Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1903 — ENORMOUS DAMAGES [ARTICLE]

ENORMOUS DAMAGES

Done by the Floods That Have Swept Cities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. AGGREGATE REACHES MILHOUS At Paterson Atone Going Above s2,* 000,000—Hundreds in Peril— Industries ParalyzedTotal Lioss of Life. Paterson, N. J., Oct. 12.—For nearly forty-eight hours Paterson was at the mercy of the Passaic river. The waters maintained a height sufficient to cut the western half of the city from the eastern, and almost all means of communication by bridges have been destroyed. Two bridges above the falls remaia, but approach to them is Impossible. Three bridges below the valley of the locks still stand, but It is Impossible to reach them. Seven other bridges in the city have been carried away, and their lose alone is half a millions dollars. The Inundation of the low lying districts of the city has resulted In Inconceivable damage to property. Flood T'ashing m Hill Away. The flood, however, Is beginning to recede. A number of buildings have fallen and many others have been undermined. If they do not fall they will be at least untenanable. Bpruiee street hill is falling away piecemeal, and only a little more than two feet of dirt and atone separate the falls basin from the big black race through which millions of gallons of water are rushing every hour. The gate house ie in a very 'weakened condition, and is liable to go if Spruice street hill breaks much more. Many Poople Put In Peril. Mayor Hlnchdlffe, who was at this point all night superintending the work of strengthening the dykes and water gates, regards the situation as most critical. One hopeful sign at this place Is that the water has fallen several inches. All day long boatmen have been at work rescuing people from the flooded districts. The suffering in the First and Second wards has been Intense, as it was almost impossible to reach the residents here. Several hundred persons were removed from houses completely surrounded by the flood and ready to collapse at any moment. A dozen or more of these houses later did collapse, and floated down the stream.

WATER COSTS MORE THAN FIRE More Than $8,000,000 Loss to the City, Net —Destitution Probable. The damage to mill property is chiefly from the submersion, of portions of the plants and great quantities of products. Thousands of men, women and children will be out of employment for a long time, and it seems altogether probable that this flood will cause to the city of Paterson a greater direct loss of money and property than the fire of nearly two years ago. The gross loss then was $6,000,000, with an insurance of more than $4,000,000. The present loss is estimated at considerably more than $2,000,000, with no Insurance. Five hundred families are homeless. Of these about 150 families are being sheltered in the Apollo hall, while the others will be taken care of in the armory, Governor Murphy having issued orders that the armory be thrown open for this purpose. Suffering - in Wellington/ and Duttonville has been very great, as no relief has been able to reach these places. Seven men are now in great peril of their lives in the Kearns Bros.’ dye house on the river margin near Paterson. A part of the works has been carried away. The men have been In that part which remains standingsince Friday at noon. While they were trying to save thousands of dollars’ worth of silks by carrying them to the top of the building the structure was surrounded by wmter and the men were cut off from all assistance because of the torrent that has been rushing by ever since. Passiae is a greater sufferer from the flood than even Paterson. Twenty mills in Passiae are under water and 8,000 workers are out of employment. Ten thousand persons have left their homes. Eight hundred houses are flooded to the eaves, and in all 1,000 acres are covered with water from a depth of a few inches to twenty feet Later.—Seven men who had been Imprisoned in Kearns Bros.’ dye bouse on the river margin since Friday without food have been rescued.

tOSS Witt REACH MILLIONS Cost of th« Flood Is Enormous at Easton, Pa.—toss at Trenton, N. J. Easton, Pa., Oct. 12.—The Delaware river began to recede about midnight and continues to fall rapidly. The Lehigh and the Bushkill are still backed up for miles, and everything along their banks is flooded. It is impossible to estimate the loss, or even approximate it, but in Easton and towns up and down the Delaware, it will take millions to replace bridges and repair the damage. Only one bridge from the headwaters of the Delaware to Easton is standing, and that to. an old covered structure at Portland. e Mayor Lehr directed a relief corps composed of policemen, National Guardsmen and citizens that rescued hundreds of flood-bound people along the Lehigh river. The refugees were

housed In tb« city guard armory. The West Easton industries are still submerged, also the gas and electric light and power plant. The light station is the only one in operation. Trenton, N. J., Oct. 12. —The extent of damages done by the flood In this section is now beginning to be fully realized. At least six' and possibly all nine of the wagon and foot bridges across the Delaware river between this city and Easton, Pa., have been carried away. The railway tracks along the river between this city and Bordentown are submerged at points to a depth of three feet and it is not considered safe to run trains until the water has receded and the washouts are discovered and repaired. The Delaware and Raritan canal and the canal fwder both are reported to have several breaks in their banks at different points.

DOWN ON THE SEA COAST Gate Ha* Spent It* Power, but Has Played Havoc Everywhere. Norfolk, Va., Oct. 12.—The northeast gale that has raged over tbis region since Thursday has practically spent its power, but for miles and miles along the Virginia coast the beach is littered with wreckage and throughout this entire section of the country devastation lies in the wake of the storm. Thousands of people crowded trains to the coast and saw the wrecks of the big barges Ocean Belle and Georgia near Virginia Beach. There is nothing left but an indiscriminate tangle of debris along the shore at Dam Neck to mark the end of the three-masted schooner Nellie W. Howlett.

The body of Captain George E. Evans, of the Georgia, washed ashore two miles south of Sea Tack life-sav-ing station. The body of George Peters, a colored seaman of the same vessel, has also washed ashore. The rescue of the remaining three negroes of the crew by Surfman William Capps, of Sea Tack station, was one of the most heroic acts in the history of the surfmen on the Virginia coast. Capps, while two miles from any other human being, and patrolling his stretch between the stations, saw one negro over 100 yards off shore in the roaring surf. Without a moment’s consideration of the peril he was facing, he stripped and plunged Into the sea that was already a seething mass of wreckage from the barges, and after a half hour battle, single-handed and alone, brought the unconscious man ashore. In the same manner he brought two others ashore. At Ocean View the great pleasure pier is a total wreck, and the damage to the club houses, cottages and extensive bulkheads will run far into the thousands. At Cape Henry the bay and ocean beach is covered with the wreckage from small craft and tiie mammoth double?decked pavilion is badly damaged. New York, Oct. 12.—The fierce storm which for several days has been raging along the North Atlantic coast has seriously interfered with shipping, and only four of the ocean liners, all of which have been greatly delayed, succeeded in making port. The four steamships which arrived all reported hurricanes and mountainous seas. Wu Killed on Her Deek. New York, Oct. 12.—The Old Dominion liner Jefferson has arrived in port after a very stormy passage. The Jefferson was due to arrive Saturday, but owing to the prevailing easterly storm was obliged to take shelter at Old Point Comfort. One of her passengers named F. B. Hawley, from Lakeview, Moon county, N. C., was knocked down on deck by a heavy sea and killed. ' Lives Lost in the Storm. New York, Oct. 12.—Since Friday night the following lives have been reported lost in the floods; At Port Jervis, N. Y., three; at Ilobart, N. Y., two; at Bloomfield, N. J., two; at Paterson, N. J.. one; off Norfolk, Va., twelve; off Wood’s Holl. Mass., three; off Dam Creek. Va., two; total, twen-ty-five. The Atlantic storm has strewn the ecast with wrecks.