Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-01-22
RARI 7 AN
Fl L0ODS
DAMAGE
Annual Freshet Up the River
Took Place Last Night
Water Falling.
FOUR FEET OVER DOCKS
AT NEW BRUNSWICK
Dynamite Used at Bound
Brook--Ice Passing Into
Bay Without Damage.
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

special TO the EVENING NEWS.
New Brunswick, Jan. 22:-The
annual freshet of the Raritan river
has come and gone When at it's
worst the water rose about four feet
over the docks and caused two fac
tories along the banks here to close
down. The water is falling this af-
ternoon and no further damage is
anticipated.
Owing to the exceedingly severe
weather since Christmas 1t was
feared that when the river broke up
1t would cause one of the worst
floods in its history 1t is probable
that If 1t had all broken up at once,
as it has in some years, it would. but
this year everything seemed to work
out in way to do the least harm.
At Bound Brook, where the floods
are generally the worst, the ice was
dynamited. 1t had banked up
against the railroad bridge there and
was holding back the water so that
all the lower section of that place
was threatened. The authorities de-
cided to use dynamite to open the
river In an effort to release the wa
ter. This was done about II o'clock
last night
About the same time the ice in the
river here broke up and passed on
down to Sayreville, where it still held
fast. The ice from Bound Brook
reached New Brunswick about 1880
this morning, but the river having
already broken up here, the flood
was not so bad, although it was
when the water released at Bound
Brook reached here that the flood
was at it's worst
AT 8:20 o'clock this morning the
ice at Sayreville broke up and the
water here at once began to fall al
though it is still over the bank and
tow path and covers two streets.
The plants that were forced to
shut down owing to the high water
were the LEES Needle Works and the
United States Rubber Company. The
coal and lumber yards along the ca
nal are covered. The people living
In the lower end of the city along
the river moved out last night after
Street Commissioner Jelin had
warned all of the impending freshet
owing to the rain and thaw and the
intended action of Bound Brook to
release the ice penned up there.
The employees of the United States
Rubber Company were set to work yes
terday afternoon moving the goods on
the lower floors. Horses were erected
and the goods stacked upon these. The
merchants got their goods out of the
cellar and stored them elsewhere. Every
precaution was taken to prevent stock
from being damaged.
The manufacturers have had their
fires put out in former freshets and
made special efforts to protest their
boiler rooms from flood. Last hight
the water in the river was quite some
height above the level of the banks.
The ice from the upper part of the
river which broke up last night is
passing peacefully out into the bay
today. The factories along the Rar-
itan river between this city and Keas-
bey, say that the ice is coming down
rapidly, but no damage is being done
Huge cakes are piled high along the
shore. The greatest rush was about
10 o'clock this morning The county
bridge is standing the strain we'll
and not the slightest impression is
noticeable 1t is expected the river
will be practically clear by tomorrow.