Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1909-08-17
MUCH DAMAGE DONE
BY SEVERE STORM ON
THE LAND AND WATER
Cellars Are Filled
Many Boats
Are Sunk.
UNRESTRICTED

cPOttUt w OWttC0 1TsSS WV.
New York, Aug. 17:-Between 10
o'clock Sunday night and 10 o'clock
this morning New York felt the heavi-
est rainfall in the history of the
weather bureau.
Between o'clock Monday morn
ing and 8 o'clock this morning, 5.04
inches fell, making total of seven
inches during the past thirty-four
hours.
The deluge ruined the summer
camps and thousands of commuters
were forced to spend last night in
New York.
The atmosphere is cold and straw
hats and overcoats are seen every
where.
Roundabout dispatches say the
rain has extinguished the Catskill
mountain forest fires, which have
ragged for four days.
This city and vicinity has suffered
considerably by what is declared to
be the heaviest rainfall that has WIS.,
tied this section in thirty-seven
years. Throughout the city cellars
are flooded and the sewers in nearly
every part of the city are unable to
carry away the surface drainage.
Telephone and electric light service
were crippled. The damage is espe-
cially heavy along shore, where many
boats are sunk.
The rain commenced to fall at an
early hour yesterday morning, and
up to 8 o'clock last night, it is es-
timated that 3.94 inches fell. As
much more fell during the night. The
east wind makes 1t very disagreeable
out of doors. The extensive rainfall
In these two days will, by far, 1t is
expected, exceed the heavy fall of
1888.
The floods along the Pennsylvania
railroad, in South Amboy, caused
the Hole-in-the-Wall to become i'm
passable. A large beef wagon be-
came stuck there and considerable
difficulty was experienced in getting
lit out. 1t Is estimated that there
was fully four feet of water in the
passage and vehicles of all descrip-
tions were forced to take long,
roundabout course to reach South
Amboy.
The heavy foods on the city streets
combined with the wind did excess
sive damage to wires, both elevated
and underground Many short cir
cults were formed. The fire alarm
was caused to sound taps by short
circuits last night. The heavy sur
face drainage filled underground con-
duits of both telephone companies,
and many gangs of repair men were
out this morning. The floods caused
the wires to become temporarily use
less in many instances, and some of
the Municipal offices, besides many
private exchanges, could not be
reached this morning. Repairs were
hastily made.
Similar damage was incurred by
the Public Service lighting system in
this city and along its line to Me-
tuchen. Electric lights were out
twice last night, and in some cases
circuits were idle for several hours.
The backing up of an old sewer
in the cellar of d. Wolff & Com
pany's place in Smith street, caused
the ruination of thousands of dollars
worth of furniture by water, 1t is es-
timated. Fully three feet of water
ran into the cellar where furniture
was stored and all of it became
water soaked Cellars, large and
small, were similarly flooded through
out the city and the loss there is
extensive.
1t was reported that barge sunk
in the sound this morning. Many YES
sells of the smaller type were sunk
along shore. Especially was the loss
great by the flooding and sinking of
sailing vessels and row boats.
Though most of these vessels are not
a total loss, as they can be recover
ed, they are damaged extensively.
The cold weather and drizzling
rain caused many jolly vacationists
to break camp at Morgan sta
tion and at the Highlands this morn
ing. Some local people, including
Mrs. c. e. Brewster and children, re-
turned to-day Mr.. Brewster will
probably return this afternoon. The
rain caused camps to become flood
ed and uninhabitable.
The rain is doing vast amount of
good In the country, however, where
the farms were in need of good
soaking. The weather predictions
are that it will be clearing by to-
morrow.