The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-08-08
ANOTHER SCARE.
Fear Of a Flood Disaster at
FeltEilIe N. Y.
Explorers Reports Concerning
Archaeological Discoveries.
Every Mandatory DestrOyedIby
Fire at Ripley, Ohio.
Had His Sentence Affirmed
Frost in Illinois.

NEW YORK, Aug. 2.-The people of
Plainfield, New Jersey, passed another
anxious day and night. The big dam
at Feltville still withstood the pressure
of the large body of water behind it,
but it was said to be growing weaker,
and the clouds were again pouring
deluge over the city and down upon
the hills. The storm was a repetition
of the heavy rain torrents which had
prevailed since Monday, but there was
new feature in the shape of light
ming up in the hill tops last night. Two
men were set to watch the dam at
Feltville, and to signal to the people if
outs were Threatening the rail
road and trains were running
slowly and iTregularly. Teiegraphic
wires were burned out and at a quarter
past eight, the transmission of dis
patches had become an impossibility.
The Beekman street bridge over the
Central railroad at Plainfield was
again partially deprived of its supports.
Many of the heavy timbers with which
it was repaired had been undermined,
and were washed away by Cedar
Brook, which has followed a new
course directly through the street.
Since Tuesdays flood only one track
was used, and that with extreme eau
ton. 70 Warren Alderman who owns
the dam at Feltville, was sent i'll the
morning the following dispatch:
Examination of FeltVille dam reveals
inAminent danger of bursting in case Of
another heavy rain fall. This would
destroy a million of property and en-
danger human life at Plainfield. Be
lieving that you do not know this fact,
/ vouch for the good faith of the exam
ination and appeal to you, the owner
of the dam to act at once, to avert the
threatened calamity. (Signed.)
JOHN MALE, mayor of Plaintleld.
Mr.. Alderman responded prompt
ly to the mayors appeal and immedi-
ately started for Plaintield, where the
two had an interview lasting a half
hour. Mr.. Alderman expressed his
desire to do all in his power to pre-
vent the threatened break and cheer
fully consented to follow the plans
submitted by the mayor. The dam
runs straight across tho mountain gap
and Male proposed that two massive
pierS should be erected be-
low it and that q horse shoe of rock
should be built with the ends against
the piers and the keYstones against the
centre of the dam, the space between
being filled in with broken rock and
cement. Mr.. Alderman agreed to
this at once and promised to have men
set to work Immediately to repair the
break. He himself went to Scotch to
| Superintend the affair personally.
At 4 o'clock came the reassuring news
that corps of laborers were hard at
work trying to repair the weakened
parts of the dam, but afterward there
was received a message that as fast as
H1dT yac
opened. The main outlets for the
waters of the lake should have been
through places where boulders had
| been washed out at the base of the
| dam, but now the swelling torrents
| from the heavy morning rains were
raising the level to the top of the struc-
ture and the flood was eating its way
through the under-pinnings. 1t was
resolved that something must
such warning as possible. j. ID. Du-
! mont, president of the city common
council, and Councilmen NJ. MorviI
| Durham and Francis Z. Marsh, decid-
ed to post watchers on the heights
abave the dam and to arrange code
of signals that notice might be given il
the danger should become more threat
ming. The chief of police, Tunis
Horay and Col. Julian Scott, the two
| AlOAoOhCh WIZ WCuO SdtiOplHS bIIOuBL
the main streets of the city WedneS
day night with the warning that
the dam was on the verge Of
| falling, were chosen as couriers
and at 6 o'clock they set out on horse
back for the scene of danger. They
took with them haversack of provis
ions bundle of rockets wrapped il
oiled silk and blankets for themselves
and horses. When they reached thu
dam they tied their horses among thu
trees and prepared for night Of
watching. 1t had been arranged thar
should crisis come they were to sig
nal by rockets to the telegraph opera
Tor atsEaTmwOod and if his wires wer
still useless, he would send up Other
rockets with which he had beer
furnished and the men at the flag
ging ami switching station
along the line would pas
the news along if message thai
the dam had burst had reached tn
city. Fire bells were to be rung anC
the alarm would be quickly spread
This would give the people possibly a
hours start of the water, and those OF
the banks of Green brook, Staney an
Cedar brook would have time to escap
to higher ground. At half past Seve1
O'Clock Mr.. Ackerman's men were ell
deavoring to open the gate in the dar
which had been closed with mud an
weeds for years The workingme
were unable, however, to aecomplis
anything in this direction. Durin
the freShet of seven years ago, a mil
hand lost his life at this work.