The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-08-12
Destructive Storm.

Destructive Storm.
There was terrific downpour of rain
in this section ON Sunday afternoon,
amounting to nearly cloudburst. The
rain came down in torrents for several
hours. the precipitation amounting to
nearly five inches. Much damage was
done by the flood that was caused by the
rain.
In Mount Holly many cellars were fill.
ed with water, owing to the overlooking
of cutters and the Buttonwood run. The
latter resembled small river, the water
spreading for quite a distance over its
banks. On Mill street the water flowed
over the street and through number OF
cellars. The lot in the rear of John
Westcott's property, on Church street,
was badly washed out. His wooden
wharf, which received the strong onrush
of the water from the Buttonwood run,
was completely washed away, with sew
eral hundred loads of sand. A large shed
on the property was toppled into the mill
race and the foundation of the back
kitchen undermined. The wooden wharf
had only recently been rebuilt.
High and Water streets, during the
rain, were filled with water from curb to
curb, and in some places from house to
house. Several dwellings on Water street
had water from one foot to two feet deep
on the first floors. A number Of sidewalks
on Water street were damaged and sew
eral completely washed away. In front
of Timothy B. Madden's shop there is a
bad washout, a yawning chasm having
taken the place of the walk. A few doors
above there is a similar washout. Dam
age was done to the foundations of a
number of houses, including the power
station of the electric light plant The
coal yard of Charles Darnell was also
considerably damaged. George Witcraft,
William Murdoch and Edward Rouse suf-
fered loss by the water flowing over the
first floor of their houses.
Bad gulleys were made on Branch street
and Mount Holly avenue, and many Gel
lars filled. John Wells had a number of
chickens drowned, and others also suffered
a similar loss.
Upper High street also had a number Of
cellars filled with water The Washing
ton house had its basement filed, the
surface water at that corner running over
the pavements like mill race
A number of culverts were damaged,
not being large enough to carry off the
surplus water.
In the direction of Burlington there was
also much damage. In that city the
streets were flooded in every direction,
and many washouts occurred. A number
of foundations of dwelling houses were
caved in.
A serious loss was the bursting of the
bank of Silver lakes about mile from
Burlington. These lakes are situated
quite distance above the city.
The bank on the largest lake gave away
at about five O'Clock, and the rushing
water carried everything away in its path
bridges were washed away, causing the
suspension of traffic on the Camden and
Trenton Railway. In the wake of the
water crops were ruined, and In its course
the stream rushed through a valuable
piece of timber land, swapping great trees
off and taking them with it.
The lakes were stocked with black bass
several years ago, which had flourished
and were the delight of a number of
fishermen. These were either washed
away or left lying to die on the bed OF
the lakes. Men with lanterns were out
on Sunday night, picking up the unfor-
tunate bass.
The Burlington railroad was damaged
in several places, including the washout
of culvert. This caused delay in the
travel on that road yesterday.
In the direction of Unionville much
damage was done by the wind. A large
substantial house, formerly used as sheep
house, was totally demolished on the farm
of ]. Howard Burr. The chimney on
the farm house was blown off, and the
fences leveled to the ground. A number
of trees in the neighborhood were either
uprooted or twisted off, and crops badly
torn up.
A small barn ON Charles B. Horrors
farm was blown down. A few trees in the
apple orchard on the Whitaker farm, on
the Jobstown turnpike, were uprooted.
The COW sheds were knocked down on the
farm of Stevenson Bros
Lightning struck a tree and fence on
the Ashhurst property on the Jackson
vile road splintering both quite badly
On the Burlington and Jacksonville
road every bridge was either washed away
or badly damaged. The road is in bad
condition at some places
The loss at Trenton from the storm is
estimated at $15O,OOO The roofs of over
20 dwelling houses in that city were blown
off.
In Camden county it is thought the
damage done to bridges alone will amount
to $25,OOO