Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-03-03
FLOOD FOLLOWS FIRE
Water submerges Flame-swspt Sections Of
Paterson, New Jersey.
loss GREATER THAN BY CONFEDERATION
Hundreds Of Families Are Homeless and
Industry Badly Crippled.
DISTRESS or THE POOR Is ALARMING
tenement Districts Are Scenes Of the Worst
Disasters.
HEROIC EFFORTS FOR 2sllEF ARE MADE
wagonIOads of Fo> zk Clothing
Are Being Sent - fort
Destisute and DeN
Households.
Hundreds Of Families Are Homeless ant
Industry Badly Crippled.
DISTRESS OF THE POOR IS ALARMING
nERoIc Efforts FOR sLlEF ARE MADE


90 recently swept by ire, is now o.
whelmed by food Three weeks ago IL
greater part Of its business section was
burned out and today the quarter oc-
oupied By the houses OF the poorer classes
q inundated.
Hundreds OF families have been made
homeless by the overflow OF the Passiac
fiver and the country for miles around the
city Is under water. So far but one death
has been reported. The great peril now
ls that the Spruce street raceway may
overflow. In which event a great loss OF
property in the manufacturing districts Is
sure to ensue.
The racoway supplies water power for
most Of the mills along the water 'front.'
Al this point the city authorities have
placed expert engineers, who are instructed
10 touch OF a blast Of dynamite. which Will
opep a new channel for the immense vol
6me of water held there and by diverting
10 the bed Of the river in new direction
Ahe authorities hope to save great deal
bf valuable property.
Place Mines of Dynamite.
In a cliff about seventy feet below the
Hpruce street bridge the experts have
placed mines OF dynamite. which, II 1t is
found necessary, will be exploded.
The uTe OF InTtt Wccho h8Of ~N-N~
anR a damage to the extent Of nearly SS'-
moo 600 did not create such suffering and
Widespread desoIation as the flood of to-
nay. The district for mile along the river
front from Spruce street hill to Straight
street. and two blocks north and ive blocks
south Of the river nearly half mile In
width, is covered with water. which In many
instances reached to the second story oi
khe dwellings.
In this district are situated the Rogers
locomotive Works and several silk mills
ana dye works Nearby live fully 900 fam
slies. who have been driven from theii
xenements. Several hundred OF these peo-
pie were taken from their houses In boats
and barges amid scenes OF much excite
tment,
Cant Reach the Governer.
TyS a. effort 10 reach Governor Murphy to,
0ay faiied. Acting Mayor Brogan opened
fhe nth regiment armory as temporary
residence for the homeless families. more
than a hundred OF whom are housed there
tonight.
The citizens OF Paterson were more thar
generous in their gifts to the sufferers
Several wagon loads OF blankets CLOTHING
and provisions arrived at the armory IRON
ali ouarters of the city, the most prominen
NJ the QOQOTb DcAn6 AAAes @~S~"--Nt
Of the late vice president.
In the work OF rescue one Of the mos
earnest toilers, Henry Richards, carpen
Ger, lost his life.
After making several successful trips nj
boat was upset and he was swept away u
che waters which we're rushing with tn
force Of a mill race. elung TO the brancl
NJ a tree for nearly half an hour, but II
apite OF many attempts to reach him, b
finally disappeared in the muddy waters
Relief of the Distressed.
chief Of Police F. G.. Graui and Fire Chic
aohn stagg were indefatgable In thei
exertions for the relief Of the distresse
and were ably assisted by the city employe
OF every department. There was lac
Of boats to cope with the emergency an
Secretary Dill telephoned to New York 70
help In this direction. This request wa
quickly answered by the Newark people. wh
sent q wagonioad OF boats. . dozen in al
which arrived in good time to give excel
lent service.
The CRY Of fire was heard about o'cloc
In the afternoon. and II looked as II IN
elements were combining to destroy th
city The nre broke out In Oates dru
store, at the corner Of Hamilton avenu
and Main street. The nremens many {
whom we're helping to remove the peopl
from the deluged district, jumped TO thei
posts and were soon hard at work hghtin
the fames A brisk wind was blowing. b.
the blaze was confined to the drug stor
building, which was burned out. The los
was estimated at $4,000.
second Fire Breaks Out.
During the three hours the men weI
working another alarm was turned In, b.
the blaze was inslgnincant
On Hamilton. near Dayton, two building
were undermined by water. and collapse
and were swept away by the flood. tt
Arch street bridge collapsed Inc the aftei
noon, the abutments on both shores beir
swept away. All the other bridges are con
pietely submerged. cutting on communici
aion between the two sections of the cit
THE boilers and engine rooms Of several
the big mills are ten feet under waite
Many of the mills are said to be cover'
by flood Insurance. So far the mills are b
lieved to be safe and the main loss will
caused by the enforced cessation Of VOL
until the waters recede,
The gas companies, which supply Il
greater part OF the city with light. are SUI
merged and many households had to u
candles and oil lamps. The electric cor
pany's plant. which furnished the sire
light. was far removed from the Hood
section. 50 that the thoroughfarss are W.
lighted.
The danger to the city from she hoS
and especially from the raceway, W
diminished late tonight. when il was n
tioed that the water In the river had B
gun TO reeede. At 1880 Il had gone do'
. foot and the citizens began 10 hope I
worst Was over.
The Hillman street bridge. a steel spa
went into the river late tonight. Wo
came tonight from Singae. a few miles
the river. that the bridge. over the Passl
on the Greenwood Bake division OF the ri
had fallen today.
Pasaaie In Darkness.
PAssAIc. n. j.. March 2.-The food
the Wallington section OF the city see