Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1882 — Disastrous Storm in the East. [ARTICLE]

Disastrous Storm in the East.

A drought of several weeks’ duration in' the East terminated with one of the heaviest rainfalls recorded in the last forty years. Reports are printed from New York city, Poughkeepsie, Newburg and Pore Jervis, in New York; Paterson, Bor den town and Plainfield, in New Jersey; Raleigh, in North Carolina, and elsewhere, all placing the rainfall at five inches as a minimum, and in one instance (Paterson) giving fourteen inches ’ as the depth of water which fell within forty-eight hours. At Plainfield, N. J., a bridge gave way, throwing a crowd of sightseers in the water, all of whom, it is probable, were fished out as no bodies were . found. The loss of life Is small, as human beings very generally come in out of the wet, but the railroad companies are heavy losers. The points mentioned as having sustained heavy losses by the tremendous rain-fall and the rapid rise of rivers which immediately followed include, in New Jersey, Paterson. Princeton, Trenton, Hoboken, Hackensack, Bordentown, Plainfield and New Brunswick, while from Waterbary, Conn., Philadelphia, and Fredericksburg, Va, reports are received of great destruction and damage. Bridges, dams and trestles were . carried off, and washouts on railroads numerous. In some towns the water was up to the showcases in stores, and railway cars were submerged to the windows. Many residences were washed away, and the damage to mills and crops by the overflow is almost incalculable.