Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-03-19
FLOODS WORK HAVOC.
LARGE AREAS OF COUNTRY ARE
SWEPT BY FRESHETS.
In the Middle and New England States
Numerous Fataliries Are Reported
Property Loss of Many Millions of
Dollars.

In destruction of property, in loss TO
business, even in the number of fatall-
ties. the freshets which have swept over
large areas in the Middle Atlantic States
and New England viii long be memora-
bit. Failing rains and melting SHOWS
had swollen rivers into lakes and creeks
into torrents, and in hundreds of val
leys the spreading waters caused destruc-
ton and death Manufacturing plants
by the hundreds were forced TO suspend
mercantile houses were flooded; thou
sands OF people were driven from their
homes; tens of thousands of people We're
thrown out of employment; railroad
traffic, electric and steam, was parslyz-
ed and in many cases absoluI.iy aban-
doned; bridges were swept away: expen-
sive public works were ruined; telegraph
ic communication was interfereo with
and in places totally suspended; lighting
plants were flooded and communities
thrown into darkness: farm houses and
barns were carried away; live stock per
ished and millions of people We're sub
jected to great Inconvenience. A sum
mary of the disaster. ewing to the wide
sweep OF the floods, it is difficult 20 give
but it may, conservatively, be stated that
thirty lives were wiped out; that 10000
people were driven from their homes
that $4,000 persons were thrown out Of
employment and that a direct monetary
loss of at least S15,o00,0o0 was infict-
ed.
In Afflicted Paterson.
One of the worst flood-swept regions
was that along the Passaic river in New
Jersey and Unfortunate Paterson, so re-
Gently devastated by fire, was again the
scene of almost as great devastation by
water. At one time Sunday the very ex-
istenee of the city was threatened. AS
1t was, however, Paterson suffered Sc
verely, the financial loss inflicted being
estimated at between 100000 and
$5,000,000. At Passaic the damage
caused by the food reached several hun
dred thousand dollars. Many families
were rescued by boat and 10000 per-
sons were temporarily thrown out of
employment, owing to the flooding Of
mills and factories. Six men while view
ing the food from bridge found the lat
ter floating away beneath them. They
persisted. At Wellington the Passaic
river spread over thirty acres of that
borough and many families were rem
dered homeless. At Newark from the
extreme northern end of the city to New
ark bay the river was over its banks,
reaching higher point than ever before
In the history of the city. Many manu-
featuring plants were flooded and those
living on the lowlands were forced to
fee to higher ground.
Throughout New England freshets
were general, but the damage done was
not great, the chief loss being confined
to flooded cellars. At Derby. Conn,
however, bridge of the New York,
New Haven and Hartford Railroad span
ming the Housatonic river was swept
away. Many miles of track were mum
dated and several factories were flooded,
thereby throwing nearly 5000 persons
into enforced idleness. At New Haven
''the green" for the first time in 100
years was flooded.
New York State Flood Swept.
New York State suffered heavily.
Along the Delaware and the Neversink
rivers great damage was wrought. At
Port Jervis and at several towns in Sui
Ivan County the water flooded factories
and business places and forced many per-
sons to fee from their homes. Between
Coshocton and Narrowsburg, in Sulli-
van County, a great ice gorge formed
and the low-lying lands were Inundated
Several buildings, including a church,
were swept away
At Middetown a Newfoundland dog
saved a girl from perishipg. and at
Wakefield little girl was drowned in
the cellar of her home At Philmont,
near Chatham, a freight train on the
Harlem division of the Central plunged
into a washout early and three of the
train crew persisted.
At Elmira the Chemung river was
higher than at any time Size the mem
orable food of 1889. At Binghamton,
Rochester, Batavia, Evansville, Buffalo,
Geneseo and other New York State
towns and cities the high water did con-
siderable damage, flooding cellars and
factories, covering steam and electric
tracks and in some instances closing
down electric lighting plants. At SYRIA
cuse the overlooking of Onondaga creek
drove 200 families from their homes.
Along the Mohawk and the Hudson
flyers the New York Central Railroad
was badly crippled. East of Albany, in
the vicinity Of Castleton, the overflow
OF the Hudson covered the railroad
tracks to a depth of several feet. Here
several passenger trains, including the
Empire State Express and the Montreal
Express. were stranded and the passen-
gers had to be removed by means Of
boats. Near Kingston a meat dealer
named Barrett was drowned in the pres
hnee az his wife and children.