Perth Amboy evening news. [volume], September 16, 1903, SECOND EDITION, Image 1

About Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959

Image provided by: Rutgers University Libraries

                
STORM SWEEPS RARITAN RAY
GREAT DAMAGE EVERYWHERE.
Perth Amboy in the Grasp of a Fierce Gale
Reaching Almost the Extent of a Hurricane
—Shipping in the Harbor at a Stand
still-Trees Blown Down and Tall
Chimneys Crash to the Ground
Boats Have Disappeared and
Owners Could not Get them
-Storm Broke Suddenly and
Swept Everything Before
It—Fire Alarm Rings.
t
street and when the extent of the gale
was realized, Dr. Tyrrell and Mr.
Petz hurried to the water front to
make her fast. The launch was then
drifting. All their efforts could not
keep her off the dock in front of J.
Bloomfield Miller’s residence. The
waves lifted her high and the bow
orashcd down on the piling, smashing
the timber into kindling.
When the boat struck, Mr. Petz en
deavored to catch a line. He was
standing on the dock at the time. He
caught the rope and was immediately
jerked overboard. The angry sea
seomcd to swallow him. but he appear
ed again only to be dashed against the
dock himself. With Dr. Tyrrell’s
assistance he managed to crawl on the
ilnt'l? niui wna tnlfm aulinrn Mpan
time the Rosa continued to batter her
self to pieces. There was no insur
ance on the craft and all is a total
loss.
While this was going on the rain
continued in torrents and the gale
seemed to increase to a hurricane. It
blew the sand and rain into the faces
of the men, almost blinding them. It
was about 12 o’clock when the storm
showed signs of abating. It had then
been raging in all its fury for about
three hours. By 12.30 the wind had
died out considerably, the rain ceased,
except for a mist, and people came
forth to view the ruins. It was a
ghastly sight.
Among the boats sunk were Mr.
Belcher’s boat Kismet; the sloop
Alfred King; Nathaniel Pierce’s
launch Jeanette; a large sloop just off
Gray’s railway; Dr. H. M. Brace’s
launch Racquette; August Rossi's
sloop Susie was washed up to the rail
road bridge where she sank. Nelson
Macau’s boat Lizzie; Miss Mercer’s
sail skiff, Harry Wight’s launch Mar
garet; W. R. File’s sloop; L. G. N.
Brogger’s sloop, and Mr. Waring’s
sloop.
Among those washed ashore and
damaged are the sloops Dorothy,
Euphenia, Addie Watts, and General
Putman.
A large steamer was blown up the
lower bay and is on the shoals off Sea
Breeze. A fine large sloop yacht on
I The worst gale that has swopt over
Raritan bay in many years, played
havoc nlong the water front this morn
ing, doing hundreds of dollars worth
of damage within a few hours. Boats
are strewn along shore like straw,
many of them total wrecks. Power
boats have gone to the bottom and i
'oyster floats are mashed. Several
schooners rode the gale in good shape
and besides dragging anchor, were not ,
affected. Longshoremen declare that
for a few moments the gale amounted
to a hurricane. They declare that
only one end of it whirled into Rari- ]
tan bay and they believe the gale was i
much heavier near around Sandy Hook i
lightship;
t Not only is small shipping put en- i
tirely out of bu$iije4s, but the build
ings along Front street suffered
greatly. The entire tin roof of
Bollschweiler & Johnson’s hotel lies '
in the middle of Water street. The
•wind got under one end and ripped it
completely off, rolling it up and carry
ing it fifty feet away. The front
windows of the hotel were blown in.
The glass was shattered by the wind
and rain. Hundreds of chimneys were ^
blown over, some of them crashing ^
through roofs, doing more or less
damage to^puildings. Huge trees all
over the city lay prostrate in the
streets, blocking traffic.
The galo lasted but a few hours,
i Had it lasted throughout the after
'noon the damage would have amount
ed to thousands of dollars. For the ]
o make their crafts secure. The blow
memed to descend upon Perth Amboy
in a moment. At one time it was
slowing so hard that owners could
lot walk against it. Longshoremen
nade efforts to reach their boats, but
n some cases these smaller crafts were
iwamped before they could get into
hem. Captain Lid tie’s float was lined
with all kinds of the smaller crafts
ind only a few of these escaped.
Host of them are at the bottom. The
loatmen worked hard through it all.
iVith clothing soaked they pushed ana
muled while the rain came down in
inch torrents that they could [not see
ifty feet away. It was necessary tor
he men to seek shelter to get breath
ind those who were near enough
would get a change of clothing only
o go at it again.
It was a battle royal with the ele
ments. Man seemed to be trying to
ivercome the king of the storm. The
wind whistled and whirled, even
licking up small pieces of wood and
wirling them around like feathers.
Chrongh the mist and rain, boats
:ould be seen drifting, crashing into
ine another and going to pieces, but
can stood on the shore helpless. For
he time being the storm king was in
iontrol. All the men could do, as they
leered through the sheets of rain, was
o point at different objects, a glimpse
if which they could catch occasion
dly. They could not hear each other’s
'oices, no matter how. close, for the
Her beam ends noarod up ine sound
during the storm.
Oyster floats belonging to Isaac
Farroat and Charles Bloodgood were
washed ashore and the owners will
each lose over fifty bushels of oysters.
Several boats were blown over from
Keyport during the worst of the storm
and a strange craft, believed by some
to have come from Sandy Hook, lias
also been picked up.
The storm which swept over the
coast of Florida a few days ago, and
did so much damage, struck this city
about 9 o’olook this morning. Early
in the morning when the people left
homo for their work most of them
came out prepared for an ordinary
storm, for the sky was overcast and
the gloom everywhere easily foretold
of rain.
At 9 o’clock it commenced, with
only a slight drizzle. At 10 o’clock it
had reached almost a hurricane.
The storm increased in violence at
every moment and before noon great
damage had been done all over the
city. Huge trees were laid low and
signs in the business section were
blown dovfrn.
Before 1^ o’clock the cars of the
Ratitan Traction company could not
run on sciiednlo time. So quickly did
the storm increaso that summer cars
I -
i P. NYGREEN,
m Successor to L. Albert & Co.
■Photographic Studio...
U Everything in Portrait, Landscape
w and Interior Photography.
P. O. Building. Perth Amboy, N. Js
T ■ 1
iowliug of tlie tempest.
As one boat after the other would
:ome ashore the men in their oilskins
vould rush out and endeavor to pre
sent their being completely smashed,
t was a wild scene and one that will
lot soon be forgotten.
Meantime several of the boat own
irs had reached their crafts after a
lard struggle and several had narrow
scapes from being drowned.
James Noe’s sloop Gordon sank
,bout 100 yards off shore. Mr. Noe
,nd Charles Foster were aboard of her
it the time. They saved their lives
»y clinging to wreckage. Mr. Foster
vas picked up by a boat and Mr. Noe
Loated ashore on the wreckage. They
vere in the water more than half an
lour. The Gordon is one of the finest
loops in this harbor and when the
torm broke she was in a dangerous
losition and the anchor began to drag.
Che sloop drifted ashore and was car
ied heavily against Noe’s dock,
lamaging her greatly. She then was
:arried out again and it was then that
Dr. G. W. Tryrell’s beautiful launch
iosa, which was built this season, is
k total wreck. In trying to save hei
larry Petz was nearly drowned. The
raclit was moored off the foot of High
Boston Lobsters
Rockaway Oyster;
Blue Point.
whole distance from the Staten Island
1 ferry, at the foot of Smith street, i
^■around the point, to the Central rail
^Lt'oud drawbridge, all boats are either
i^fcverturned or sunk and yachts are 1
'•'^kmastod. The gale came up so i
IJHickly that the owners had not time
^SEXTON’S PUZZLE. ;
y This picture repr s»nts the name of a
■ City. Can you guess it?
H Thewinnerof ye teiday’s prize was Mrs. N. s
■ The answer to yes'erday’s puzzle was ‘coupe (
I I fa cmt'mSX 1
IL , ^ m!?J\
The prize for to-day will be
I Bottle Huyler's Lemon Sour Balls. I
I
were caught out. As fast as the
passengers pulled down the side pro
tections the wind carried them away
like pacer.
In Rector street the big trees in
front of the house occupied bv Victor
Ciani, were blown down. They fell
to the westward ana smashed the fence.
In City Hall nark several big trees
have fallen in the force of the storm
and big limbs are scattered about all
over the city.
The greatest excitement prevailed
along the waterfront. The gale swept
in carrying everything before it. By
11 o'clock boats had left their moor
ings and shipping was at a total stand
still. A tug boat laboring heavily
with a barge tried to roach the steam
boat dock, but just as they were near
enough to throw a line from the tug,
the bafge broke loose and was swept
away. The captain of the tug found
it almost impossible to get near her.
The crew was taken off and the barge
anchored where she was and the tug
made for the dock where she tied up.
The ferry boat Warren is having a
hard time, but is kept going as near
schedule time as possible.
At the foot of Madison avenue and
Sonth First street, where many of the
local fishermen put the boats because
they have a fair protection from the
storm, by being sheltered by the Rari
tan drawbridge, and the old Gregory
boats, many of the boats have been
washed high and dry on the bank,
where the waves have stove great
holes in them, unfitting them tor
further use. Other boats have been
washed away. The old Gregory grave
yard suffered along with the rest.
Great pieces of the old hulks were
knocked off by the angry waves and
they were washed far out to sea. The
dredge Enterprise was just coming up
the bay when the storm struck her at
its worst, but the captain gave fall
steam ahead, and she tied up safely
in front of Schantz& Eckerts machine
shop.
The trains on the Central railroad,
in going across the old drawbridge at
the foot of South First street, went
very slowly for the sand is nearly all
washed away.
At the new Raritan river bridge and
the Cheeseborough plant, the work
men knocked off work at the first
appearance of the storm, and their is
no doubt but what the damage at these
places will be to a considerable
amount.
When the storm was at its height,
the schools let out and parents left
their homes to hnrry to the schools to
get their children away. Many tried
to get carriages, but this was almost
impossible.
DECLARED REGULAR D VIDEND
American Smelting & Refining Company s
Directors Met Yesterday.
Directors of the American Smelting
& Refining Company declared the
regular preferred dividend yesterday.
Some expected a dividend upon the
common stock, but no such action
wfis tfikan.
Edgar L. Sfewhouse and Edward
Brush were elected to the Executive
Committee in the meeting for re
organization. There were no other
changes.
ANNOUNCEMENT.
All day meetion of the Clnistian and
Missionary Alliance will be liald in the
Salvation- Army Hall. Smith street, Perth
Amboy, N. J. Thursday, Sept. 17, '03.
The following Speakers will take part
in the Servicw Rev. .1. D. Williams,
Brooklyn, Mbs Alida Wells, of Bradvclt,
N. J. Rev. W. A. How den, S. I., and
others. Miss Miriam H. Crowells. Cran
ford, N. J., will render Messauges in
song. S rvices: 10—12 a. m. 2—5 p. m.,
7.30—9 30 evening.
All are cordially invited to attend these
Inter-denominational Services for the
deepening of the work of God's Spirit in
the lives of God's children.
•‘C me unto nfe, all ye that labour and
are heavy laden, and I will give you
list.” Matt. 11 : 28.
Carpenters wanted—A few good
carpenters. Emil Koyen, 173 Elm
stree’t. * 9-11-tf
Bargains in real estate are to be
found in the real estate column on
page 2.
CHARLES PETERSON,
BACCACE EXPRESS.
Orders left at Sexton’s Pliarn£Cy- ™ Smith
f treet, receive.prompt attention, liephone 04 f
i
BUSINESS MEN TAKE
UP PROPOSITION TO
SECURE WESTMINSTER.
Rev. Dr. Mendenhall Brought The Matter up at The Meeting of The
Chamber of Commerce Last Night--AII were Enthusiastic and
a Committee was Appointed to Visit The Owners—A Lone Dis.
cussion Took Place.
CLAIM AN
OWNERSHIP
TO PROPERTY.
Threatened to Serve an Injunc
tion to Prevent the Moving
of% Building.
TO TEST MARTIN ACT.
Declare the Prtperty Should Not Have
Been Sold for Taxes as all the Heirs
Did Not Know of the Condi'.ion of Af
fairs—May Tie Up the Work—Matter
May be Taken to Court of Chancery.
Today or ■within a few days, it is
stated, there will bean injunction
issued stopping work on the improve
ment at the northeast corner of Smith
and State streets. It is understood
that some of the former heirs of the
property have placed their claims to
the property in the hands of Lawyer
J. W. Beekman, who told a News re
porter that he would take it to the
Court of Chancery, but refused to
discuss the matter further.
Thfl nrnnortr fnrmprlv tn i
That every effort will be made
save the Westminster property fron?
being sold to private parties and having
the land cnt np into building lots, is
evident from the determination with
which the Chamber of Commerce took
up the matter last night. The agita
tion in the Evening News has aroused
considerable interest and it was the
sense of the meeting last night that it
would be to Perth Amboy's everlast
ing shame to allow the historic old
property to escape public control.
The matter was brought up by Rev.
Dr. Harlan G. Mendenhall, who has
been one of the most enthusiastic
advocates of the preservation of the
old building from the start. Dr.
Mendenhall tried hard to prevent the
property getting out of the hands of
the Presbyterians. In this he was
supported by others in the general
assembly, but they were in the minor
ity and the change took place. Dr.
Mendenhall takes a deep interest in
historical things and when ne could
not save the property to the church
he is directing his energies toward
having it turned over to the public.
To this end he appeared before the
Chamber of Commerce. The way had
been paved by the Evening News and
as soon as Dr. Mendenhall mentioned
the matter the rest became enthusi
astic at once.
Dr. Mendenhall stated that there
*vere several real estate syndicates
after the building and ground and if
they succeeded in getting it, the land
would in all probability be cut up V
into building Jots. Dr. Mendenhall
said he had talked -wftfi ltfi*VvBruen J
Mrs. William Woglom and when she
died it was left to her heirs. The
taxes were not paid, however, and the
I property was sold by the city of Perth
Amboy. It was bought in under the
Martin act and turned over to Mrs.
Alexander Kant, who was one of the
original heirs. Now the other heirs,
it is said, claim that they were not
notified of the sale and did not bnow
the condition of the taxes and there
fore the sale was illegal and they still
own a part of the property.
AGAINST RUTGER S CLAIM.
Attorney General McCarler Files a Brief
Says Law Unconstitutional
Trenton, Sept. 16—Attorney-General
McCarter, representing the State,
yesterday filed a brief in the proceed
ing to compel the issuing of a warrant
for $80,000 noon the Stfite Treasurer
in favor of Rutgers College.
Attornev General McCarter argues
that the law passed last session is un
constitutional. Counsel for the col
jlege hold that this was not a donation
i of public money to a private institu
tion. The law provides for State
. scnolarships, but there is no money to
pay for them.
LOCAL ITEMS.
Miss Nellie Shanahan and Miss Ethel
Russel, of Jersey City, returned home
after a pleasant visit with their friend,
Miss Carrie Harrity, of State street.
Mrs. Lizzie Durham and sou has re
turned home, in Plainfield, after visiting
her friend Mrs. Clnrles Dawson, of 134
1/ WUU I W1V V UUU 4VUAUVVI IIUMW
nothing but cash would tempt him to
part with the property. It was also
stated that the price was about |60,000
for the whole. In the course of his
remarks it was brought out that one
way of keeping the building would be
to use it for a public school. He said
that this idea was being brought up
before the Board ot Education. Dr.
Mendenhall, at first, did not mention
securing the ground for a park. He
spoke of the excellent condition of
the building, saying that last year he
accompanied a contractor througn the
entire structure and there was not a
piece of dry rot to be found anywhere.
The only decay was in the cellar.
The park idea, which has been
agitated in the Evening News, touch
ed the popular idea, however. E. W.
Barnes told of a park at Flemington
where there is a population of but
2,000. W. A. Belcher told of his em
barrassing position when some of his
New Bedford, Mass., friends asked
about Perth Amboy’s pleasure grounds.
Mr. Baines spoke very earnestly m
favor of securing the property. He
said the city snould not allow the
opportunity to slip and the time to
act was now.
S. B. Morgan liked the public school
idea. He thought tnat would be a
great thing for the city. S. R. Far
rington, Sidney Riddlestorffer, G. W.
Yepson all spoke in favor of the
matter. J. P. Holm referred, to the
parks in the western cities. He want
ed a park for Perth Amboy and de
clared that the money to purchase the
Westminster could be secured by
public subscription.
A committee was appointed to visit
Mr. Bruen, the owner of the build
ing, and see what terms could be
made. The committee consisted o
Brighton avenue.
Mr. Toolau, of Madispn avenne is hav
ing his yard graded.
Mrs. Arthur Quinn, of Gordon street,
is confined to her home by illness.
Mrs. Charles Dawson, of 134 Brighton
avenue, eutertained some friends from
New Brunswick on Tuesday afternoon.
Eugene Flathery and Raymond
Alnldgaard are spending the day in
Plainfield.
F.J. LARKIN, 357 STATE Street,
will do plumbing, steam, hot watar
' and hot air heating on monthly pay
ments.
SKILL, ACCURACY, CAREFULNESS
These are three things always in evidence
about our Prescription couuter. Bring
your prescriptions to us, then you will
kuow that you are getting the best med
icine that can be compounded aecordiug
to each prescription. Prices low, quality
the best.
Parisen’s Prescription Pharmacy.
t
Jrresiaeni' v>. a. omaner, o. mui
Kan and Rev. Dr. H. G. Mendenhall.
They had power to add to their num
ber and Mayor C. K. Seaman and E.
B. Walker, president of the Board of
Education, together with E. W.
Barnes, S. R. Farrington and Dr. F.
W. Kitchel were added.
WEATHER.
The forecast received at the local Sigaal
Station is forcloudy and cooler. _