Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1922-04-13
Portage In No Immediate Danger
Unless Water Reaches Is Foot
Level
STREAM rs NOW 1879
FEET, 2 INCHES BELOW
FLOOD LEVEL, CLAIM
The River Road to Madison Is
Under Water For a Stretch OF
One Mile

The Fox River valley is threatened
by flood waters now menacing a
portion of Portage as a result of the
continued rise of the Wisconsin riv-
er, which stood at 1873 feet there Mon
day night, less than two inches be-
low flood level
The river rose five inches the last
twenty-four hours and is expected to
crawl above the flood level of four
teen feet at an even more rapid pace
early Tuesday morning, as result
of heavy rains in this section.
Warning from the United States
weather bureau at Dubuque, Ia, sup
plemented by similar word by radio
from the bureau at Madison, declared
that the waters would reach height
OF fifteen feet there Thursday morn
ing.
River Road Under Water
Portage. as a whole, is in no dan
ger but a portion of the residential
district at the south end of the city
will be inundated in the event that
the fifteen foot level is reached
The river road to Madison is under
water for a stretch of one mile at a
point two miles south of the city. 1t
is impossible. the waters standing at
a depth of from one to six feet. Work
on the new state trunk highway un-
der construction just east of this
road is menaced
Greatest damage by flood in Port
age was in October, 1900, when farms
III the Fox River valley were inundat-
ed with large loss of property, The
Wisconsin river rose to higher point
in 1911, when the record of 1873 feet
was reached, but damage at that
time was not SO great
Eau Claire. La Crosse, Oconto and
other Wisconsin cities were also
menaced by flood waters Monday
night, following the swelling of sew
eral rivers by heavy rains Of the last
three Gays anC Dy melting snow from
northern WOODS.
In all cases, the waters were rising
steadily and at such a pace that the
flood level was being rapidly ap-
preached. In some instances, low
ground was inundated and residential
districts were flooded.
Considerable damage has already
been suffered, reports indicated. The
Fox and Wolf rivers, in the territory
near Oshkosh and Appleton. have
caused heavy property loss. Other
rivers rising SO rapidly as to sweep
lowlands and give grave concern to
cities are the Mississippi, Chippewa,
Flambeau. Wisconsin and Oconto.
Telephone Wires Down
Telephone wires in the north and
west were down, it was announced
but no interruption to telegraph serv-
ice was reported. Heavy rains, cleo.
trical disturbances and high winds
wrecked the telephone system near
Wausau and Merrill.
Severe storms were reported out
side of the state
Merrimack In Danger
Reports from Sank City, which is
below the Prairie du Sac dam. show
"a slight decrease in the rivers stage.
The flood gates have been opened at
the dam. Merchants whose places of
business are located along the water
front have removed stock of goods
from their easements.
Merrimac. the point at which the
Northwestern road crosses the Wis
consin river, reports high water
which threatens farm and residences
along the stream.
RAIN which continued through the
night and which has been falling IN
termittently for two days has added
to the volume of water. Melting
snow in the northern part of the state
mas helped TO swell most of th,S
streams tributary TO the Wisconsin.
A radio"repoft from Merrill this
morning stated that dam had gone
out at that place.