The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-11
PATBRSON'S EXTREME PERIL.
PREPARING TO EASE FLOOD ~
DYNAMITING SPRUCE ST. HILL.

~ ~ ~ W
Hundreds of rers0sn Imprisoned In Houses
"a the EAgo q The niver-Ns Gss In the
CKy-Flve Large Bridges and Twenty
Small Ones Swept Away-1hriliins
Esespe II Psve Men Whs Tried 70 Save
aLsunch- EiSht Saved Fren House.
PArlasoN, N. j., OCT. lO.--The second day
OF the great food In the watershed OF the
Passaic River b worse than the frat, ana
the record made by the water ia the highest
known to the officials by two feet. The
river In this city has an average width OF
200 feet, but to-day it is over three quarters
Of . mile wide. inundating twelve blocks
OF dwelling houses in its course
The city. however, Is overshadowed ~
greater peril. At the falls the river is
momentarily expected to break through
the intake of the water companys hume
at the top Of the Spruce street hill. ana
this happens the whole Of the Sixth and
Seventh wards will be swept, with possible
great loss OF life.
Mayor Hinchline Ii ON the ground with
force of policemen and officials OF the water
company. They have made all prepara-
tions to dynamite the Spruce street hill
In tho hope that they will thus cut deep
gulch and divert tho river into the basin'
and thereby save the city from destruction.
Thousands Of people were on the heights
all day surrounding the point OF danger.
watching anxiously tho rise Of tho waters.
The police have drawn lines at some
distance from the point Of danger, and no
one Is allowed near the place whefe s
proposed to use the dynamite
After the great volume OF water from
the breaking OF the Pompton dam had
passed through this city yesterday the
river quickly lowered and the people
thought that the danger had passed, but
In the evening the river began to rise alarm
ingly again and people fled from their
houses. The river continued to rise and
this evening It is still being augmented by
the torrents from tho great watershed
OF the Pas sale Valley.
Thousands Of people have been driven
from their homes. but hundreds along the
very edge Of the river have been unable to
fee. and no one can reach them on account
Of the strength OF the current. These
homes may give way at any moment and
be launched into the torrent. The work
OF rescue has been going on all day. but
many are penned up in the houses beyond
reach Of aid.
The devastation and destruction wrought
by the flood are terrible and incslculable.
Estimates Of the property loss are frequently
put at over 81 900 600. but figures will be
lacking until the waters have subsidized.
Five large bridges and twenty smaller
ones have been swept away. A number OF
buildings on the banks OF the river have
been destroyed. Immense washouts on
the streets and railroads have stopped all
travel on trains and trolley cars.
Great damage has been done to factories
and their machinery along the river. the
gas works in this city have been Hooded
and all homes using gas are IN darkness
tonight. The electric light Is also In dan
ger and it Is feared that the city will Be tn
total darkness tonight.
The most thrilling incident ns the day was
the narrow csc ape Of Ave men from being
swept over the falls. The steam launch
belonging to Adrian Shot was moorcd out
the Spruce street bridge and was in danger
Of being carried over the falls.
Several men volunteered to save It and
they reached it in a rowbcat which carried
a towline held on shore by number OF
young men. The volunteers reached the
launch and got into it, but Just then
the young men, through some mistake,
lost their hold on the towlipe and the four
men in the launch were left at the mercy
of tho swift current. They were Adrian
Schott, William Moore. John Swindle and
Walter White The laet three jumped into
the river and tried to swim to shore.
Moore and Swindls were lucky enough
to be carried to the shore by eddies, but
White was carried out into the middle Of
the torrent and was being swept under the
bridge az Policemen Hines and Mcguire
threw a rope to him, which he caught, and
was drawn from the very jaws Of death.
Schott remained in the launch, which was
also carried into the middle OF the river,
and was being rushed toward the falls.
As the boat passed under the Spruce street
bridge, Schott stood up in the stern Of the
boat and sprang for the iron girdcrs under
the bridge. He caught them and chung
there until he was rescued by the police
men.
Eight persons were rescued from three
story house at Athena, couple Of miles
below this city, just before the house
toppled over. The Weasel brook had
washed out the Erie railroad embankment
and descended on the house. The in
mat es had teen taken out on ladders barely
in time.
The only loss Of life reported to-day
was that OF an electric hneman. Harris
Riley, who had climbed a pole on Spruce
street, near the Spruce street bridge.
The sidewalk on which the pole stands
is seventy five feet above the water in
the basin. which had washed away the
substrata.
As part Of the sidewalk fell into the basin
the pole with Riley on it also went down
the embankment seventy five feet into the
water and Riley was washed away in the
torrent within the view of 5000 people.