The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-08-15

BROKEN CULVERT AT CONNECTION WITH
OLD BRIDGE.
thither by raging torrent, ordinar-
lily a babbling waterway. until from
crushed caskets and coffins wrenched
open by fearful force, the saured dead
when not rescued by courageous men,
were quickly buried in sand, mud and
debris or thrown shroudless, dismem-
bered and often shapeless upon the
meadows far from the streamlet's
regular course.
A SERIES OF CLOUD BURSTS.
The rainfall during the afternoon
and until half-past eight was compar-
atively light. Following heavy thun-
der and terrific lightning it seemed
at nine O'Clock as if this section had
been visited as it were by one or
series of cloud bursts. The rain
came down with so much force that
when 1T struck the pavements mist
arose like miniature Niagara In a
few minutes the cutters were full and
on streets where there was a down
grade, crossing was attended with
danger and difficulty. Water street.
Court, Elm, Washington, James and
Morris streets resembled rivers of
no small size. Umbrellas counted for
little while the brilliant flashes of
lightning only served to render the
outlook more appalling.
Convent Station seemed to be the
centre of the heaviest down pour.
From the summit of the grade west
towards Morristown, with such force
did the water run that the westbound
track of the Lackawanna was under
mined opposite the barn on the Henry
W. Ford estate, resulting in the
ditching of engine No 933 and tender,
and the death OF John Armstrong, a
brakeman, and the serious injury of
Conductor Abraham Ayers Engineer
Morris O. Jennings, who was at the
throttle and Fireman Michael
Mcdonald escaped, how, Providence
alone knows. The engine, as told else
where, was en- route to Morristown
where after turning it was to have
taken train No. 286 to Hoboken,
via Denville and Paterson.
CAUSE OF wAsHoUT AT HILLSIDE.
More water fell east than west of
Convent Station, Judging from the
appearance of fields, streets, James
Park and Hillside Cemetery. the lat
ter having burst culvert and wash
out from four to twelve feet in depth.
about seventy five feet wide, extend.
ing entirely across the cemetery. car
rying with it destruction, terrible and
swift. The brook which crosses
Main street, Madison, twice between
the square and entrance to the ceme-
terry, increased by the tremendous
deluge of water from almost as far
west as st. Elizabeth's Academy, be-
came a raging torrent which quickly
choked the inlet to the culvert which
crosses the cemetery, swept over
the roadway and bridge just inside
the entrance. to a depth of possibly
three feet and along the boulevard in
the cemetery built over the culvert,
until either break came at the in
let or in the stone wall at the out
let of the culvert when mighty river
of water, angry and deep swept out
great gulley tearing away in it's
mad career the roadway and the GEM
etery lots located on either side of it
and in which many interments had
been made, also head stones and mon
ument.
EDWARD H. DEHART GIVES ALARM
The first to give the alarm was
Edward Fl. DeHart, we'll known
hardware dealer of Madison, who
resides on Gross street, just off of
Main. Hearing the mad rush of
water he started to see if matters
were right at his barn when to his
horror he discovered coffins, boxes,
caskets and number of dead bodies
floating in the barn yard in a pond
caused by the overflow. Aided by bril- |
liant flashes of lightning and lantern
he soon located the source of trouble
and started toward the main part Of |