The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-01-22
Appointed to Investigate Causes
Of Floods in PasSaic Valley
Receive Welcome Aid.
CALLS FOR STATE LEGISLATION
The Matter has Assumed Serious
Aspect and Suggestions are Made
Toward Plans TOR Preventing a
Recurrence of such Disaster. 81
100000 Wiped out by the last
Flood.

A citizens committee was organized
in Passaic last week for the purpose
of assisting the Flood Commission
appointed by Governor Murphy in it's
labors. Flood Commissioners Merrela,
Sherrerd and Belland Engineer Lay
ton were present.
Perley M. Berry was chosen presi-
dent, and in his speech OF thanks he
said:
.tThis flood question is of gueat
moment mot only to the men on and
along the river but to every citizen OF
Passaic. For this reason it should
be discussed TO some purpose and to
some advantage and end and that
very promptly. We all, of course,
feel that united, earnest efforts are
desired and know that without this
hearty cooperation no RESULTS can
be accomplished We should APP
preciate this one fact from the start.
'tThe whole matter narrowS down
to the question of whether men
shall live insconstant dread of floods
and in jeopardy of having the profits
Of years and years of toll wiped out
by food. Within the last two years
we have had two floods. The first
did incalculable damage; the second
wrought havoc to the extentt0f seven
millions. Consider this and that it
means great deal to the city, ,tcounty
and State. Where seven millions are
lost-and lost irretrievably-we can
surely realize the tremendous i'm
portance of the question with which
we have to deal"
Marshall o. Layton, the official
engineer of the Flood Commission,
was the next speaker. Two paths
of investigation, the engineer said,
had been largely considered, one that
of building reserve reservoirs along
the river to act as emergency re-
,ceptaoles for the water, and the other
of damming the river and widening
the channel, SO that the water could
sweep downand out to the sea. The
problem of permanent remedy, how
ever, Mr.. Layton said, does not in
yolve.any unusual engineeringdifficul-
ties in solvingit.
Replying to a suggestion that a
committee be sent to Washington to
solicit Government aid, Mr. Layton
said that such action would be ad-
xisable Continuing, he said: Equip
your committee with figures, but con-
fine them to the matter of navigation
No plea of damages as incurred by
floods, would be listened to by the
river and harbor. committee at Wash
ington. Their business is to Look out
for the improvement of navigation
only"
Outside people know but little Of
the great, damage done by the water.
He related instances where, during
his talks at the opening of the legis-
lature at TEenton, he found Senators
and Assemblymen ,astOunded when
confronted with the real figures. He
also urged the Importance of secnGAng
legislation, which, he said, falls ito
committees OF citizens.
Commissioner Merrell stated that
mo outsider had any comprehension of
the enormous damages incurred. AS
shown by the return Of the blanks
WlAlCIl klaFC DGkaii NiASWAlpONStt AAS "esN'
able to state that they were greatly
i'm excess, of what had been thought.
The Paterson people suffered vastly
more than PASSAGES according to the
figures obtained. He also discouraged
the signal corps propositi0n as being
Ineffective. Christian Bahnsen, Of
the GeEa Mills, said that the loss suf-
fered by his firm was great and ended
with hestartling declaration that the
mill could not weather recurrence
without seeking another location for
for their plant.
James B. Ackerson, superintendent
of the General Chemical Works, said
that on the ground floor of his plant
the loss of soluble material was $4,000
tons. Another visitation of that
nature would mean more than can
now be conjectured.
Paterson lockout Still On.