The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1906-01-11
FORTY FAMILIES
ARE ENTOMBED
Landslide Carries Down Two CITY
Books.
AT LEAST FIFTEEN ARE KILLED,
Edge Of Street at Haverstraw, N. Y. Is
PfeeiPlts'ed Over Cliff Hundred Pset
hish-FOurtsen Houses Carried Down, and
Nuins Take Flre-BreakIng of Water Mains
Makes Fire-fightluy Difficult

New York (SpeciaD At Haverstraw.
N, \, an extensive landslide tore off the
edge OF one of the streets for two blocks
rourteen dwelling houses were precipi-
lated over a clay bank neal, 100 feet
high. AT least Is persons are believed
10 nave perishcd, while 40 families were
temporarily entombcd in the ruins.
Following are the known dead:
Mr.. Nelson, furniture dealer of Hav-
crStraw.
Benz amin Nelson, his son.
MIS-. Sliverman and her young son.
A Jewish rabbi, who was at the home
of the Nelson's.
Mr. and Mrs. Cohen and five children
ne houses were all wooden structures
and all OF them caught fire immediately
after the land gave way The work Of
eNtinguishing the flames was made i'm
possible Tor the reason that the land
slide broke the water mains and shut
on the supply of water Fire from the
burning buildings spread TO other por-
ions OF the village and for time it
was feared that the entire place would
60 Shutting off the water in the broken
mains, thereby permitting the hremen to
use portion OF the supply, and timely
aid from the neighboring village OF Car
nerSvllle alone averted the threatened de-
struction.
The landslide took place on Rockland
street, which is in the brickvard sec
ton in the northern part Of the village
A rich bed of clay closely adioins the
street. and for a dozen years the brick
yard people have been digging into the
bed deeper and deeper.
Eventually they followed out 4 hole
over hundred feet deep. and had gone
as close to the side line of Division
Street as their rights permitted them.
here had been much litigation over the
encroachmcntS of the worl<men. and many
efforts had been made by the village au-
thoritieS to secure injunctions restraining
the workmen going further.
Ihc landslide came gradually at first.
The ground, weakened by the rain and
snow OF the past few days, showed crew
ices near the edge of the street late i'm the
afternoon. and in the evening portions
OF the bank began TO give way. The
street was not thic<ly populated. for
most of the former dwellers had left on
account of fear of just what happened.
Many of the residents left their houses
early in the evening before the final
crash came. The Nelson's. for instance.
were endeavoring to move their effects
and the rabbi was assisting them This
was also the case with Mrs. Silverman
and her SON.
When the final slide came. it came so
suddenly that those who had fingered i'm
their houses b2d absolutely no opportuni-
ty TO escape. The bank cavcd from
twenty to sixty feet in width at the top.
and for distance of two blocks from Di-
vision to Jefferson Streets lengthwise.
A portion of the south side of Division
street likewise fell.
The entire village was engaged either
i'll fighting the flames or in attempts TO
search the wrcckage. Up until 3 O'clock
it was next TO impossible to discover
how many bodies were burned. for the
reason that the hremen had not at that
time entirely extinguished the flames.
HON many have been entombed will
not be known for days. and it is
possible that it may never be known. for
removal of the enormous amount of fall
len earth would be a work of months.
Another large crevice opened up along
Division Street, about a hundred feet
from the edge of the bank, and there
is momentary danger of another land
fall quite as extensive. though it cannot
be as destructive as the other