The Penn's Grove record., 1905-08-04
FLOOD AT BRIDGEPORT
Dam Gives Way on Pequonnock Riv-
er, Causing Awful Havoc
Two Lives Lost - Boats and Barpas
Torn From Moorings-Houses
Wrecked.

water six feet high from a broken dam
at Wards Mills, seven miles north of
this city, caused damage to shipping
and bridges here roughly estimated at
between $125,0O0 and $15O,OOO.
The downpour Of rain that lasted
all the afternoon ended with a cloud
burst at about Z o'clock at night. It
swelled the little mountain streams SO
high that they became torrents. The
dam at Wards Mills gave way, and the
torrent of water rushed down the
stream, carrying everything before it.
The dam at the Trumbull reservoir
gave way, and the thousands of gallons
of water stored there sped down the
valley, sweeping everything into it's
Whifling eddieS for q hundred yards
from it's natural banks. The pape
mill dam, two miles below, was next to
go. By this time the water in the
river had risen to three times its high
water mark, and houses along the
banks were swept into the torrent and
carried along like open boats at sea.
A mile below was the dam of the
Berkshire Mills at tidewater. The tor.
rent swept against this dam and a new
bridge. 1t tore out the dam, taking
with it a part Of the eastern abutment
of the bridge.
The barge Clara, Captain E. Keneal-
ly, of the McWilliams Line, of New
York City, was moored at Blacks coal
pier with about 100 tons of coal still
in her hold. The Captain heard the
rushing waters, and sent his son, a lad
of thirteen, ashore to fasten another
line to the pier, but before the boy
could make the line fast the hawsers
snapped and the barge was swept
down the river.
On the barge were Captain Keneally
and his wife and four children. 1t
struck the East Washington avenue
drawbridge and knocked it completely
around. Here Captain Keneally was
able to put one of his children ashore.
Vessel after vessel was struck by the
barge and swept from her mornings.
Down upon the Congress street draw
bridge the barge swept and struck it
broadSide.
The impact was so great that it
butted the draw off her bed a foot.
The crash was heard a quarter of a
mile away. AS the barge struck she
knocked an electric light pole loose. 1t
fell across the barge, knocking Cap
tain Keneally into the water. The live
wires Kissed and danced about the
bridge like snakes. East Bridgeport
was in total darkness.
About the time the barge struck the
bridge a gas main, which crossed the
river at this point, snapped. There
was a terrific explosion Of gas. The
electric light wires lighted the gas and
the fire department was called out.
Mrs. Keneally and her remaining
children We're taken from the barge in
a hysterica1 condition. The breaking
of the gas main filed the river with
tar, and Captain Keneally was swept
down the river in it. A quarter of a
mile away he seized a pile and cried
for help. He was taken out almost
suffocated and removed to the Emer-
gency Hospital. None of his family
were seriously injured, but Mrs. Ken
eally was suffering from shock.
The three-masted schooner Hope
Haynes, of Bangor, Me-, was swept
from her mornings and rammed her
bowsprit through the Congress street
bridge. The Margaret Hart and the
Marion E. Bulley, barges of the Nc
Caffrey Line, of New York, were
picked up in the food and swept
through the Congress street bridge be-
fore the barge Clara struck it.
The barges swept on into the inner
harbor, going at the rate of at least
twenty-five miles an hour, according
to Captain Robert Myer. Half way
out the harbor the Blue Bell made fast
to the barges Scott and English, which
were in tow of the tug Senator Rice,
of New York. Seeing the other two
barges swept on into the Sound, the
Rice made after them and caught
them between the Bridgeport Light
and Penfield Light.
The house of Andrew Lesko, in
North avenue, on the bank of the Pc
quonnOck River, was swept from its
foundation. and with Mr.. and Mrs.
Lesko and their daughter, was car
ried half a mile On the crest Of the
flood and deposited on the shore at the
Berkshire Mills.
another house was swept from its
foundation and carried against the
Berkshire Bridge. where it was de-
molished like kindling. In this house
was Michael Moran, who was warned
to get out, but did not do so in time.
He could not be found and he must
have persisted.
A heavy ice wagon, drawn by two
horses, was swept from Barnum ave-
nue., where it was trying to cross
through the flood. and the horses were
drowned, and William Koweski, n
of the icemen, was carried away be-
meath the waters. 1t was believed
that these are the only deaths from
the food.