The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-04-01
ICE GORGE WENT OUT
Bay City Given Relief as corse.
quence.
SAGINAW STILL IN DISTRESS
Water Continues to Rise--Grand Rap
ids City Engineer Eudeavorng 10
Help Matters by Filling Up Subway
Under Railroad Embankment.

Bay City, Mich, March 30.-At 9:10
last night the last ice gorge near the
mouth Of the Saginaw river went out
with rush and without destroying
any property. Instantly there wars a
decrease in the height of the river and
in an hour the water had fallen five
inches. This greatly relieves the Stu
alton here, as the water is still falling.
Tie river is practically free of ice now
as far as the bay.
Al the North American Chemical
Co.'S plant the salt sheds have been
invaded by water and about 100000
barrels of salt were slowly being
washed away. The loss to the COM
pany will reach about $4,000. The
damage by flooding of easements will
not be heavy, as stocks were removed
in time and the flood loss by destruc-
ton of docks, ETC., will probably not
exceed $4,000.
Saginaw, Mich, March 30.-The con-
ditions in this city and vicinity are
not improved. The water in the river
has risen about five inches in the last
twenty-four hours and the filling and
backing up of the sewers has in
creased the area of the flooded dis
trict The Flint, Shiawassee, Cass and
Fad rivers are falling, and if the
weather could warm up gradually and
not send out the Tittabawassee and
tributaries with a rush the danger
would be regarded as over, but rains
are threatened, the temperature is ris-
ing and big flood from these streams
added to the volume of water we now
have will work incalculable damage.
1t is difficult to estimate the damage,
as all industrial plants on the river
are shut down and 5000 men or more
are out of work, and consequent loss
Of wages and interruption of business
results.
Old Couple VIII Die.
The conditions down the river in
villages of Carrcllton, Milwaukee and
Crow Island are distressing. A tug
went down twice Tuesday, bringing up
twenty people early in the morning
and thirtv-four last night. One old
couple. Mr. and Mrs. Bockaw who
have been in the water since Friday
will die Hundreds of cattle, horses
and hogs are either dead or dying
with no relief in sight.
The financial loss in the county will
probably reach three quarters of mil
lion dollars.
Grand Rapids. Mich, March 30
The water in Grand river has fallen
over two feet in the past thirty-s1x
hours, and nearly third of the flood
district can now be reached without
the aid of boats. Train service is
practically restored and relief for the
flood victims is ample from measures
taken.
Strenuous efforts are being made by
City Engineer Anderson to dam up the
Turner street subway beneath the
Grand Trunk tracks. The water
sweeps through it in a powerful cur
rent from the river to the north Of the
Grand Trunk embanlment
The foundations Of houses are begin
ming TO give way under the impact of
the current. The frost Is coming out
Of the ground and this, combined with
the current, is already shaking houses.
II is possible to save them if the cur
rent can be diverted.
Fear is expressed that the dammlng
Of the subway, and consequent throw
ing of the current into the main chan
mel, may cause more trouble along the
river itsslf
The flood situation at Ionia, Lowell,
Portland, Ada and other flooded
places in the Grand River valley has
greotly improved. At Grand Haven
the ice gorge has gone, which removes
I'll probability of food at that point.