The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-05-29
Residents Of Poplar Street Are Men
aced BY the High Water.
Compelled to Get Out and Build a
Dam Early This Morning.
Hubbard Mill Was Forced to Close
Down During Last Night.
Minnesota Continues to Go Some.-BIue
Earth No, So Slow.
From Fridays Daily.

From Fridays Daily.
Residents of Poplar street were driven
from their beds at three o'clock this
morning, and for a number of hours
they fought the water that was menacing
their property. \ dam was built be-
tween the tracks of the Chicago, st.
Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha road and
the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul.
Despite this dam the water is backing up
and the situation is not altogether the
best for those who live on Poplar street.
Several cellars are flooded.
At three o'clock this morning the
Hubbard mill was forced to close down,
the water from the Minnesota backing
up into the sewer, reaching the main
drive belt. The shutting down of the
mill at this time causes big loss to the
company. as it had many large orders
to fill.
Engineer Koke at the pumping station
started the engine at the mouth of the
main sewer last night and was COM
PEELED to operate the machine all night,
as the water was backing up into the
sewer very rapidly.
The Minnesota river kept up its gait
all night and throughout today. From
$50 o'clock last evening until twelve
o'clock midnight it had risen twenty
inches. This morning the water continu-
ed to rise at the rate of over an inch
an hour. Some people predicted last
night that the water would recede today.
but these representations proved to be
wrong.
At about $3.50 o'clock this morning
Mayor Taylor telephoned New Ulm and
asked if the water in the Minnesota was
receding at that point. The answer came
back that the water had risen six inches
there in very short time this morn
ing and it was going up at the rate of an
up. Much rain has fallen to the west
all rivers and streams are dumping theiI
surplus into the Minnesota and it can
be expected that there will be no fall
in the water for at least a day or two
In North Mankato the high water has
disturbed several residents of the fats
and several houses are completely sur
rounded During the night Wheeler
Bennett had a force of men employed
keeping the water out of the clay pits
in their brick yard. Gardens are trans
formed into miniature lakes.
Last evening and early this morning
the wagon bridge at the foot of Main
street was crowded with people who gaz
ed at the fast rushing waters and the
quantity of debris that was brought
down from up above. Trees which had
been torn up by the roots, were making
their way down stream, and at times the
river looked as if raft of logs had brok-
eli loose.
The present rise of the Minnesota
has caused some discussion as to the
date of the great flood of 1881. The
flood of that year reached top notch on
April p, according to the record kept on
file in the office of the city engineer. On
April p the water was up to point
two feet and four inches below the water
table of the building occupied by the
Corner Cafe at Front and Main streets.
The Blue Earth river is going some
Out at Rapidan that river has risen
several feet during the night and the
Rogers mill was forced to cease opera
tions because of the high water.
The following in regard to the high
water of 1881 was taken from The Free
Press of April 25 of that year:
River still rising The middle piers of
the Minnesota bridge are four feet nine
inches above the water. Huge trees are
coming down the river, but a force of