The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-09-24
A DESTRUCTIVE FRESHET.
MANY PERSONS GOING DOWN WITH
BRIDGE At PLALNFIELD.
Belief that Several Must Have PerisheA-
Martin Rossitcr Drowned At Patterson
and Grace KRF at Newark-Many Mile,
bridges, and Dams EntireIy Destroyed.

Martin Iossitcr Drowned at Patterson
and Grace RNF at Newnrk-Many Miiis,
bridges. and Dams Entirely Destroyed.
PLAINFIELD. Sept. 23.-The storm began
here on Thursday morning. and continued
steadily all that day and night and until Friday
noon. when the volume Of descending water
was trebled. to the accompaniment OF heavy
thunder and lightning. Stormy Brook n small
stream running through the north gap in tho
mountains q mile from here. increased in q
few hours to a river which washed out dam.
swept away two Of the three large ice houses
OF j. w. II. Coddington. destroyed fine
stone bridge and several wooden ones. did
great damage to tho roads. and flooded a large
tract Of land. This burst lasted an hour, and
thcn subsidized to n moderate rain. On Friday
night there was no cessation Of the storm. and
this morning there was another down-pour
that rivalled the former one. This lasted all
day. with an increase for an hour at noon.
Three streams running through this city were
raised several feet. and during the morning
two dams were washed out at Scotch Plains
and the volume OF water in the streams thus
further swollen.
Shortly before o'clock. Green Brook. which
flows through the heart Of the city began to
rise rapidly. and In three quarters of an hour
1t rose five feet AT Somerset street it is
rose two feet over the top Of this bridge and
swept in a torrent through the stores and
shops near It, filling the cellars and easements.
kindlinG- wood factory. containing a steam en-
CINE and other machinery. William Ferris
he %as IN Sdh HRS nnd
At As o'clock the " hood reached its highest
Grove street bridge. one block below Somerset
street. This was STRUCTURE OF solid masonry.
der Which the water roared i through ' two large
arches. The food rose nearly to.a level with
the top of the bridge. and a crowd of seventy
freslret. There was not the slightest idea
Of danger on the. part of any one. when.
the bridge which is thirty feet wide, sank into
the torrent that had undermined and upheayed
s nhe bW b ae
dotted here. and there with human heads for
800 yards. Below the bridge the brook keeps a
Of the current carried the unfortunate
fRS SsSase and s O ish and s4eE
| to the pond Here a willow tree lodged in the
stream. gave some an opportunity to escape.
swept, on to the Washington avenue bridge; a
block below, dozen men plunged into the
| their lives succeeded in bringing to land two
ladies and six men. all OF whom were bruised
Who Witnessed the ACCIDENT en declare S that at
least dozen people went down with the bridge,
| and eight only were saved, 1t is believed
| that when the waters subside several bodies
| will be discovered buried in the debris of the
| ruined arch or on the shores of the stream
| below. Several men were reported missing
| but of those. SO far as can be learned all have
been accounted for. The water must have been
twelve feet deep at the bridge. and il was filed
with heavy debris. All the saved and several
q, the rescuers We're severely hurt, by this
debris. The water subsidized about three feet
| during the afternoon but it is still high. while
| the rain continues with undated force.
Besides the Grove street bridge there have
| been washed out. within the city limits. five
heavy stone bridges and not less than a dozen
| wooden ones. large area Of the city Is under
water. Tho Fire Department was called out
| and it worked all the afternoon saving prop
erty, At the Notch another dam, the remain,
! ing ice house. and all remaining bridges were
swept away. Reports from other localities tell
| of heavy damage to bridges roads and private
| property. Tho Central Railroad is under
water at Fanwood and several other places be-
| tween here and New York. but trains are run
| ming as usual. The dam at New Brooklyn has
| been washed away and pond owned by T. C.
| Obi. stocked with valuable fish. together with
| several buildings. were destroyed. II is re-
ported at a late hour tonight that French''s
dam. the last but one along Green Brook. is
| crumbling. II it goes out. large factory and
several other buildings will go with it. The
| water has risen six inches tonight.