-a,road tracks. and were rescued by RELIEF
train from this Several Of the party were
badly frozen.
I'm making its way past the region where the
,ood is raging train on the Wisconsin central
mining from st. Paul TO Chicago. lost more thah
two hours. Finally it succeeded In reachine II
yne Station a small place near Chippewa rams.
A, far as a mile on every side Of the town, IN
ending Irvine Station itself. the water has
reached such a height that men and animals
can no longer venture out with safety. From
-OO IN 600 men were at work and the scene
WAS dotted by lights Of lanterns used in the
work II was decided by the residents that the
use Of dynamite might save their homes and the
town from destruction. All night long. as 2ften
as possible sticks of strong powder were eX-
ploded in the endeavor to break the Zee gorge
Meanwhile wagons loaded with household goods
and the portable possessions OF residents Were
heng hauled away to places Of safety in the
woods to the east of the city.
The food in the Wisconsin River continues. and
the Chicago Milwaukee and st. Paul tracks are
under water for some distance. This water is
th!nly sheeted with ice. which is not strong
enough for transfer and yet Is thick enough 70
impede anv attempt to clear the tracks NO
part Of the track is washed out yet. but 1t Is not
considered safe to attempt 20 run through the
water.
There fs 2 total suaper sion Of railway trafhc
or tha Wabash and Du~and section OF the same
road.
A great deal ot railway property Is threat
ened and many highway and railway bridges
will probably be swept away. Below the I'M
mense gorge the river is practically dry, ana
when the tam breaks the body Of water IN the
reservoir must carry destruction to the VaHey
below Eau Claire has every reason 10 reel
apprehensive. as its danger begins when that
Of Chippewa Falls has passed All nope Oh
breaking the gorge .s abandoned. and all at
tention is given now TO saving househod g"ooS
and merchandise. Every team in the CITY ~
Kept busy moving people and effects TO places
OF safety. The river Is now % feet above low
water mark.
Eau Claire, Wis. Dec 1.--Aarming reports
are received as 10 the possibility Of the Ice Jam
breaking and precptaupg great mass u
water on Fan Claire VI bout twenty miles
Of the valley division Of the Chicago Milwaukee
and ST Paul south OF Eau Claire is under
water and ice. and there have been no traihs i'i
three davs
Stevens Point, Wis Dec 1.-The water IN the
Wisconsin River at this place has reached
point only three feet below the great high-Wat"r
marx ~ 1881 when this town was h"chcn. AZ
present Tho streets several blocks BACK from
The slough which runs through the rF are
hooded and last night the people N 'he n"ou'o
Districts carried all their goods from the cc'ia's
Upstairs. Barns and outanuses were no""e"'
and the owners 90 stock we're compelled 10 Sc
cure quarters for them on higher ground me
1ter Is over 20 feet above low-water marx
and should n continue TO rise the lower parts