The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-04-02
THE RIVER RETREATS FROM THE
SUBURBS.
A Visit to North rlankato Shows that
Very Little Damf &c has been Done
Aside from that to the Sidewalks
The Ice In the Minnesota Above
This City is Still Solid-Higher
Water Expected Soon.

AS stated in these columns Fri
day afternoon, the river took sudden
drop. The fall up to six o'clock in the
evening was three feet, and people
were enabled to walk along Belgrade
avenue, in North Mankato, once more
The water continued to fall during
the night, and by eight o'clock next
morning had gone down over three
feet and a half, and the fall continued
slightly during the day.
City Engineer Haynes prepared a
bulletin Saturday, sho owing the
stage of the river. Extreme low
water is 74.1 feet, and the high water
of 1881 registered 97.7 feet. Fri
day forenoon at nine o'clock, the
water stood at 92.9 feet, and this
morning at eight o'clock it had fallen
to 1872 feet. This shows fall of 3. 7
feet in less than twenty-fOur hours
The fall, of course, was due to the
passing out of the gorge yesterday
afternoon. The gorge was started by
a little rise in the river and the
, breaking away of a number of large
cakes of ice in the Minnesota be-
tween the mouth of the Blue Earth
river and the first bend above. These
cakes bore down with great force on
the ice field below.
From the first bend above the
mouth of the Blue Earth river and
for at least seven miles above the
ice on the Minnesota is still strong
and shows no signs of breaking up
soon. The river has risen good deal.
Numerous small cakes of ice came
down the Blue Eaath from it's
tributaries today.
All who know the situation in the
upper Minnesota valley are confident
that there will be much higher water
when the ice breaks up and comes
down. The river is already running
bank full, and when the snow above
goes off, as it must within two'weeks.
there will probably be higher water
than has yet been seen this spring, if
it does not equal the freshet of 1881.
Those who live in the district likely
ito be flooded should count on this
probability.
( A FREE PRESS reporter took a walk
along Belgrade avenue, in North
Mankato, that forenoon. Signs of the
recent flood are to be seen on every
hand for the first few blocks. The
principal damage done was to the
sidewalks, which have nearly all
suffered. The walks which 81. P.
Christensen built at an expense of
S400 are tumbled around as though
they had been made the sport of the
water and ice cakes. The greater
part of these walks can be replaced at
a not very great expense.
Many Of the wooden walks in front
of residences were saved by being
tied down with ropes or wire. Others
were undermined or partially washed
away. A stone walk was badly under
mined and caved in. Many Of the
front yards are partially covered by a
mud and sand deposit, and huge cakes
of ice are to be seen wherever the
falling water left them.
Belgrade avenue itself was not
much injured, las it was well riprap-
ed. The covering over the stones
was washed out, but the street can be
thoroughly repaired at no great ex-
pense. In case the village incorpor-
ates, probably the grade of the street
will be raised so as to prevent high
water from flowing across it.
The low places are filled with pools
of water, which had thick coating of
ice.
None of the houses appear to have
been injured much. One man claim
ed that the W ter had washed out
his lot so that he was damaged 5000,
and talked of suing the county COM
missioners for the amount.
Mud lake is brim full. A stream of
water still ran through North Man.
>Kato that forenoon, but passed through