Evening journal., 1902-03-03
600 FAMILIES
ARR HOMELESS
Paterson, n. j., Now Over
WhOlmed by Flood
GREAT SUFFERING AMONG POOR
Blast Of Dynamite Ready 20 Force
Open New Channel for The
Water

Paterson, N. j., March 3.-This city
so recently swept by fire, Is now over
whelmed by flood The quarter occu-
pied by the houses OF the poorer class
IS inundated Hundreds of families
have been made homeless by the over
flow Of the Passaic river, and the coun.
try for miles around the city is under
water. The great peril now is that
the Spruce street raceway may over
fiow in which event a great loss of
property in the manufacturing district
is sure to ensue. The city authorities
have placed expert engineers. who are
instructed to touch off a blast of dy-
Mantle which will open q new channel
for the immense volume of water
which is held there, and by diverting
it to the bed of the river in O new
direction the authorities hope to save
a great deal Of valuable property. In
a cliff about 20 feet below the Spruce
street bridge the experts have placed
mines Of dynamite, which If it is found
necessary viii be exploded
The danger to the city from the
flood, and especially from the race
way was somewhat diminished at mid
night when IT was noticed that the
water in the river had begun to re-
cede, and the citizens began to hope
the worst was over
The great fire of three weeks ago
did not create such suffering and
widespread desolation as the food of
yesterday. The district for a mile
along the river front and nearly hall
a mile in width is covered with water,
which in many cases reached to the
second-story Of the dwellings In this
district are situated the Rogers Loco
motive Works and several silk mills
and dye works. In the immediate vi
cinity Of these hives of industry fully
coo families have been driven from
their tenements. OF these unf0rtu-
mates several hundred were taken
from their houses in boats and barges
amid scenes of much excitement
In the work Of rescue Henry Rich
ards, one of the most earnest toilers,
lost his life. After making several
successful trips, on each of which he
brought three or four persons from
the neighborhood Of Kearns Brothers
dye works, his boat was upset and he
was swept away in the waters, which
were rushing with the force Of a mill
race. He clung to the branch Of a
tree for nearly half an hour, but in
spite of many attempts to reach him
he finally disappeared in the muddy
waters.
The cry of fire was heard about 1
o'clock yesterday afternoon, and it
looked as If the elements We're COM
bining to destroy the city The fire
broke out in Oates drug store, at the
corner of Hamilton avenue and Main
street. The loss was estimated at
$4,000. During the three hours that
the men were working another alarm
was turned in, but the blaze was in
significant
The Hillman street bridge. a steel
span, went into the river late last
night. Word came from Singac, a few
miles up the river, that the bridge
over the Passaic, on the Greenwood
Lake division of the Erie, had fallen
yesterday.
The works of the gas company,
which supplies the greater part Of the
city with light, are submerged, and
many households had to use candles
and oil lamps. The electric com
pany's plant which furnishes the
street lights is far removed from the
flooded sections, so that the thorough
fares are well lighted.