New-York tribune., 1905-01-08
JERSEY WATER SWEPT.
High Tides and Ice Jams Cause
Many Floods.

Delaware and Ra-1tan Canal ana tle ldllet
backed up on the docks along the river front at
New-Brunswick. n. J., causing several OF the
factories to close down. Loose cakes of ice be-
came janmed. and the river at 9 o'clock in the
morning was one solid mass Of ice Soon after
this the ice commenced 10 move and carried
everything down the river with it.
AS early as o'clock the crowds began to
gather along the railing on either side OF the
Albany-st bridge. and the gathering was aug
mented from time time by the operatives OF
the various factories along the river front, who,
when their plants were closed down for the day.
locked TO the bridge to see the ice go out.
There We're number Of these. for, as early as
$50 O'Clock. the Ives Needle Company, finding
that the water rising so rapidly as TO en-
danger the engines shut off the power and
let the hands of for the day The Cronk
Manufacturing Company compelled to fol-
low this example about the time, and
after shutting down the engines dismissed all
the machine hands. thus leaving only the bench
hands at work Janeway & Co. were bothered
with water in their cellar. but were not so
seriously inconvenienced by the food as some
OF their neighbors The United States Rubber
Company's plant was compelled TO shut down
because Of the rising water, which imperilled
the engines. The situation Of the plant made
the danger Of water all the greater. and sew
eral OF the outhouses situated near the bridge
were partially submerged. while the water was
ct one time dangerously near the floor Of the
packing house. which is also not far from the
bridge.
The engine in the factory Of Johnson & John
son, situated near the canal, closed down
temporarily. but outside OF this the big plant
suffered only slight Inconvenience from the
water. The Norfolk and New-B Brunswick Hosiery
Company plant was compelled to shut down
O nsrao III ops1 ID
Iy rising water.
There was a rise Of fourteen test in the Rari-
tan River al Somerville. eight miles up the
river from New-Brunsw1ck The Zoe In the river
broke up there about midnight on Friday and
threatened serious damage to buildings and
bridges along the river. Tbs Inhabitants spent
q Watchfu night The ice piled Up to the height
OF six feet the boulevard leading TO the es-
tate OF James B. Duke, the tobacco man, and
dId great destruction 20 young trees and shrub
berry on the estate An thoroughfares leading
from sonerviue TO the towns south OF the Rari-
tan River under several feet OF water. ana
all trafac was suspended The river was stiu
rising at the rate Of six inches an hour at Som
ervtlle late yesterday afternoon, and It Is ex-
pected 10 reach height OF twenty feet above
its normal level Great damage is threatened to
property by the ice which Is passing down
from the north and south branch rivers.
throughout tnS EasSeic valley, which has
been visited by two disastrous foods within the
last two years. great apprehension has been
caused by the steady rise IN the Passaio River
and its tributaries Manufactures and business
men along the banks Of the river. some Of whom
were ruined by the previous foods, spent the
day moving their stock. Up TO sunset the rise
IN the river Wa about i've feet. but a cold snap
served TO allay fears OF a repetition OF the
former disasters. The first serious result Of the
freshet was caused by the breaking up OF the
ice in InsiE Lal1a in the upper part OF the coun-
~. The Zoe rushed into the Pequannock River
a tributary OF the Passaac, with a crash that
startled the residents Of Pompton and its vi
c.nity. Il carried OF a temporary bridge and
badly damaged the new permanent bridge that
is being built 10 replace that destroyed by the
last food An Zoe gorge formed In the Rannapo
River. another tributary OF the Passatc and
threatened 20 destroy the SlsQuehanna railroad
bridge. All trains were stopped at either side
Of the bridge and passengers were transferred
Snow melting IN the mountains added TO the
volums OF water that rushed down the Pas
ssac. In Paterson two temporary bridges were
swept away-the Arch-st bridge and the HILL
rnAn-st bridge The lower floors Of factories
and business houses were flooded. and consid-
eyebls damage was done
On Friday night I'VE hundred feet OF the new
and fnclosss the track depression of the Lacka-
wanna Railroad IN Summit. was washed out
and the tracks We're blocked The overflow
drainage from Union and Franklin places caused
the danage Superintendent Lane set a big
force Of men 20 work and succeeded in clearing
1he tracks after trains had been held UP.
The See Jam IN the Delaware River broke at
Trenton yesterday afternoon and AL present
danger OF damage by a food there is past The
river at night was In almost its normal channel
In the morning the river was dfteEn feet above
the normal and slowly rising. In the cellars Of
houses IN South Trenton the water w<es several
feet deep. The ice was Janned for seperal miles
on each side of the city. Huge masses Of ice
were packed IN around the new railroad bridge
and the old bridge at Bridge-st
At Atlantic City an immense tide driven up
by the southeast gale. sweeping along the coast
in the night, flooded the beach front. carrying
drift far up the avenues and at times testing
the strength OF the steel walk and bulkheaded
buildings erected IN place Of the structures
swept away in the big storm OF 1903 large
Etorehouse under the steel pier was badly dam
aged the heavy planl1ing OF its front being torn
out by the breakers. At ulinois-ave. the ap-
proaches TO the boardwalk were partially torn
I'D by the waves which rolled almost level with
the walk Nearly one hundred feet OF railway
tracks at the beach terminus OF the Pleasant
vile trolley road were washed out by the storm.
and two fishing boats lying near Young's pier
were smashed against the pier piling.
In Jersey City an unusually high tide over
flowed the streets ia some parts along the
waterfront IN the morning. At the Erie
cred the flooring OF the train shed leading from
the trains 20 the fsrryboats. A temporary
wooden elevation had 10 be constructed so that
passengers could set from the trains 10 the boats
The water also overficwed into the restaurant,
enc a gang Of men was kept busy preventing the
water from getting into the large waiting room.
block or more the water vas several feet deep.
The trolley cars could not set down TO the ferry.