Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-02
Thrilling Incident of a Flood.

DurlDS the heaVy Hood at Paterson. N
D., an exciting incident occurred: The
hill where the Passaic falls are situated
was thronged with visitors throughout
the day. Just above, the river had
stretched across The meadow, cutting of
the road, and forming an immense pond
Out of this the water poured into the
rocky gorge which forms the approach to
the fall, and such was its volume that
the chasm into which the fall tumbles
seventy feet IN depth, was filed half ur
with the flood, which roared so as to be
heard mile away, and sent out spray
that fell for many yards around like 6
heavy rain.
At this point in the afternoon an Incl.
aent occurred that startled beyond ex.
preston the thousand spectators there
assembled. A boy ten years old was
driving an open wagon along the road
by the river side, above the falls con.
siderable distance. At points the road
over which he was driving was sub.
merged, but not to great depth, and
he had made several fords successfully
A man walking along the road hailed
him and asked him for lift; the boy
took him in, and the two drove along to.
gether. Presently they came to point
where the lamp posts along the side OF
the road were almost half buried in the
water. but the boy whipped up his horse
and drove in. All at once the two in the
wagon felt the body Of the same lifted
up by the water, and they foated off
while the horse continued on with the
wheels. The body of the wagon foated
out on the broad pond that has been men.
stoned. The water was compare.
lively smooth, but still the current
was strong, and the wagon BODY was car.
ried with considerable rapidity in the di.
rection OF the fall. I,hrongs of persons
were walking along the side of the
stream, and they saw the novel craft
borne away. A hundred yards ahead Of
where the two were bird &c crosses the
river, and just beyond that occurs a slight
tall in the bel of the stream, and from
there on the water rushed like an arrow
to the fall, only short way distant. As
the wagon body drew on faster and taste,
toward the bridge, its occupants could
see the spray of the fall and hear it roar
The boy was frightened and tried to Jump
out, but the man held him tight. The
screams Of the little fellow could be
heard by those On shore. Everybody
rushed to the side of the water; a hun.
dred directions were called out, but no.
body knew what to do. As the wagon
body came nearer to the bridge, women
screamed and ran away. The bridge was
reached, and the pair seemed now beyond
help, and then help came. A man driv.
ing over the bridge saw, as every.
body did, the strange craft sweeping
down, and having his wits about him
jumped from his wagon, unstrapped the
reins from his horse, and directed anoth.
er driver to do the same. The two pairs
Of reins we're strapped together and
thrown over the rail of the bridge. The
end fell into the water, and as the wagon
body, going down with immense velocity
came near, the man above cried out tc
the pair below to catch hold. The reins
were held right in the course of the wag.
on body, and as this swept by the man
holding fast to the boy, grabbed at them
and caught them, and the two were
drawn safely upon the bridge, while the
wagon body dashed over the fall.