Oakes Republican. (Oakes, N.D.) 1898-1906, 1903-10-16
APPREHENSION OF FURTHER
GREAT DISASTER ALMOST
DISAPPEARS.
THE loss OF LIFE IS VERY SMALL
\ MANY BUILDINGS COLLAPSE AND
sMALL BRIDGES ARE
rs SWEPT AWAY.

the rate of an inch an hour above the
falls and at double that rate below
the APPREHENSION Of further great.
disaster to tie city from the Acod has
almost disappeared. the sole question
being whether Spruce street hill, the
fnarrow embankment which holds the
waters above the fall. can continue to
withstand the strain until the river re-
&cede. to its normal proportions. At
the height of the flood this hill. stand
ing he:Eeen the river basin above the
falls anu the lower valley. was rapidly
cavin.s away into the gorge below the
falls. i-ineman Horace Riley losing his
life in one such cave-in, and it was
feared yesterday that the food would
wash away the dyke and precipitate
itself in a huge wall upon that portion
of the city lying below. A dyke but
little wider than the Spruce street
roadway stood between the city and
this disaster but last night it
Was Holding Firm
and the police felt reasonably sure of
its psrmaneacy, though prohibiting
access to it for fear that it might be
undermined. Below the falls a large
part OF the city, situated in the valley
on either side of the river, is still in
undated, but the waters are recedi1g
rapidly.
Thousands of persons are tenn
porarily homeless, most of them be-
ing received at the homes of friends
in the unflooded districts, while $500
were sheltered at the armory, fed and
cared for by the organized charity of
the CITY, No assistance has been
asked for outside and the city will
look after its destitute.
Yesterday many persons who had
remained in their homes in the flood
ed districts were removed and food
was conveyed to those who remained.
It will be impossible to closely esti-
mate the loss until the flood sub
sides, but it
Will Exceed 100000.
But three bridges and part of
fourth of the seven below the falls
remain, and the cost to the county tn
replace those destroyed will be at
least $50O.O00. The. three bridges
standing are on substantial concrete.
They are completely covered by
water. Only three fatalities have
been reported.
Many buildings have collapsed and
the foundations of many have been
weakened by the flood and some Of
these may fall. The total will also
be largely augmented by the loss
throughout Passaic county, reports Of
bridges washed away, roads destroyed
and property and crops ruined COM
ing from all points. The loss in the
county outside of Paterson will equal
that inside of the city.
On account of the exposure Of
many of the sufferers to the downpour
of cold rain Saturday night an cpl
,demic of pneumonia is feared.
Ten Thousand homeless.
Passaic is a greater sufferer from
the. flood that even Paterson. Twenty
mills in Passaic alone are under
water and 5000 workers are out Of
employment. Ten thousand persons
have left their homes. Eeight hun
UEOu HOUSES 0IO uOOUOO W IAO OaV0OS
and in all 1000 acres are covered with
water from depth of few inches to
twenty feet.
Many Bridges Washed Away.
Toronto, Ont, Oct. ia cable dis.
tent of damage done by the food In
this section is now beginning to be
fully: realized. At least six and pos.
:sibly all nine of the wagon and foot.
bridges across the Delaware river be-
tween this place and Easton, Pa. have
been carried away.
Railroad traffic on the Belvidere d.
vision Of the Pennsylvania railroad
between this city and Easton has been
.entirely suspended. Many washouts