New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-12
PART OF PASSAIC WIPED OUT
WATER RECEDING IN PATERSON-WORST THOt1GHT
TO BE OYER
O Thousand Homeless Families Being Fo-ght BRIDGES
Dozen Betceen and Trenton
PASS4IC IN DARKNESS.
City Lighting Plant Under Water
Flood Loscer.

Psssaic. y. J.. Oct. IL CspeciaD.-Unde- pail
Of inky blackness the food surges and splashes
through the little borough OF Wellington. whose
inhabitants. driven from their homes to the high
ground, are crowded into the schoolhouse, wait
ing for rescue. Not light burns there tonight,
save in the handful Of houses on the high
ground The rest Of the Wellington people are
N this city, being cared for at the City Hall.
the armory and the fire houses. Almost the en-
tire town however has been obliterated and a.
scene Of utter devastation. submerged lands dis
nsntled houses and barns. and flooded factories
meets one.
The situation here to-day is less perilous and
81 is thought that the greatest danger from
the food is past. Last night there was fear
that The Dundee Gam, a mile and a half north
If Passaie. would give way and the excitement
WIS intense. A force Of three hundred men
under Superintendent James Wynne OF the
Dundee Water, Power and Land Company was
working al day yesterday and last night to
save the dam.
BAGS Of sand and loads Of stone were used
IN protecting the ends so that it might not be
undermined by the water.
Sergeant Frank Ferero was stationed on
horseback near the dam, with instructions TO
ride al once to the nearest fire alarm and give
The signal in case the dam gave way. The
ninety-one inches. At midnight. however. it be-
gan to recede. and tonight it is not more than
eighty inches. The city lighting plant is under
water and the city is in darkness tonight.
All night the city lay in terror lest the Dun
dee dam burst. All night they watched it, and
1t was only this morning that James wynne.
the gatetender, felt assured that it would hold
The danger now is that the bank Of the canal
below the dam viii break This would throw
volume Of water into the river, already spread
abroad over the landscape. Last night there
was neither gas nor electricity here after 10
O'Clock. There was a tremendous run on the
grocers. whose candles and oil were soon sold
ou.
Simon Mosby, negro, employed by DR.. ~ c
Ricardo had a fl while he was pumping out q
cellar in a house in Prospect-st- The water was
seven feet deep in the cellar, and Mosby sank
80 the bottc-n. II Was some time before his
absence WIS rcticed. and search resulted ia
finding the 10y on the floor Of the cellar.
MARROW SScAPEs FROM DROWNING.
While IT t. get sick woman from the last
house in Passaic-st., Policeman Turner and the
horse attached to the patrol wagon were
nearly drowned The water had washed a hole
IN the street and while the officer WAS waiting
fer the worran's fiiends TO dress her. the horse
got into this hole 1t sank up TO fits head in the
mud and was going under when the policeman
noticed its position He managed TO cut the
harness and in SO doing lost his balance and fell
INTO The swift current.
Abraham De Young. q coal dealer, had a mar
row escape from being drowned. He was try
ing 10 drive through President-st-, when the
water from the brook began to come down in
torrents. The horse was carried downstream,
anc taking the wagon with it. landed against
Dauons Hotel. De Young managed 10 get the
morse unhitched from the wagon and attempted
70 roe the animal TO a place Of safety. The IN
treaSlng current carried the man off the horse
uaok. and he had to swim for his life The
horse was carried downstream 10 Nreelsnd's
fond, and was drowned.
Mrs. Mary Moncolope. of Clifton, was one OF
Nose driven from her home by the flood She
started go TO the homo Of friends in this city.
carrying a small child with her In Lexington
ave the woman became i'll After an ambu-
lsnce took her TO the hospital baby was born
10 her
When the laboratory Of the Pantisote Leather
company destroyed yesterday afternoon
me walls OF the three story brick building di-
fectly opposite, ia Jefferson-st-, washed
away The families in this part OF the building
We're thrown into q panic when the wall fell
The sidewalks from this building almost 10 the
canal bridge Is washed away, and a hole thirty
ieet wide, the length O. the street was mace
~ The water.