The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-29
DAMAGE IN HOBOKED.
Streets Flooded and Traffic De-
layed The Lightning's
Dazzling Freaks.

Tn Hoboken the storm did a lot of dam
age and caused no end of inconvenience
for the residents Lightning danced along
trolley wires stopped the electric cars
and burned out the electric lights IN
number of places. All the lower section
of the city, between Monroe street ana
the foot of the Hill, known as the mea-
dow district, was flooded with two feet OF
water. In this locality there are very
few dwelling houses. most of the build
ipgs being factories. The tracks OF the
west Shore and Erie Railroads were COW
cred completely The flood was rapidly
rising as the storm increased in fierceness
last night The water rose higher in the
meadows than it has done in many years
and for time it looked as though one
half of the city would be inundated. The
flood crept up as far as Monroe street
and flooded the streets. Some of the res
idents were obliged to wade through up
to their knees to reach their homes.
When the flood reached Ryan's cooper
age factory at Jackson and Ferry streets
several hundred barrels and slaves float
ed in all directions. Piles of timber and
barrels in the yard of Davis Baking Pow
der Company and in Meig's lumber yard
also foated off.
The water rushed down the hillside
from the Heights like cataract. 1t
choked up the sewers and in some sec
tions swept away the pavement OF the
streets The rush of water that was
carried down the Ravine Road sewer was
SO great that it spurted out of the man
holes and sewer basins, reaching several
feet above the street. The need of clean
and more serviceabie sewers was never
more keenly felt by the residents. Along
Newark street below Willow avenue,
where the sewers are all filled with mud,
every street corner, and IN some places
whole. blocks, were fiooded, the wafer
reaching to the doorsteps of the houses.
Ferry street was in similar condltlon
Around the steps leading down from the
various stations on the Elevated Road OF
water rose several feet and the passen-
gers on the cars were all taken TO the
ferry.
About seven o'clock last evening a bolt
Of lighting struck the trolley wires at
Newark and Washington streets and ran
for a block Illuminating the entire neigh
borhood The lightning burned 1sd,,o'l out the ne
throughout the city, delaying traffic for
fully half an hour; A flagstaff on Odd
Fellows Hall In Wasningtan no,bas Mas sha9 haIt
struck the Flagstaff Of Fletcher's iron
works at Hudson and Third streets, scat
tering the splinters IN the river Persons
in the vicinity of Fourteenth street were
greatly frightened about Tbs o'clock by
two brilliant flashes of lightning which ap-
peared to strike In the middle of the
Street Almost simultaneously with the
lightning there came two terrible crashes
of thunder which shook the whole neigh
borhoed One man who was standing at
fbe ssoek safon Ious we hlibert % the ba
tender was SO frightened that he fell off
~, = 1o1,t ,tr,d
bar. Two whiskey glasses were shaken
from the bar and We're smashed on the
flcor. After the lightning had ceased
the men In the saloon were & So scared care That that
This morning the cellars in the factories
Of RaunT7 nnd e aeTrg ser
at Third and Jackson streets, were filled
with over five feet of water. The boilers
and ln Dtha the worEmen ia were we're consequently I'M
able to start the machinery. Keuffel e.
Esser are manufacturers of drawing
ton Street. New York Only one-quarter
of the number of employees went to work
this morning. These We're put on hand
work. .
Raunitz's S Pocketbook Factory. took their
places as usual as most Of the work is
done by hand
Adoiph Fromm, ten years Old, lives at
First and Marshall streets, Hoboken, in
the Vicinity where the flood of last night
covered the streets with several feet of
water This morning young Fromm
amused himself by wading about in front
| of his home in his bare feet. He hap
pened to touch his foot against an iron
trolley pole of the Jersey City. Hoboken
and Rutherford Railway, and received a
severe electric shock. For moment he
staggered and then he fell into the water.
Several other boys ran to his assistance
and dragged him out.
Besides being overcome by. the shock
Fromm was almost drowned He was
taken to his home In an unconscious con-
dition and will probably not recover.
Street Commissioner Bernard Bayer this
MATTERS OF FA0r