Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-05-28
MUCH RAIN FALLS
wisconsin River Above Flood Stage
Below Wausau and Rapidly
Rising Here

Wausau and vicinity is just now hav-
| ing plenty of rain to make up for the
scarcity of moisture during the early
| spring months. On Friday night the
rain came down at intervals in tor
rents. The heavy rain began Saturday
night and fall of 1856 inches was re-
| corded at Wausau Sunday morning
another rain early Monday morning of
81 inches made total rainfall of 2.27
inches within about SO hours. These
same conditions prevailed north of
Wausau and over two inches of rain
fall was reported over the upper Wis
consin, Rib and Eau Claire rivers.
This has caused a rapid rise in the
river from Rhinelander southwark.
At noon, Monday, the river stage was
IL feet at Tomahawk; feet at Mer-
rill and Wausau. Below Wausau at
Rothschild, Stevens Point and further
south, the rise was even more rapid
due to the large volume of water
brought down by the Rib and Eau
Claire rivers and low places were I'M
der water at Rothschild, Knowlton and
Stevens Point by Monday noon. At
KnOwlton the stage was 16 feet, 4
feet above flood stage Monday noon
and was already flooding large acres
of grain planted in the lowlands and
causing damage to growing crops.
Flood warnings were sent to Grand
Rapids at 2 p. M, Monday, giving
warning of a stage of over two feet
above the flood stage by Tuesday
morning.
The report from the local weather
bureau says:
"It is probable that rain will con-
tinue the greater part of the day Mon
day. in upper wisconsin valley but
the rainfall will be light. At Wausau
and points north the river will con-
tinue to rise but the rise will not be
greater than one foot during the next
"a hours. The rainfall over both the
Rib and Eau Claire valleys has been
slightly over two inches during the
past forty-eight hours and the river
south of Wausau will continue to rise
quite rapidly. The rise will probably
be as much as two to three feet within
the next "a hours with a stage Of IL
or liz feet at Grand Rapids by Tues
day morning"
The heaviest STORM struck Wausau
when the Red Cross was getting ready
for it's big auction sale at 8 o'clock
Saturday evening at the court house
square. Dark clouds rolled up from
the south covering the sky and blind
ing flashes of lightning accompanied
by deafening pealS or thunder sent
the people flying under cover. Before
they could do this many were drenched
to the skin so quickly did the storm
come on. Easements all over the city
were flooded, the sewers not being
able to carry off the water. Catch
basins were covered up with flood
trash and vast ponds formed on some
of the streets, which required going
several blocks to get around. Especi-
ally, was considerable trouble had by
those living at the foot of East hill
The river here is two feet below
flood stage and if no further heavy
rains are had, Wausau will not be
disturbed in the least. The lakes
above us were all very low and the
reservoirs in upper Wisconsin were all
empty, which accounts for the lack
of very high water at this point
While every preparation is made at
the guard lock to close up the gap
where trains run through to the mills
below, yet it is thought the water will
not reach the railroad track at the
guard lock, though it is very near to
that point at the present time.