Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1897-04-08
P|pESTEM
Rises Suddenly In the Night
and Creates a Little
Anxiety.
Some of the Residents Along
Its Bank Seek Higher
Ground.
Water Enters Basement and
Flour Mills Closed. Jim
Quiescent.


Quiescent.
The sxper1enoe With high water in the
Red and Missouri river valleys has
placsd the people in the valley Of the
James on tho lookout for high water
here. A sudden rise in tho Pipsstem
river Tuesday, which amounted to not
more than ton feet and caused no incon-
venience TO anyone or any business
except the flour mills, the wstsr enter
ing the basement, was worked up into .
scare and one or two families were led to
remove after dark from their homes. A
tour Of the city this morning showed
the Pipestsm had broken away during
the night AMI was gradually rlslng. At
the iron bridge IN the northwest part Of
the city near the farm Of Levi Ellis, the
water was within six feet Of the floor OF
the bridge and within three teet OF the
caps Of the railroad bridge near it. Up
the river % far 20 can be seen the ice
and snow fill the bed of the river un.
broken. In many places No water at all
can be seen the SNOW being almost con-
tinuoue from bank to bank. South Of
this point, however. the river has broken
up IN pieces and the ice has hosted
down stream short distance. The re-
port that the Fredrus Bsldwin's place
was surrounded by water was entirely
erroneous as the water would have to
rise about ten feet to reach the building
site. The river 10 about six feet from
the main line railroad bridge but 10 up
to the caps and the floor on the east end
Of the Nierling wagon bridge.
At the -four mills the water rose very
rapidly last night and coon after the:mill
closed Gown for the night, it was seen
would soon be in the basement. AZ the
mills hsd ground up their supply Of
wheat the men we're set to work remov-
ing the belts from the machinery in the
basement but the water rose foster than
the men worked and all were not taken
of. All Of tho waste gates have been
opened at the dam and the water is
pouring over in food. The water level
on the south eide was within four feet of
the water on the upper eide Of the dam
this morning. The water backed up in
the James river and caused q small rise
but for a ahort distance. North Of the
creamery little water from the north was
reported.
Reports from the upper Plpestem are
that the water has not been seen so
high before. Ten miles above here it
fills the valley from bluff to bluff and
one or two families have been compelled
to move to higher ground. The draws
and ravines are full Of snow and the
daily accumulstions of water have beer
penned up in them to depths not seen
before.
Reports from Jim lake are various and
contradictory. The water is accumu-
latlng IN that and Arrowwood
lake, just above it, however, and if q
warm season occurs heavy rise in the
James may he expected.
During the day number of families
living on the banks of the Pipestem,
south OF the coal sheds, on the west side,
moved to the central part Of the city.
The ground along there is quite low and
a comparatively small rise results in an
overflow.
The Pipestem iron, wagon bridge rests
on rollers at each end, to permit Of con-
traction and expansion in winter and
summer, and the county commissioners
visited the locality and made arrange
ments to secure the structure.
Many people took "constitutionals" to
the river today to see the water 60 by.
The cameralst was also on hand to secure
views.
During the day the back water IN the
James rose half foot and greater rice
was reported in the Pipestem. About
fifteen families have moved out of the
vicinity Of the stream.
The Valley train was held at Oskes
Monday night owing to Bear creek. that
empties into the James from the north
at Oskes, being on tear and in sn ugly
mood. Men were kept at the Northern
Pacific bridge over tho creek, mile and
. half north Of town, to prevent its being
washed away. All the wagon bridges
over this stream are reported gone. The
flats about Oskss are flooded. At points
further north, at LaMoure and Dickey,
the water 10 gathering in the river very
slowly and no high water 10 reported.
Reports from Jim lake are that
the water 10 seven feet in depth above
the ice sud still rising. When this