Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-10-10
MISSISSIPPI
RIVER RISING:
FEAR DAMAGE

cOnSln lnaL Wlpeu Ous
Black River Falls Busi-
ness District, SWells River
La Crosse, Wis, Oct. 9.-The Hood
from the Hatfield dam is now sweeping
the country Just north Of La Crosse
and is increasing the height OF the
Mississippi river here at the rate OF
an inch an hour This morning. at 8
o'clock the Mississippi stood at eight
and eight-tenths feet above zero, 9 rise
OF almost four feet since Saturday
morning. che river Is today higher
there than 1t has been previously IN
three years.
The Northwestern railway tracks
Just above La Crosse at Onalaska are
under water. there having been in
some places rise of fifteen feet.
Trafhc is completely cut of. Con
siderable damage Is reported to farm
property In the. low land and there are
some heavy losses Of stock.
That Black River Falls may not be
The surrounding country Is too rough
for farming, and with the manufactur-
Ing plants destroyed, there Is little
left to maintain the town.
1t Is conceded here today that one
OF the distressing results of the food
will be the fling Of petitions In bank
rHptcy by many, merchants. Losses
from $4,000 to $4,000 are numerous.
Ia Crosse Firm Hard Hit.
Along this lire the fate OF the La
Crosse Water Power Co., the five mill
ION dollar property of which Is located
at Hatfield, Is In considerable doubt.
Pecause Black River has run almost
dry the last two years, the company
has met difficulties and Is now IN the
bands OF receiver. A heavy burden
cf repairing its dam and restoring It's
ether property is now placed upon It,
?rd Lond holders meetings are being
held to dtscuss the financing 81 the
corporation under these conditions.
The possibility 81 extensive litigation
between the company and the mer-
chants at Black River Falls. as we'll as
the Green Bay and Western railway
which will be out Of business for q
month on its main line Is also being
taken into account.
A REGULAR incident OF the food at
tha Hatfield power house Is attested
nv D. f. Mcmillan. president OF the La
Crosse Gas & Electric Co., who has re-
turned from Hatfield. On the floor OF
the power house was large barrel OF
oil which was tipped over when the
flood struck it. The oil fioated on top
of the water, and oiled the machinery
as the food rose, and oiled 1t again as
the waters receded. Mr.. Mcmillan
says that the work could not have been
done better by hand and the ma
chinery in the power plant Is In perfect
condition.
Il. only Fifteen Families Homeless
Black River Falls. Wis, Oct, a.
Fifteen families are homeless, loss OF
81 500 900 has been wrought and .he
city OF Black River Falls is 1aboring
under the loss Of its business district
as'sthe results Of the food.
This In brief summarizes the food
situation at Black River Falls. Lead
inx citizens say they are able to cope
with the situation without outside as
Asistance, although they are accepting
gratefully all proffers OF. help. A Sc
rious problem is the lack Of stores and
loss Of stock and provisions. One gro
Gerry remains and another mas been
started in tent. Meats and groceries
will have to be shipped In for the pres
ent to supply the population. Tie c''i'
crete dixie Of the city dam, just COM
pieted. was laid diagonally across the
river instead Of at right angles, throw
inx the torrent to the business dis
tracts. Had this been built directly op-
pogite the river the eddy through which
the food got its first opening into the
business district would not have
existed.
stage Of the River.
Chicago, Oct, s.-The Mississippi
river is more than four feet higher
than It was Saturday at points In Wis
cinsin., according to the report at the
United States weather bureau here.
The crest, while moving rapidly south,
has not vet reached Iowa points. The
stages reported, La Crosse S.8 feet;
Dnbuoue. 6 feet; Davenport 40 feet.
The river at Dubuque Is one foot high
er than it was Saturday.
MRS. c. P. MOON DIES.
Mother Of E. G. Moon OF ottunwa,
passed Away This Morning at
Montrose.
Senator E. G. Moon, 219 East Maple
avenue, received a message about 8
O'Clock this morning informing him OF
tha death of his mother, Mrs. G. p.