The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-13

River Tyler Bridge Washington, Goodwin and other
depth Of from iye TO ten feet Hundreds OF families
moving out their furniture i'll boats, on
floats. or anything that offered; hundreds were
imprisoned i'll their houses, unable to come out,
and hundreds more out and could not reach
their houses the flood having overtaken them so
suddenly The streets in the vicinity OF the HOOD.
but which the had yet reached. were filled
with wailing women driven from home, some with
little children and infants in arms. Household run
niure and property of all sorts saved from the ood
piled on every side As fast as possible THESE
unfortunates were supplied with temporary iodg-
ines either in private houses or in the public build
ings. Everything within two blocks Of the river on
either side was submerged and still the river was
rising.
ONE MAN DROWNED.
There was no loss of life except in one instance,
though many escapes were almost miraculous. Two
doors from the corner of Washington, on River
street lived q man named Strohmeyer, aud when the
waters reached his house, miserable tenement-his
family were taken out IN satsty put yestefuay u
thought he made his way through the water ana
gained entrance after the family left and, being
intoxicated, persisted there alone. A woman named
Vader left her house in Northstraight street
early in the afternoon and came back from her work
at the shirt factory the evening to find all commune
cation cut off, and her four children, two OF them
very small, there alone She could hear their
screams for help but the torrent was rushing be-
tween and she could not reach the house. Later the
children rescued and the family sheltered.
At Morrows Mills, just out of Paterson is dwell
ing around which runs the Wagaraw Creek. now
river. The double house was occupied by an old
lady, Mrs. Story, and a family named warren, the
latter occupying portion W OF the mouse es
the dams above broke away the waters
swept into the warrens apartments, and the lady,
catching up her infant, rushed into the rooms OF
Mrs Story fer safety. Soon after Mrs. Warren was
removed by the neighbors but Mrs Story refused to
leave the house Soon after another dam above gave
way and then the only bridge connecting with the
land was swept away and the waters surged around
the house and through the lower story all night long,
threatening every instant to sweep it from its founda
tions. In this fearful plight the old lady passed
the night, expecting death every moment. FOR
tunately the house stood the onslaught bravery,
ard in the morning rescue was effected
The condition of the lower portion of Paterson was
perlous in the extreme The river in which the eur
rent was running at the rate or about twenty-five
miles hour constantly rising and on its bosom
hoated from time to time portions OF buildings, logs
and all manner of debris including large trees, which
were hurled against the bridges and against the foun
datons of houses on the river 8 bank with an almost
irresistible force. There was tremendous pres
Bridge of the Society for the Promotion
of Useful Manufactures. and If that had
given way the entire lower portion of the city would
have been flooded. and the great locomotive, works
of Rogers Il Co., Danforth, Cook Co., and d. B
Grant Co., the latter of which is at work on the
order for fifty Erie locomotives would have been en-
tirely submerged.
STREETS TURNED INTO RIVERS.
During Tuesday night and all day yesterday and
last night the streets in the vicinity of the river
bore extremely Venetian appearance Boats Of
every imaginable description were being propelled
to and fro, the only means of communicating with
the houses. Five cents fare was asked and freely
paid.
The scene at the Il ais is mapninceut oucu VOL
of water was never before seen pouring over
in the chasm and thousands visited the scene yes
teray. and many go there at night to have view OF
it in all its wild grandeur by moonlight And the
sight is worth the trouble The water PUSHES over
the precpces, OF boiling foam, from the
Water Company's works the west side Of the
chasm bridge, the chasm itself being at least twenty
feet higher than usual. The Valley of
Rocks is completely submerged portion Of
hidden from view in a mad waste of waters that make
clear sweep it, leaving nothing to show it is
not portion Of the river except the tops OF the
numerous trees
TEAM SWEET DOWN STREAM.
Yesterday afternoon. about four O'Clock thrilling
scene was witnessed by the thousands who We're
present at the Falls A team attached to load OF
timber being driven through the road leading to-
ward the Falls from above. The road being sub
merged the team by mistake driven of the bank
and in . twinkling the horses. load and the
two men were swept away by the torrent.
This about a quarter of mile above the Falls
bridge which is the societys dam. the cataract being
but few hundred feet below the dam. The catas-
trophe was seen by hundreds. and every one turned
pale with alright. Women screamed and wept. and
even beside themselves and i'll many cases
wept also The sight was appalling. The men We're
seen being swept rapidly to certain destruction
they having chung fast to the wagon box, which sup
ported them. But there were those at hand who were
equal to the emergency. Ropes were procured and
let down from the iron bridge within few hundred
feet of the cataract, and by nice calculation and
through the presence of mind of the themselves
they were saved. They caught each to rope and
hauled up amid the deafening cheers OF thou
sands of spectators. several women fainting when
The water has been falling since A. NJ. yester
day but the is still flooded The Vessel, Rushing
and Paterson and New York plank road bridges in
the vicinity of Passaic all under water and boats
plying on them. Every mill in Passaic is stopped
Damage to the extent of many thousands Of dollars
has been done. The bleach house. at the Locke
print works. is five feet under water. The
buildings seem rs If standing out in q
extensive calico and packing rooms under
water. the goods floating in every direction. The
flood has swept all the lower floors. The water from
a.. lie In 1Tsla Tt.n
works are also submerged and the damage is i'm
The Bache shoddy mill and the woollen mills
of Wateriouse Brothers nave been stopped and thou
sands OF dollars worth OF goods destroyed The stock
of timber in w. Anderson's yards valued ut 10000.
has all swept away and is along the river
The Passaic works under water and their ope
rations stopped. The Freeholders of Passaic county
will call special meeting 10 provide for the suffering
and afford relief 10 the many who are cut of from
communication by the destruction Of bridges and
roads.
BoRDESTowS n. j.. Dec H. 1878.
IT, storm has swollen the Delaware River at
this place that all the railroads under water No
trains have from here since last evening. Pas
sengers and express matter are still here. No mails
newspapers have been received from any point to-
day. Five locomotives have been placed the
bridge the stream between here and Trenton TO
secure it. The river is still rising.
TREvToS, n. J.. Dec. -. 1873.
The Delaware River has risen higher than IL in
1861 and that the highest point in several years
Last night IL kept rising an inch hour and to-
down eighteen inches. There has been damage
dome. except the stoppage of all the mills. large
amount OF DRIFT wood, lumber. &c, IL coming down.
PENNSYLVANIA.
THE WATER IN THE sUsQUEHANNA RIVER DE-
cREAsIsG-DAMAGE TO MINES AND MANUFAC-
p.rr pa.rc rrYr ,.o.v