The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-02
NEAR DANCER POINT
MINNESOTA RIVER is TOUCHING
HIGH SPOTS RAPIDLY.
Several Families in West MankatO
Have Had to Do the Twenty
Three" Act and if Water Com
tinues to Rise, Others Must Move;
No Ice Gorge Found Below Man
kato; Blue Earth Going Up.
Fl I'M Mondays DAILY.

Fl nm Mondays Daily.
The Minnesota river has been rising
steadily since Saturday, and is near
ing the danger point. In fact, several
houses in West Nlankato are already
surrounded, and the families occupying
them sought safety at an early hour
this morning by moving out. The
river Saturday morning stood at l3.5
feet, yesterday morning ut lG.2, and
this morning at Up The river went
app one foot during the twcntyfour
hours ending at eight O'Clock this morn
ING, and then stood just four feet
lower than it did when it reached its
highest point last June. On June 20
it stood at PIP feet above low water
mark.
Rise Two Inches an Hour.
Eighteen feet is considered the dan
ger line for residents in the lowest
parts of the city, and this is likely
to be reached by night. The Blue
Earth has been going up at the rate
of two inches an hour since Saturday
afternoon. The Minnesota can go up
three feet more before the danger
point is reached in the sewers, but
the board OF public works is rigging
up the smaller of the two new pumps
and attaching it to the street roller
for power, and will be ready to handle
what is can of the sewage. The water
,,,t,, Ia
installing the new pumps with electric
power, as two or three weeks would
lee required for this. If the council
had acted promptly the pumps would
have been ready now, but that body
delayed action until it was too late
to get the plant ready for the spring
breakup However, it is not antici
patcd that the river will go much
higher unless heavy rains should set
in.
Found No Gorgcs.
Yesterday President Day of the
board of public works and seven others
went down the river Il number of
miles and came back along the bank.
to see whether the ice had .or1cd
any where. but found no gorger. The
swift current also indicates that there
is no gorge.
The water in invading the streets i'll
the vicinity of Mound avenue, and is
backing into the slough rapidly, 50
that the slough presents the appearance
of large lake
I'm North Mankato the dikes are
doing good service. The only place
Where the water has overlooked the
top of sthe dixie is near Mr.. Hodapp's.
Men and teams are at work building
up the low places OH other parts of
the dixie, and it is hoped to hold the
water out, except where it backs i'll
from Mud lake.
People on the Move.
At one o'clock this morning the
water got so high near Mound avenue
that Joseph Robb was obliged to move
out He took all his household goods
with him. At two o'clock Arthur
Benack, living near by, was also for
ced to move. The water then was
over his rear door step, and today
surrounded the house OH three sides.
The Cottonwood river reached its
highest point Thursday and is falling.
The other tributaries of the Mime
sofa are breaking up, which doubtless
accounts for the high water. The cold
weather of the past week seems to
have been blessing in disguise. for
had the weather been warm enough
to have taken the SNOW off it is pro-
bable that very bad flood would
have occurred. As it is, it does not
seem possible that the river can con-
tinuc to rise much longer, for vast
volume of water is being carried off.
Every foot of rise now means that it
will spread out into much wider
channel.
The water has reached point back
of the dwellings on Minnesota street.
and the residents there and Oh Poplar
are anxiously waiting to see whether
the rise will continue.
Beginning to Fall.
The Minnesota river reached its flood
tide this forenoon and then began to
fail, and by one o'clock TINS alter
noon had gone down three inches. 1t
is thought that it will reccde rapidly.
The Blue Earth river also reached, its
high point this forenoon, and began
to 20 down. This will be good news
for all of the low lying sections.
The water reached to one foot of
the floor OF the North Star Tile
works.
Situation at New Ulm.
New Ulm, March 2y.--The Mime
a rampage. They are ilooding the
bottom lands and are within a few
inches of the high water mark of last
NAa ann a. 80