New-York tribune., 1885-02-11
ICE GORGE AT HOHOKUS.
FACING DEATH THROUGH THE NIGHT.
HOUSE SURROUNDED BY THE ToRRENT-Two
MEN NEARLY DROWNED.


HOUSE SURROUNDED BY THE ToRRENT-Two
MEN NEARLY DROWNED.
deep, heavy rumbling and vibration of the
| earth, followed by short clap that sounded like
| thunder on Monday at midnight aroused j. p.
Florence the night station-master Of the Erie
Railroad at Hohokus N. j. from doze into which
he had fallen IN the railroad office. He rushed ont
| on the track, expecting to find train wrecked at
his very door and many mangled bodies No train
was there, but sound met his ear
that mado him shiver mighty roar and rush of
water about hundred feet from the station told
the story The warm ram that fell on Monday
night had covered the surface of the mountains
that skirt Hohokus Creek with ice and. continuing
to fail rapidly, it ran without hindranee to the
creek, and had swollen the usually placid trout
brook into raging torrent The air was
filled with the noise Of the cracking ice.
and the mad Kissing Of angry waters,
aud " hen the ice gave way in ROzencranz's Pond,
about mile and half above HOhokus and came
speeding with tremendous force down the steep
bed Of the creek. huge beuders and trees were
picked up if they were feathers. and carried
swiftly along with the fsod.
Tho inhabitants of Hohokus were soon up in
alarm. About two years ago the ice gave way
under the influence of warm wind from the south.
tOIo away tuc udIHS Ill tHe CIcok 8uu
great deal of damage to the mill
property and private estates on its
banks. Anxious eyes have been cast for the last
month at the large accumulation Of ice in the creek
above the town. and the old heads have been shaken
| In dread expectation of another visitation. and
| when it came there great excitement The
main part Of Hohokus protected from the wild
waters as the creek runs below embankment
| fifty feet high, The banks however. gradually be-
come lower, and about One-quarter OF mile from
the railroad station level with the creek.
| The torrent increased in depth and slowly crept
| up the bank, but its speed somewhat dinin-
| shed by the many sharp bends in its course
The station master and nany others hurried
down the narrow highway that runs near the creek
to give the alarm TO their neighbors living on the
| flats at Hoppertown, as one part OF Hohokus fs
| called. The water, however. had leaped over the
banks the owlands, covered the road, and their
progress was stopped. They could see little. as the
| darkness was intense, but could hear the crushing
cakes of ice dashing in the direction Of the houses
| At a point about half a mile from the de-
| pot the creek makes sharp bend at
nearly q right angle TO the south. At this bend
within few feet of tho banks of the creek, is
| low frame building used by Albert Smith as
| blacksmith shop. About 500 feet above this was
| LARGE dam that held back the water somewhat.
Andrew Van Emberg lives in neat little cottage
! about 900 feet from Smiths shop. At o'clock
| Yesterday morning he was awakened by his dog
which was barking loudly. He heard terrible
| rushing sound outside his door, Looking
| ont of the window he could see
| large cakes Of ice striking against
the krnent around his house that he had put
| there aftor the last food and then rushing wildly
| on. HIS household was aroused and preparations
made 90 leave the house. as 1t looked as u IL must
| be swept away. Nr Van Embergh started OUT 10
see the best course to take and was startled 10
| find the whole house surrounded by q, seething
mass of ice and water. lie and his family passed
o.ssas sssss :a ss g" a~'a large cake Of ice come
| flying through the side of the house. ny
daybreak the water had risen as. as high
hiled.
fected against the blacksmith shop, which had been
| shaken from Its Foundation and had piled up cake
| on cake from ten to fifteen feet high Ihe course
OF the stream blocked for about 80 yards and
/ 20 depth Of about six feet The width OF the
| gorge at smiths shop was about 40 feet, and the
water being turned from It's channel made a swift
running trram about 500 yards wilde ne 'cc ,ro ws
the high ground directly to the main gorge and Dy
| z o'cocN there were about thirty mes with axes,
| ont large cakes. While they were at work the
| gorge gave way at one end aud Albert Smith was
| swept into the current. A pike attached to rope
| Exhausted condit,on B. Van Embersh while walk.
ing along a fence by the AID Oh long poie, leu
| into the water aud narrowly escaped dro~hintg.
| Al / o'clock while the workmen were at dinner the
gorge broke with loud crash and the Ice ana water
| went dashng violently toward Paramus. By6oclook
the water was confined 10 the banks OF the stream.
| The scene was desoaie one. Scattered over 10y
acres lay huge cakes OF Ice. pies OF STONES, ana
| trunks of trees The land was turned up every
| where and badly damaged. Among these VINO
suffered loss on houses. barns and lands are A. ).
1Gea MeGee. icnyS Billings s. Marinus and Andrew
Van Embergh.
THE STORM CENTRE IN NEw-YoRK.
| The storm which broke upon this city yesterday
| morning was followed by a cold wave, which has
| not yet reached its severest point. The storm
reached New-York as a centre at o'clock yesterday
morning Ats p. H. its centre was at Portland
| Me. The area Of high barometer with its cold and
strong winds reached this city about noon and will
probably be felt to-day and part of tomorrow Its
lowest temperature will be realized this evening
and the cold is likely to be severe All along the
coast Yesterday high and dangerous winds prevailed
travelling at the rate of from thirty toforty-hvem
| an hour. In New-York the wind last night piew
| about thirty-fve miles an hour. Warnings OF the
| cold wave were printed aud sent to l,lOo sighal
| stations eight hours In advance Oh the iali OF
temperature and storm signals were ordered up all
along the Atlantic coast from twenty four to thirty
six hours before it's approach II is probable that
the cold will be felt here Tor at least thirty
| six hours longer When the storm centre was IN
Nsw-York the barOmeter's mercury was one inch
below the normal. -,
The rain storm of Monday night caused large
tracts of the low-ying districts of Long lsland 10
| be Hooded to aD extent seldom known before.
There have been extremely high tides All along he
| south cSast and many OF tho buildings On .ne y
| beaches were badly flooded No serious damage Is
| vet reported. -,o,.
| All the valleys along the streams thr1ughous
| Weestchester County were OveriOwed with water
| Yesterday morning and a number of bridges were
washed away by the ireshet. Bridges on the line OF
| the Lake Mabopac and GOlden's Bridge Drahcn
rnlroad were car red off, interrupng travel on that
| .aut. Tho hridues nm the boulevard between