The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-12
Damage VIII Be Nearly as Great as That OccaSiOnGd by
 Disastrous Fire,
HOUSES ARE UNDERMINED
 AND FLOAT DOWN STREAM
Seven Bridges Have Been Carried Away and Their Loss Alone Will Amount to Half Million Dollars.
 Rain Makes 1t Worse.

Paterson. N. J., October n.-For nearly forty-eight hours Paterson has been at the mercy of the Passac river, but to- night the water began to recede. The waters have maintained a height suffi- cient to cut the western half of the city from the eastern, and almost all means of communication by bridges has been destroyed Two bridges above the falls remain. but approach to them Is impossi- bIe. Three bridges below the valley or the rocks still stand but 1t is impossible to live in reaching them.
 Seven bridges in the city have been carried away, and their loss alone is half a million dollars. The flooding of the low lying districts of the city has re- suited in inconcelvable damage to prop erty. A number of buildings fell to- day, and many others have been under minded. If they don't fall they will be at least untenable.
 Spruce street hill is falling away by piecemeal and only little more than two feet of dirt and stone separate the falls basin from the big black race through which millions of gallons of wa ter are rushing every hour The gate house is in a very weakened condition and is liable to go if Spruce street hill breaks much more.
 Mayor HinchcIiffe on Hand.
 Mayor Hinchcliffe, who has been at this point all night and today experimenting the work of strengthening the dykes and water gates regards the situation as critical. All day thousands of persons have lined the falls cliffs, watching the flood and the police have had great diff ficulty in keeping the crowd from en- croaching on the danger line. Boatmen have been at work rescuing people from the fit4,de1 districts
 Suffering in the first and second wards has been intense, as it was almost in- possible to reach the residents here. Sev- eral hundred persons were removed from houses completely surrounded by the flood. A dozen more of these houses soon collapsed and foated down stream. The damage to mill property is chiefly from the submersion of portions of the plants and great quantities of products Thous- ands of men, women and children will be out of employment for long time and it seems altogether probable that this flood would cause to the city of Paterson a greater direct loss of money and prop erty than the fire of nearly two years ago. The gross loss then was $6,00O,000 with an insurance of more than $4,000, 900. The loss today is estimated at considera- bly, more than 5000, 900 with no insur- ance.
 Rains Renew the Flood.
 Last nights rain renewed the flood somewhat and the waters were at their maximum this morning. At that time there was considerable water in the boiler room of the Edison Electric light station, there being only about four inches of clear space between the grate bars and | tl,fo hot the city receives it's supply of light and motor power.
 Seven hundred families are homeless. Of these about a hundred and fifty families are being sheltered in the Appollo hall, while the others will be taken care of in V, armory, Governor Murphy having is- saed orders today that the armory be thrown open for this purpose
 The city of Passaic passed a sleepless night. it being feared that the Dundee dam would give way. That 'would have relieved the river at Paterson at the ex- pense of cities below. Fortunately, how ever Dundee dam is still intact. The suf- fering in Wellington and Dutttonville has been very great, as no relief has been able to reach these places All through this district houses and outbuildings, together with a great quantity of dead stock, may be seen floating about.
 Seven Men m Great Peril.
 Seven men are now in great peril of their lives in the Kearns Bros dye house on the river.
 part of the works has been carried away. The men have been in that part which remains standing since Friday at noon. While they were trying to save thousands of dollars worth of silks by carrying them to the top of the building the structure was surrounded by the wa ter and the men were cut off from all as- sistance because of the torrent that has been rushing by ever since. It is believed that the entire building will be carried from it's foundation unless the flood sub sides very soon.
 Twenty-fv bridges are down in Passaic and Sussex counties on the Susquehana railroad Street Commissioner Brett fears that houses on River, Main and West streets will fall.
 The maximum height of the flood was two feet over the flood of 1902.
 Passaic Suffers Worse.
 Passaic is a greater sufferer from the flood than even Paterson. Twenty mills in Passaic alone are under water. and 5000 workers are out of employment Ten thousand persons have left their homes Eight hundred houses are flooded to the caves. and in all 1000 acres are covered with water from depth of few inches to twenty feet. Several million feet of lumber have been carried down to New ark Bay. In Weaselbrook the Erie tracks are suspended in the air, twenty foot embankment having been washed away. Twenty three story frame houses have gone floating down the Passaic river and as far as can be estimated, the loss of city property, real estate ana buildings is s2,0Oo,00O.
 Heavy Damage in New Jersey.
 Trenton, N. J., October 1.-The extent of the damage done by the floods in this section is now beginning to be fully real fzed. At least six. and probably all nine, of the wagon and foot bridges across the Delaware river between this city and Faston, Pa, have been carried away. All though there is no definite information here, it is believed the bridge at Stockton and the one between Ravenrock, N. J., and Lumberville, Pa, are also washed