The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-10-05
TIE EASTERN DELUGE.
The Heaviest Rain-Storn Known for Years
Great Damage to Property-Several
Lives Lost.


The Heaviest Rain-storn Known for Years
Great Damage to Property-several
Lives Lost.
PATERsos, N. J., September g.
One of the most extraordinary storms WITH
In the recollection of the present generation
has prevailed in and about Paterson the past
Two days, and tO-day's storm was accompanied
by the loss of life The rain fell heavily most
Of the day, the rain gauge showing total fall
Of 4.97 inches for the first twenty-fOur hours
up to nine a. to-day, and two inches had
fallen during Friday. To-day the rain came
down with still greater force, and between
one and two p. m. the rain gauge showed a fall
of 3.O6 inches, making the total for the day
592 inches. About three d. m. the rain slacken-
cd. but still came down steadily during the
eveging. The total fall for the thirty-six hours
up to nine o'clock tonight was fifteen
inches. During last night the river rose
four and half feet, and the water began
pouring over the falls once more. All day to-
day the river rose steadily, and during the aft
ernOon the water got higher at the rate of
eighteen inches per hour SO that tonight it
was higher than at any time since the memoir
able flood of 1910, which was the highest on
record. The Oldham Brook, the principal
tributary of the Passaic near Paterson,f just
above the city, rose with great rapidity, and
about two p. m burst through the milI-dam at
Oldham. The torrent thus suddenly released
all before it, including several bridges and
part of the horse-railroad track. A brick and
stone arch bridge erected by the county at
cost of IS, 600 ten years ago, and recently re-
paired at a cost of $1,000 more, on Redwoods
avenue, near the city alms-house, was under
mined and washed away by the resistIess flood.
DR.. Myers, the city physician, driving up to
the institution and to visit the smallpox pa
tients, got to the bridge as the flood was beat
ing savagely against it. He urged his horse
over, and had barely reached the other side
when he heard behind him a terrific roar, and
looking back saw the whole bridge tumbled
into the stream and carried down the channel
A massive reta ming wall of stone adjoining
the bridge to protect the aIms-house property
from encroachments by the stream also went
down W tn a rush, and in a twinkling the mad
torrent was eating its way into the sand-bank
on which the aIms-house rests.
Martin Rossiter, a gentleman aged about
seventy, lived in a pleasant cottage along the
river bank, near the outlet of the Oldham
Brook, with his family, and had some fine
stock on his farm. About three o'clock he
tried to drive along the doad near the river,
when the flood came down with such a sud-
den rush that before he could get out of its
way he was swept into the swift current of the
river, and, with horse and wagon, was whirled
down and out of sight before any one could
extend him helping hand.
All the cellars along the river below the falls
were flooded, and several of the adjacent mills
had their lower floors filled with water, to the
great damage of their machinery. The shops
of the great locomotive works had to shut
down on account of the great flood.
The flood dashed with such violence against
the Lincoln bridge, above the city, that it fin
ally gave way. and went down with mighty
O. ash. The bridge consisted of two iron spans,
very substantially built, one span about 40
feet and the other about ninety feet, resting
sgI1
about $4,000 in all. 1t was one of the best
bridges in the country, the masonry and super
structure being of the most substantial charac-
ter. The Hohokus stream also felt the effects Of
the great storm, and last night Zabriskie's Mill,
at HOhokus which was about to be cOnverted d
into a rubber factory went down the stream,
involving loss of perhaps $4,000. The heavy
rains have inundated all the meadow section
of the city of Hobol1en. Houses are cut off
from the streets by sheets of water, and the
occupants are obliged to sail on rafts to get
from the sidewalks to their front doors. The
ravine road sewer VIII ch empties near the
meadows yielded to the increased pressure
and burst this morning This burst let all the
water from Jersey City Heights out upon the
meadows and increased the discontinue OF
those residing there.
JERSEY CITY, September "a.
There has been immense damage in Hudson
County, N. J. Entire sections of Jersey City
and Hoboken are inundated. Cellars and base
ments are flooded. The inhabitants are TAX
avenue wooden pavement was hurled into the
mouths of the sewers completely choking
them. The waters, backing, swept into the
houses, destroying carpets, etc. Morris Canal
is Over1owed, and the tow-paths washed. A
section of one of the main sewers, twenty-eight
by six feet was lifted bodily out of place, and
the rushing waters dashed into the air thirty
feet. Dwellers on the Meadows" were res
cued by boats and rafts
The new tunnel of the New York, Ontario g.
Western Railroad was damaged between S o.
OC0 and 100000
BY the giving way of bridge over Berrys
Creek a freight train was precipitated into
the stream. Edward Weber. the conductor,
Francis Burke, fireman, probably fatally I'M
jured.
PL.AINFIEL.D, N. J., September "a.
French's dam, the last dam but one remain
! ing in Green Brook, this city, gave way at ten
o'clock last night. The flood then carried
away two frame buildings at Somerset street
A large hole was washed through French's
four-story carriage factory. Fred Moore, a
boy, was lost off one bridge. In Bound Brook
the water rose suddenly, flowing ten feet deep
through the main street, lined on both sides
with stores. The water rose over the show
cases, and a large amount of goods was ruined.
In the Ramsey HoteFthe water is almost to the
| top of the bar One family were rescued from
! a house bya boat. The Elm Park Hotel is sub
merged almost to the roof.
| The flood is the highest known in Bound
| Brook. 1t was nearly three feet higher than
/ viously recorded. More loss will be suffered
| by the Bound Brook people from flood than
| by the fire which destroyed the greater part OF
The damage causeds by the heavy rains In
1 other portions of New Jersey, in Connecticut
/ Pennsylvania, North Carolina, etc, is very
great, and the rainfall in many sections ia
| Unprecedented Nearly eleven inches fell al
Philadelphia in seventy-two hours.