ets. Along the streets close to the river banks the height of
water was 12 feet, sufficient to inundate the first floors of all the
buildings (see Pl. I, _B_), and in some cases to reach to the second
floor. During this flood period householders who remained at their homes
were compelled to use boats, while in the more exposed places the danger
was too great to admit of remaining, and at one time 1,200 persons were
housed and fed in the National Guard armory at Paterson.

The bridges crossing Passaic River in Passaic, Essex, and Bergen
counties were almost completely destroyed, and the damage amounted to
$654,811. Within the limits of Paterson, below Great Falls, all of the
highway bridges except two were either severely damaged or completely
carried away. West street bridge, the first below the falls, was a Melan
concrete, steel-arch structure, built in 1897, and costing $65,000. It
was composed of three spans, each about 90 feet long. The flood
practically split two spans longitudinally, the upstream side of each,
equal to about one-third of the width of the bridge, being carried

* * * * *

U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 92 PL. IV

[Illustration: _A._ WASHOUT AT SPRUCE STREET, PATERSON, N. J.]

[Illustration: _B._ RIVER STREET, PATERSON, N. J., AFTER FLOOD.]

U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 92 PL. V

[Illustration: _A._ EFFECTS OF FLOOD IN MILL DISTRICT, PATERSON, N. J.]

[Illustration: _B._ THE WRECK OF A HOTEL IN PATERSON, N. J.]

* * * * *

away. This structure was built to conform to the established grades of
streets on both sides of the river and was completely inundated, forming
a barrier for floating debris and practically making a dam in the river.
Main street bridge is a 3-span, steel-arch structure, which was
completely covered during the flood, but was only slightly injured. Arch
street bridge, built in 1902 to take the place of a structure carried
away by the March flood, was a concrete-arch bridge of three spans. It
was undermined at the north pier and collapsed, being practically
destroyed. The original cost of this bridge was $34,000. Its piers
presented a serious obstruction to the flow of the stream, especially as
the channel is very narrow at this point. In addition to this, the
bridge was of low grade and admirably adapted for deterring flood flow.
Below Arch street bridge all the other structures