The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-04
FREsHET ON THE Waikiki.

THE GREATEST FREsHET YET KNOWN ON THE
Waikiki 1rvER-Loss OF BRIDGES IN
ORANGE coUNTY-ALL BRIDGES GONE BE
TWEEN PELLETT's ISLAND AND MONTGOMERY
DAMAGES ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
GOSHEN, April 3. 1875.
At four O'Clock this afternoon the covered bridge
over the Waikiki, at Phillipsburg between Goshen
and Middletown, was carried away by the ice,
which came down the river in q body. 1t was a
structure 600 ieet long. costing originally abou;
$4,000. and had withstood the annual ireshets Tor
about forty wears. The Scotchtown bridge, q
few miles below tia bridge OF similar dlmen-
sions-was carried away also an hour or two later
the same afternoon: also the bridge at Stony
Pond, near Mr.. Bachmans celebrated horse farm
a bridge over the same river, built by Mr.. Bach
man at considerable expense, and an i'm portanl
bridge on the same river; also q fourth bridge al
Cnechunk, three miles from Goshen, on the Wall
kill River, costing last fall So 800. These con-
prise al the bridges on the Waikiki, between
Pelletps Island and Montgomery, covering q dii.
lance OF twenty miles, with no crossing place
LETT within this distance through the -iaua
region OF orange county.
BURST OF FORTY THOUSAND ACRES.
The fresnet which mad been slowly accommodating
west OF New Hampton and embracing the pent up
waters OF the Jersey mountains, filing vast
suddenly burst It's barriers and came down with
the most destructive eject and with q violence
unknown In the history OF the river 1t is sup
posed that there Is out one bridge standing on the
Waikiki between Goshen ana @e Jersey hne, y
distance OF twenty miles. The disaster at
PhilllpsourR was more Immediately pre-
cipltated by the avalanche OF waters whIcn
came down the river at Chechunk at q point
where the Erie Railway Company had recently
enlarged the dimensions OF their railroad bridge,
and where the ice IN an immense quantity came
through on a current running with great rapidly
suddenly overlooking and breaking up the MILF
ponc at PhIlipsburg, which came dow IN a mass,
literally lifting the PntllipeDurg bridge from tue
piers and carrying II away as a wreck down the
river. At nine O'Clock the Montgomery bridge, O
new ana costly structure, was still standing al
though approximations we're hourly entertained OF
It's destruction. Though located on the line OF the
Waikiki Valley Railway, the road In no instance
crosses the Waikiki excepting at new Paitz which
was all right
THE ERUPTION VERY SUDDEN
On the arrival OF the Kingston passenger train
this evening the greatest portion OF the hood nad
not reached that point OF the river, probably,
where the train passes over. The irruptlon Was
30 sudden and unexpected that many people were
river and with no prospect OF getting to their
residences again until the ice iresnet subsidies.
Tue Mon tgomery people turned out and have
chained their brioge fast In hopes OF saving H. IL
a costly and beautiful structure, and It's loss would
be great calamity TO the whole neIghborhOod.
Sh0uld 1t be carried away IL would probably
carry the Walden bridge. i've miles below, with IT.
The bridges already gone could not be replaced
short OIL SIO0,0O0