The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-25
LAKE IN EVERY BACK YARD
THAT'S WHAT NEW JERSEY FOLKS
OUN YESTERDAY MORNING.

pisorEnnised. and Sewers Burst by . Fiood.
A storm which did severe damage broke over
New Jersey early yesterday morning. Tho
cloudburst of a few weeks ago.. which flooded
several suburban villages and towns, blocked
railroads and brought business to a standstih
for n time, was moro than equallod In violence
and disastrous effect by tho storm Of yesterday.
The perfected sewer systems OF the larger places
liko Jersey City, Newark and Hoboken saved
them from washouts. but even In certain parts
OF these cities the rain filled cellars, undermined
roads and sidewalks and did other damage
which 1t will cost many thousands OF dollars %
repair.
In the smaller places the full force OF the
storm was felt. In Railway, Elizabeth. Plain
held' Crawford. Linden, Woodbridge, Carlstaot
and n half dozen othor places the damage was
large. Rivers overlooked their banks, cellars
and yards were filled with water. and tho I'M
prcccdentod spectacle Of animals swimming
around In six feet Of water, where there ought
to have been thoroughfares, was presented.
The railroads suffered greatly. Whole SOC
lions Of tracks were dislodged or 30 covered
with sand and dirt that It was impossible for
trains torun. In other places the tracks were COW
erod 30 deeply by the water that trains could not
pass. The water formed as formidable a barrier
as tho sand and dirt. Thousands of commuters
were delayed and the air was made blue over
Jersey by the comments on the elements.
The storm wasn't a long one. 1t began to rain
In some places at about 5 o'clock. In other
places the first drops fell at 8 o'clock. 1t came
unannounced in some places and was preceded
by terrific thunder and lightning In others. In
the matter Of electrical display tho elements
were partial to certain sections. but they showed
no favor about tho rain. 1t fell as hard az it
could everywhere. As usual. the Oldest inhabi-
tAnt rempmhered N atorn, in the remOta mast
which was a little bit worse, but the moro
recent jewellers on earth agreed that they had
never struck anything like 1t before and hoped
they'd never encounter another.
Tho worst damage was done in Railway. The
rain obliterated q dozen well-known roads and
streets. 1t swelled the Railway River until the
water reached a point eight feet above the high
water line. and four feet higher than the record
mark Of three weeks ago. 1t rose six of the eight
feet in an hour. between 5 and 8 o'clock, and
would have gone higher but for tho fact that
the cellars Of the houses along the banks began
to take in the water. The roads, too. had to be
filled before the river could go any higher, and
but for the fact that there are acres OF farm land
to the north OF tho river. and 10Y
lower than its banks, a large slice Of Railway
would have been washed away.
The bridges over the river were impossible
until almost noon. The torrent swept com.
pletely over them, ana 1t was feared for q time
that they could not stand the strain. When the
water subsidized below the bridge lines the en-.
frances were closed. Tho structures crcaked
and swayed so under the force Of the water that
it was thought unsafe for people to cross the
stream on them.
Tho storm broke in Railway with a crash Of
thunder and a streak OF lightning that woke up
the town. People got up and looked out Of their
windows. but speedily pulled their heads in
again when tho rain began to come down. Not
a dozen people in the place took warning from
the thunder and lightning and prepared for tho
flood that followed. Most of the citizens found
out what had happened when they looked out of
their windows at about 7o'clock and saw things
floating by their houses with the streams which
covered the places where the roads ought to
have been.
Haydock and Elizabeth avenues. Lewis. Deck,
Hamilton. Newton. Union. and Allen streets
and oil Of the roads and lanes near tho river
were flooded. In none Of these streets was the
water less than four feet deep. and in most of
them 1t was six feet deep. John Greener. who
lives on Newton street, was awakened by the dis
turbance among his pigs and cows and the shrill
neighs OF his two horses. He looked out Of the
rear window OF his house and was knocked
breathless by the sight OF the animals swim
ming around in apparently deep water. Mr..
Grccner knew It had rained. but had no idea
that a food had descended over the land. In
the front of the house he found tho water only
four feet deep. so he waded out and led his ami.
mails into the parlor hall. where he left them I'M
til the flood subsidized sufficiently TO allow him to
take them elsewhere.
James Van Pelt's two horses were swimming
around in seven feet OF water in trout. ot his
house on Union street when he woke up. He
made a raft out of some boards he found in his
storeroom. padded out TO the animals. and sue
cecdcd after an hours work in getting them 10
The steamboat Marion was torn from her
moorings near Tappin's dock and was carried
Branch Railroad bridge. Nothing is left OF her
but the hull The Railway water works. a mile
f aos9ed ihe r5 siiy Dan Sn H Hsr5a B said nix M af, srn weEc
0n mRamn it. .b the New York GHpsrs o hSyGn,t got
all carried away by the flood. hired a Niger
10 save them. He saved a horse and let my
room in the basement to the ceiling. 1t flooded
the basement OF the rcctory next the church and
pantry pantry N The wat erG about %as the i@A build IL se wss fo onG
handed Father Kaiser,,s breakfast in through a
the same ncighborhood. lost ali his poultry.
Tho Regina Music Box Company's plant was
damaged TO the extent OF ST. 900 by water
backed up by the tide into the sewers.
Albert Pages steam yacht was dashed against
The experiences OF Mcssrs, Van PcIt and
Greencr were the same MS those OF many other
residents of Railway. 1t was impossible until
lato In the afternoon to get 1.-THE work OF pump.
ing out cellars. and in the meantime people
whose houses and lands were flooded had TO go
from place to place in boats or on RATS. BY 1
o'clock in the afternoon Railway began TO look
like itself again.
The damage done to property in Railway will
amount to considerable. The chief sufferers
were the LafarRe Wheel and Spokes Works and
tho Regina Music Box Company. These fac
tories were flooded and much valuable machin'
cry injured.
Elizabeth stood the storm a little better than
Railway, as tho sewer system Is better. Never.
theless dozens of cellars were flooded and
wherever there was a depression in the roads OF
streets a pond arranged itself. In many of the
stores in tho business section the merchants
had to hustle their stocks of OF the ground hoors
At one time it looked as though the water was
going to flood about a foot above the sidewalks
All street-car traffic was stopped by the Hood
and great quantities OF lumber, swept by thu
water from tho yards on the outskirts OF the
city, piled up. forming dams and making many
partment worked for hours breaking up thes'
dams, Many people were unable to leave tneii
The people of Elizabeth were indignant ovel
the Hood. They have been lighting for a bette
system of sewers for a long time, and after thu