Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-08-03
DAMNED WATERS.
A Lake in the Mountains Of New H.
Threatens Death and Destruction
The Dam which Confines Gres. Pa
Water Weakens. while the Rain Cor,
tinues to Descend in Torrent,

New YORK, Aug. 2.-The pe77r.
Plainfeld, n. Y, passed an,.,
anxious day and night. The bfg d..
Feltville still withstood the prsssn-,
the large body Of water behind # -.
was SAID to be growing weaker -,
clouds were again pouring daIr,s..
the city. The storm was a rer4.ftf,-
the heavy rain torrents which have
vailed since Monday, but there No.
new feature in the shape of lf.h,7f,.
Men up the hill tops last night NJ.
sent to the dam at FeitviIIe to sfrr,ftt'
people if it should give way. WosF,-.
were threatening railroads. and -
were running slowly and frraorr,-
Telegraph wires were burned ont ma ~.
SIS the transmission of ~.
patches had become an imrossfr,,s.-
Beekman-street bridge, over the Gem,
railroad at Plainfeld, was AMIN no.
TALLY deprived of its support. lrarr -.
the heavy timberS with which If yros
paired had been undermined ami ,r,-,
washed away by Cedar brook. which F,.
followed a new course directly fb-,r.L
the streets since Tuesdays Hood p-I-
one track was used and taa, with ~
IRENE caution. To Warren Aaka~rr,r
who owns the dam at FeItvilIa. wasssr.
in the morning the following dispatch
Examination of the Feltvtlle Fo,
reveals imminent danger of It BURSTING
in case of another heavy rainfall. me-
would destroy millions of property ami
endanger human life at piaiuHeG. r.
lieving that you do not know this rl.tr
vouch for the great faith If the eyanf-
nation and appeal to YOU, owner of .Is
dam, to act at once TO avert threa.pp-l
calamity. jos Mails.
Mayor Of PlaiuHs.l.
Mr.. AckeTman responded promptly n
Mayor Male s dispatch, and at o7.a
started for Plainfeld, where the two had
an interview lasting half an hour Mr.
Alderman announced his desire 20 do nm
in his power to prevent the threatened
break and cheerfuIly consented to FOLLOW
plans submitted by the mayor
The dam runs straight across a noun
tain gap and Mr.. Male proposed that two
massive stone piers should be erected be-.
low it, and that a horse shoe of rock
should be built with the eul,
against the piers and keystoues against
the center of the dam, the space being
filed in with broken stone and cement
Mr.. Alderman agreed to do this at once
and promised to have men set to WORK
Immediately to repair the breaks He
himself went to Scotch Plains to supera.
tend the affair personally.
At o CLOCK there came the raassurfr-
news that a corps Of labOrCrs We're ed
at work trying to repair the weakened
parts of the dam, but aftervari there
was received a message that as flsta5
one fssure was filed another was opened.
The main outlets for the wafer Of the
lake should have been through places
where bouldeTs had been washed cut at
the base of the dam, but now the swell
ing torrents from heavy morning rains
were raising to a level with the topof The
structure and the flood was eating its
way through narrow openings. Ii vas
resolved that something must De done to
give the people such warnings Us vas
possible.
J IS. Dumont, president Of the city
common council, and CouucIlmeu u.
Marvin, Durham and Francis T.. Marsh
decided TO post watchers on the
heights above the dam and 20
arrange q code of signals that notice
might be given if danger should become
more threatening. Chief of Police Tuns
J Carey Col. Judah Scott, the two horse
men who went GaIloping through the main
street of the city Wednesday night with
the warning that the dam was on the
verge of falling, were chosen as courers,
and at 'clOck they set out on horse
back for the scene of danger. They
took with them a baversGcz of pro-
visions, a bundle Of rockets wrapped
in oiled silk and blankets Tor
themselves and horses When theY
reached the dam they tethered then
horses among the trees and prepared tl'
q night of watching. 1t had been ar
ranged that should q crisis come theg
were to signal by rockets to the Telegraph
operator at FanwOOd and if his wires
were still useless he would send mp oJne'
rockets which he had been furnished
and tagging and switching stations
along the line would pass the news
along. II q message that the dal
had burst reach the city fire bells
were to ring and the alarm quLchF
spread. This would give people posi-
bly, an hour s start of water, and those
along the banks of Green brook, stony
brook and Cedar brook would have TINS
to escape to higher ground.
At 1870 o clock Mr.. Alderman s men
were endeavoring to open a gate ID I-5
dam which had been closed for years
with mud and weeds The worhmsl
were unable, however, to acclAp-5I
in this direction. During i15
freshet of seven years ago a mill hand
lost his life at this work.
THE DANGER OVER.
The people of PIainfield breathe 4''.-
this afternoon as efforts to open gates ID
the great dam at Feltville have been SUI.
cessfuI, and this afternoon the Wa's.
being rapidly drawn of.