The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-10-14
DISASTROUS STORM
IN new JERSEY.
Millions Of Dollars Damage in Pat.
terson.

Patterson, N. j., Oct 11.-For near
ly 48 hours Patterson has been at the
mercy of the Passaic river. The was
ters 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
have been destroyed. Two bridges
above the falls remain but approach
to them is impossible. Three bridges
below the valley of the rocks still
stand, but it is impossible to live IN
reaching them. Seven other bridges
in the city have been carried away,
and their loss alone is half a million
dollars. The inundation Of the low
lying districts of the city has resulted
in considerable damage to property.
The food, however. is beginning to
recede. A number of buildings fell
today and many others have been un-
dermined. II they do not fall they a.
least will be Intenable. Spruce
street hill is falling away piecemeal
and only little more than two feet Of
dirt and stones separate the falls basin
from the big black race through which
millions of gallons of water are rush
ing every hour. The gas house is in a
very weakened condition and is liable
to 90 if Spruce street hill breaks
much further.
Mayor Hincheliffee, who has been at
this point all night and today superin-
tending the work Of strengthening the
dykes and water gates, regards the
situation as most critical. One hope
ful sign at this place is that the water
has fallen several inches since morn
ing.
All day long boatmen have been res
cuing people from the flooded districts.
The suffering in the first and second
wards has been intense as it was al
most impossible to reach the residents
there. Several hundred persons were
removed from the houses surrounded
by the food and ready to collapse at
any moment. A dozen more Of these
houses did collapse and hoated down
stream. The damage to mill property
is chiefly from the submersion Of por-
tions of the plants and great quanti-
ties of products. Thousands of men,
women and children will be out Of en-
ployment for a long time and it seems
altogether probable that this food
will cause to the city of Patterson a
greater direct. loss of money and pro-
perty than the fire Of nearly two years
ago. The gross loss then was S6,000,-
600, with an insurance of over 81, 000,-
900 the loss today is estimated at con-
siderably more than $1,000, 600, with
no insurance. Last nights rain re-
newed the food 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 CRATE bars snd
the water. It is from this station that
the city receives its entire supply of
light and motor power.
Five hundred families are homeless.
OF these about a hundred families
are being sheltered in Apollo hall,
while the others will be taken care
of in the armory. Gov. Murphy has
issued orders today tnat the armory be
thrown open for this purpose.
Patterson, N. J. Oct. 11.-With the
waters of the Passaic river falling at
the rate of an inch au hour above the
falls and at double that rate below
them; apprehension of further great
disaster to the city from the food has
almost disappeared, the sole question
being whether Spruce Street hill, the
narrow embankment which holds the
waters above the falls, can continue
to withstand the strain until the river
recedes to is normal proportions. At
the height of the food this hill stand
ing between the river basin above the
falls and the lower valley, was rapidly
caving away into the gorge pesow the
falls. Lineman Horace Riley lost his
life in ore such cave in and it was
feared today that the food would wash
away the dyke and precipitate itself
in 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 disas-
ter, but tonight it is holding firm
| and the police feel assured of it's per-
manency, though prohibiting access
to it for fear that it might be under
| mined.
Below the falls large part of the
city, situated in the valley on either
side of tho river, was still inundated
tonight, but the waters were receding
rapidly. having fallen 2S inches from
food height at 6p. m.. though still six
inches above the maximum height of
the flood of 1902.
Norfolk, Va, Oct 1.-THE northeast
gale that has ragged over this region
since Thursday has tonight practically
spent it's power, but for miles and
miles along the Virginia coast the
beach is Uttered with wreckage and
throughout this entire section of
the country devastation lies in the
wake of the storm. Thousands of peo-
pie crowded trains to the coast today
and saw the wrecks of the big barges
Ocean Belle and Georgia near Virginia
Beach. There is nothing left but an
indiseriminate tangle of debris along
the shore at Dam Neck to mark the
end OF the three -masted schooner Nellie