The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-10-12
PATERSON FLOOD REGEDING
WORST OF THE INUNDATIoN UN-
DoUBTEDLY OYER.
Total Damage Will be Over Two Miil-
ION Dollars with No Insuranee-Flve
Hundred Families Homeiess-Gov-
ernor Orders Armory Thrown Open
for Their shelter-ThousandsT Thrown
Out of Work.
Out of Work.

Paterson, N. J., Oct. 11.-For nearly
forty-eight hours Paterson has been at
the mercy of the Passaic river. The
waters have maintained a height sufti-
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 impossi-
BILE. 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 mill
lion dollars. The inundation of the
low lying districts of the city has result
ed in inconceivable damage to property.
|. The flood, however, is beginning to
recede. A number Of buildings fell to-
day and many others have been under
mined. If they do not fall they will be
at least untenantable. Spruce street
hill is falling away piecemeal, and only
a little more than two feet of dirt and
stone separate the falls basin from the
big black race through which millions
of gallons of water are rushing every
hour. The gas house is in very weak
ened condition and is liable to 20 IL
Spruce street hill breaks much further.
Mayor Hinchcliffe. who has been at
this point all night and to-day superin-
tending the work of strengthening the
dykes and water gates, regards the Sit
uation as most critical.
One hopeful sign at this place is that
the water has fallen several inches since
morning.
All day long boatmen have been at
work rescuing people from the flooded
districts, The suffering in the First
and Second wards has been intense, as
it was almost impossible to reach the
residents here. Several hundred per-
sons were removed from houses COM
Dletely surrounded by the water and
ready to collapse at any moment A
dozen more os these houses later did
collapse and fioated down the stream.
The damage to mill property is chiefly
from the submersion Of portions of the
plant and great quantities of the prod
uct. Thousands Of men, women and
children will be out of employment for
long time and it seems altogether
probable that this flood will cause to the
city of Paterson a greater direct loss
of money and property than the fire Of
two years ago. The gross loss then
was s6000,0O0, with an insurance of
more than 100000. The loss to-day is
estimated at considerably more than
$2,000,0o0, with no insurance.
Five hundred families are homeless.
os these about $50 families are being
sheltered in the Aooilo hall. while the
others will be taken care Of in the ar
mory. Governor Murphy having issued
orders to-day that the armory be
thrown open for this purpose.
The city of Passaic passed sleepless
night, as it was feared that the Dundee
dam would give way. That would have
relieved the river of Paterson at the
expense of the cities below. Fortunate
ly, however, Dundee dam is still intact,
The suffering In Wellington and Dut-
tonyille has been very great. as no re-
lief has been able to reach these places.
All through this district houses and
outbuildings, together with great
quantity of dead stock, may be seen
floating about.
Several men are now in great peril Of
their lives in the Kearns Bros. dye house
on the river margin near Paterson. A
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 building was surrounded
by water and the men We're cut off from
all assistance because Of the raging tor
rent that has been rushing by ever
since. It is believed that the entire
building will be carried from it's foun-
dation unless the flood subsidies very
soon. =, e+ s .E%... ,..-a
Twenty-Five bridges are down in Pas
sale and Sussex counties on the Susque-
hanna railroad. Street Commissioners
Brett fears that many houses on River,
Main and West streets will fall.
The maximum height Of the flood was
two feet over the flood of 1902 and to-
night it is practically maintained.