Perth Amboy evening news., 1903-10-09

COmpany'S S present nome was IGUle
river in itself.
Some of the oldest residents of this
city told News reporter that IN
many years they had not seen Smith
street flooded the way that it was this
morning. The trolley cars of the
Raritan Traction Company were run
ming throughout the day, but they
were not on schedule time. The
people crowded into them so fast that
there was hardly room for all. That
part of the trolley line between here
and Maurer, known as the sand curve,
is causing much trouble to the trolley
company. Every storm tons of sand
are washed into the roads and a larger
part of this gets on the track and
must be removed before the car can
proceed. On several portions of the
line the water causes much delay also.
Sometimes it reaches q depth that
makes it positively dangerous to run
through it.
One stretch near Metuchen reaches
for nearly 200 yards and has an aver.
age depth of fourteen inches.
Last night man, employed in
Guggenheim s, dragged himself into
town wet and miserable. He told a
pitiful tale. He said he waited
Cages at Maurer for a Car to this
place. At last one came and he
thought his troubles were over, when
just as the car rounded the curve to
go under the Lehigh Valley bridge
the motorman shut off power and an
nounced that the car could go nc
further until the three feet of water
under the structure subsidized. AS this,
from all indications, promised to be a
period of time too long to guess, the
man left the car and waded knee deer
to the sidewalk. He waded from
there to the other side of the bridge,
expecting to find there a car which
would take him op to his destination.
1t was not there and he walked.
Along shore the storm is not causing
much commotion because the wind is
not high. The boatmen, however,
are kept busy bailing their boats fol
enough rain water has fallen to sink
them. Several large vessels are in the
harbor for shelter. The ferry boat
Warren is running on schedule time,
but the rain this morning fell i'll such
sheets that it was almost equal to 8
fog. The damage will be but slight
on the water front.
About II O'Clock tbds morning the
water main on State street, near the
Lehigh Valley bridge, broke and with
the rush of water, which was then
coming down from the hills at the
Valley bridge the flood began.
The water swept down to the street
so fast that in less time than it takes
to tell State street, from William p.
O'Hara's printing Office to the last
Lehigh Valley bridge, was flooded.
Swiftly the water came down anc
it was fully six feet deep at moor
time. When the trolley company EN-
ployes found that the water was com
ing down so fast that everything
would be flooded in short order, one
of them waded into the water, which
was then up to his arm pits, and pull
ed off the cover of manhole. Tht
water went down this, but the rusl
was so great that it appeared to have
but little effect The traction com
pany employees planted big red fias
over the spot where the manhole II
for the water was so deep that thu
hole could not be seen.
One driver, more venturesone thar
others, tried to get through the foot
| anu WIl6u Ik6 lOuuu lllfbU HlS IioAo % lIo'
to swim he became frightened anC
tried to turn around, but the horse
seemed to rather enjoy it and after
considerable wading he managed tc
get through. The wagon almost float
ed at one time. When the Other
drivers saw what they were up against
they drove around to Hall avenue and
down Woodbridge road.
Just before the flood came the twc
trolley cars were coming down State
street but were compelled to stop and
they will be stalled there all day.
The cars now run as far as the first
bridge where the passengers must get
out and walk over the Lehigh tracks
before thev can get to the last bridge
where the trolley company has a Car
waiting to take them to Maurer.
Just how the tracks will stand it is
not known, and it is certain that
they will need some repairs after to-
day.