The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-03
BUSINESS ABANDONED.
Serious State of Affairs at Chip.
pewa Falls, Wis.
TIE WATERS ARE STILL RISING.

Anything Is Expected and Nothing Fur
ther May Happen, but still the Town IL
In Great Danger-Merchants on Spring
Street Remove All Their Goods from the
stores-streets Flooded to the Second
Story OF buildings.
Milwaukee, Dec. ga special TO The
Evening Wisconsin from Chippewa
Falls. Wis. says: Confusion reigns In
Chippewa Falls. and the thoroughly
| alarmed people are making every eff
fort to leave as little for the incoming
waters to destroy as they possibly can.
Two hundred teams and drays have
4 rushed hither and thither all day,and
the streets are Uttered with various
kinds of merchandise which spilled
over the sides and ends of the overload
ed wagons as they were hurried to
| places of safety. The water remained
stationary until 3 o'clock Wednesday
morning, then 1t began to rise rapidly.
and inside of four hours an additional
rise of eighteen inches had been regis
tered. The river at / o'clock was twen-
ty-one feet high, and rising. The
Spring street merchants who had stored
their goods in second floors. determined
to take no chances. and everything
was moved and not dollars worth of
material remains. Business is aban-
doned, and the city is in a state Of tu-
multi. Thousands of people are anxious
ly waiting the flood. and in groups Of
fifty or more discuss the situation on
every corner. Anything is expected
and nothing may happen, but the
greatest danger lies in the probable
changing of the rivers course to throw
It into town.
Gorge Will Become Anchored.
This danger is more assured now.
for 1t is plainly to be seen that the wa
ter can never cut its way under the fif-
teen miles of ice gorge which has
formed in the bed of the river. Experts
believe that the gorge will soon become
anchored to the bottom of the river. In
this case the river must flow out
around 1t. It's natural course in this
event lies directly behind the town.
Three thousands pounds OF dynamite
arrived Wednesday morning and men
Gus points along the river. The attempt
has so far failed to relieve the
situation. All buildings on River street
are flooded to the second story and the
formation of ice around them is doing
serious damage to the structures. The
Central depot is under three feet DIVA
ter and will be carried away before
night The Milwaukee freight depot
tc In cir ed nd ha
sheds near by are wrecked and torn by
the ice. report reached here during
the morning that the gorge at Little |
Falls dam, fifteen miles above the city. |
had broken away. permitting a rush OF |
water upon the town. IL this report Is.
authentic the entire town will be mum |
dated just as soon as the water |
reaches us.
Discredits the Story.
Manager Irvine of the Chicago, Bur- |
lington and Quincy company discredits |
the story. The report had caused con- |
siderable CONSERVATION and there will |
be no cessation of worry until 1t Is de- |
MED. Fifty of the largest business |
firms have abandoned their structures |
entirely and every resident has made |
preparations to seek a place of safety |
in case the worst occurs. An estimate |
Of the damage already done in this
city and the rich farming country |
above it cannot be made. but II is be-
lieved a loss of s1.0OO,000 has already
been sustained Not until after the
flood has subsidized will the full meas
ure Of damage be estimated
special from Durand. Wis. says:
Ice gorge below the city has forced the |
water within four feet Of the great
"a food Tuesday night, filing cellars
and overlooking the lower streets. The |
ice has closed in and the line of for
nation is a mile above the city, the |
river slightly falling here. Below Round
Hill the gorge has broken and the
river has fallen rapidly there. Should
the Chippewa Falls gorge break. Du-
rand will be in great danger. as the
bluffs at Round Hill will hold the
gorge there.
Much Loss Of stock
A special from Black River Falls.
Wis, says: The recent floods on Black |
river surpassed anything in the his
tory Of the country at so late period
in the fall. AS returns from the lower |
county come in much loss of stock and
other property Is reported. Peet Peter
son, farmer living a few miles below
this city, lost seven head of stock
which were feeding in the bottoms and
were swept away by the flood which
came so sudden.
Losses Of like character are reported
at other points. 1t is reported that the
long and expensive fill at the end of
the Nelrose bridge Is washed away.
and that the new bridge was all right
at the time. The break in the lam
saved the bridge, as 1t gave an outlet
to the immense body Of water held back
by the anchor ice which was gorged
against the bridge. At numerous other
points the highways are reported to be
In demoralized condition Otherwise
the food has placed things in good con.