New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-18


night. amid the roar OF falling waters hvescore
men labored with the desperation Of men struggling
IN mighty current for their lives the city
and again the people of that much stricken town
found their Mayor, Jack Hinchlffe. the man for
the hour All through that night when 1t was IN
certain whether the gatehouse at the head OF the
falls would be able &c resist the tremendous
OF the Fassaic River swollen by the waters OF four
ruptured dams and the locomotive and silk facto
res ana hundreds of homes would be saved. these
men, gathered together by the Mayor under his
direction. fought the fight that saved Holland
for the Dutch They built dikes and heaped sand
bag upon sandbas until FIVE thousand had been
piled up BY the ftfuI glare of their lights. in the
spray rising from the abyss at the foot Of the falls
and soaking their clothing they planted mines Of
dynamite IN the street beside the gatehOuse- They
connected each with an electric wire by which the
whole could Immediately be discharged the Instant
'he gatehouse. less thar a score Of feet distant.
should break with the hope Of divertiag the stream
Oh released waters into the whirlpool and so saving
lucn or the threatened life and property behind the
bluff below the falls So dangerous vras = that
every man had place Of refuge ASSIGNED to him
fortunately the gatehOuse wthstoOd the strain the
water was prevented from going beyond it's bounds
by the sandbags and dixie and probably hundreds Of
lives. besides many factories. were saved from
destruction In the work Of saving the city that
night only one lost his life He under the
erection or the Mayor, was cutting the electric
wires running across the narrow street beside the
mill race to prevent danger from live wires should
they be broken by the collapse Of the gatehOuss As
he worked with his nippers the whole side ~ the
bank. undermined by the swiftly revolving current
In the whirlpool beneath, slid down into the river
seventy-fve feet below carrying him with IL TO his
death
The manner In which Mayor HInchIira met The
sudden crisis week ago characteristic of him
His third term Of Office has been fraught with
catastrophes which called for leader with a cool
head good Judgment hrrnness and quicloness OF
perception to indicate the thing 20 be done next
II was 10 D. m Friday when Mayor HinchliHe
was Informed Of the dangerous condition Of the
river The water in IL had been falling in the
early evening, and the impression prevailed that
the city would not be seriously damaged By the
heavy rains. Suddenly it was found that the river
was rising rapidly. Mayor HinchHfe fntuitiveIy
recognized the gatehouse through which water is
admitted 10 the mill race that passes the Rogers
Locomotive Works. and furnishes numerous silk
mills and other manufacturing plants with water
power, 20 be the crucial point. Here the water
sweeps around to the edge of the cliff. over which
II drops into pocket seventy-fve feet deep and
then at right angle into a basin below the
gatehouse and mill race where it eddes round and
round before continuing its way through the city.
He called out the OF the water company, and
ordered the entire police and fire forces duty.
No detail escaped his observation. Many would have
thought it useless 10 attempt 70 stay the progress
OF such a swirling body Of su-ging
along toward the head Of the falls. But
thing had to be done The Mayor realized that
something could be done, and being a Of
action he set at 1t without delay. Possibly his
efforts saved the city. The erection Of bikes. the
ptnng up OF sandbags. the placing Of dynamite
at the point where it would be needed IL the gate
house gave way, the perfection Of the plan OF
utilizing the dynamite instantaneousy and safely
should the need arise the recognition OF the danger
from live wires In the face OF greater dangers. all
demonstrated the kind Of man who was IN COM
nand. Rapidly he perfected his plans and or
ganized his forces Every man had his work to
perform and It went forward without waste Of
energy
The gatehouse had not gone out when day broke
Saturday morning. ard the Mayor returned 20 the
city to make arrangements for the relief Of those
whose homes had been swept away or flooded He
issued an appeal for funds. heading the list with
his own subscription. He put his wife IN charge
Of the commissary department. and arranged for
the homeless ones 70 be taken 10 a hall for shelter
Then he went back to the danger point the gate
house. He arranged for supplies OF coffee and sand
witches every three hours. to be taken 70 the
policemen duty. and who were 20 remain there
for ffty-six hours without relief There were men
imprisoned in some OF the factories to be succOred
That night he talked with Commissioner Sturgis
OF the Nev-York Fire Department over the tele-
phone and secured from him the use Of life saving
apparatus BY means Of which lines could be shot
70 the imprisoned men. In Of the dyeing shops
Of Kearns Brothers. which had been cut on on
NAMED with little food until Sunday morning at
II o'clock when they were reached by means OF
q life line thrown them By the apparatus and
they were rescued Sunday night. Mayor Hinch-
life went TO bed for the first time since Friday
night
Always right on hand Paterson man said or
him the other day. AT the time OF the tornado
he continued. he jumped into his buggy and foI-
lowed the track OF the tornado. streTins money
from his pocket 20 the needy. He came back as
soon as he realized the seriousness OF the situation
and called out all the policemen and fremen- When
II comes action. he is general At other tunes
he is a quiet amusement loving man about town
The particular characteristic OF this man IS that ne
IS fighter Every knows he has all the cour-
age OF the general OF army. When ne thinks
thing is right, all h can't stop him The people
IN this town love that sort OF man or course
he has very warm friends and very bitter enemies
politically. He has no personal enemies
He has not been supported by the boaru OF
Aldermen very we'll They were a Tlercenary SET
Of men and he had to veto OF their measures
He has had to sit down their supineness- WIel
Z has come to matters concerning corporations, 70
prevent the corporations from running the town
Whenever any crisis comes along. OF comes his
coat. Ills father. brewer before him. died when
he a young man. His brother. James vas
inclined 10 lie down when il came TO taking up
the responsibilities os their fathers business but
Jack said, No. don't need any one 20 assist
US We've got money IN the bank and don't need
borrow IN the first year the brothers did more
business than the father had ever dore- The COM
munity began TO consider them very promising
young
Mr.. HlnchliTe's first public Office was that OF
Assessor. and when ne was renominated he made
an astonishing run. The next time there was no
candidate against him. II was because OF these
campaigns that he considered good man 10
carry the county. He selected FOR Senator. and
justified the opinion OF the party managers He
was State Senator from 1892 to 1894 inclusive. and
was elected Mayor IN 1887 All through his political
career although a Democrat. he has held Office
when the Democrats were weakest n the State he
was assisted into office BY Republicans
He is q Roman Catholic. a great reader Of
newsnaners ard a man rvuical OF the times h