Milford chronicle., 1918-04-12
HEAVY WIND and RAIN STORM

spring visited this part OF Della ware
on Tuesday and Wednesday of this
week, and the wind blew a gale from
the northeast for more than twenty
four hours, with the result that the
5ides overiowed the Delaware bay
shore and rose over the farming lands
adjacent thereto for a mile or more
inland.
At Cedar Beach the houses were ap-
parently floating objects Of the ocean.
and the people were compelled to go to
the second story of their homes. as
the water came into the first floors.
Hogs, chickens, cattle and horses were
taken to the highest spots on the
shore for refuge. while the waves beat
with ever increasing anger against the
frail outbuildngs and threatened to
destroy the homes themselves. The
people could not. escape over the pub
lie highway. as the drawbridge was
removed recently by order Of the
United States Governments
At Fort Salisbury the water sub
merged the entire land and arose in
/ the quarters Of the workmen and the
Office of the engineers so that they had
to abandon them. Even farms half
mile west and further upland were
partly submerged by the waters of the
bay.
The rain fell steadily for twenty and
more hours. completely soaking the
| earth. which softened, and the high
wind swept trees from the wet soil
as if they were childs' playthings.
Because Of the steady rainfall the
water soaked into the earth rapidly,
/ nd anr M h .I@
were not greatly washed, which was
a condition OF the other big storm.
In Milford the water came over the
wharves ald flooded graneries and
storage houses generally. and espec-
tally at the phosphate works.
Part of the roof Of the Presbyterian
Church was blown of. and the large
trees in front of this building started
to tall. but heavy blocks and falls were
rugged to prevent further destruction.
and they seem to have been saved.
A large shade tree near the post
office and in front Of C. NJ. HammOnd's
home, started to uprOot. but chopping
the middle Of the top out an letting
the heavy limbs fall into the street
below stopped the uprooting entirely,
and this saved the telephone and cleo
tr1c light wires. which were trunk
lines through the State.
A chimney on the residence Of Mrs.
r. c. Hall on South Walnut street was
blown down.
What the damage to the surrounding
country was the reports have not been
made, as all travel seems to have
stopped
In Milford at three O'Clock Thursday
morning the food had reached alarm
ing proportions. The water broke
over Walnut street in the bus
mess section TO a depth of several
inches, this being the FIRST time in
the memory of any Of the Oldest in
habitants that such a thing had oc-
cured. Some of the stores were food |
ed and much damage resulted in the |
store Of Dorsey Bowen Both Of the |
fertilizer plants along the waterfront |
are under water to the depth Of sew |
eral feet. At the plant of William /
Pierce the owner estimates that fully |
$4,000 loss has resulted to the stock |
alone, while at the Draper & Davis
plant a direct loss OF at least $4,000 |
has been estimated. At the latter
place a quantity of corn is stored
which will also be badly damaged. On
the opposite side Of the river the ship
yards are under water, and at the
Abbott yards the new boats in course
Of construction are also partly sub
merged. Mills along the stream are
flooded, while all Of the businesses di-
rectly alongside of the waterfront are
closed because Of the food. At the
light and water plant of the town the
flood caused the bursting Of exhaust
pipes from the engines. and as the
Chronicle goes to press it is report
ed that possibly the plant will not be
in operation Thursday evening. The
basement of the Caulk laboratories in
which the wax department is conduct
ed is flooded, and on Thursday the ;
plant was not in operation. The lum-
Der yards of L. n. Hearn & Company I
and OF the l. D. Short Company are
both under water and lumber is float /
ing about in big punches. The water {
vas very deep on West Front street,
South Milford, and on Railroad avenue.
The water entered the Grange Hall S
md the marble yards Of William v {
Sipple & Son on the former street,
while on the latter the garage Of Will G
lam Webb and the blacksmith shop of I /
Edward Atkins are both flooded. The b
I'D shirt factory building. directly op-
'osite, is flooded to the depth Of at t
east two feet over the first floor and C
big quantity of lime and fertilizer n
tored therein by William Webb has n
een damaged. Water street and Pear f
treet likewise are under water. The
ew bridge on West Front street was
overed with several inches OF water
From Bowers comes the report that
lany cottages have been washed away
lille practically all Of them have been
adly damaged. The men from Fort !
we're brought to Milford on N
Wednesday. Water is said to cover n
ie land adjoining the bayshore as far Ic
Hand as two and a half miles o