New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-02
FEARS FOR THE BIG DAM.
THE CITY OF PLAINFIELD ALARMED.
MEN WATCHING THE THREATENING BODY %
wATER-RoCKETs PROVIDED FOR sI6NAL6
IN CASE IT SHOULD GIVE Way
WORK OF THE RECENT STORMS
IN OTHER PLACES.

The people of Plainheld passed another anxious
day and evening yesterday. The big dam at
Feltville still wlthstood the pressure of the large
body Of water behind it, but il was said to be
growing weaker, and the clouds were again pour
ing deluge over the city and down upon the
hills. The storm was repetition Of the heavy
ran-torrents which had prevailed since Monday.
but there was new feature in the shape OF light
ming. Up in the hiltOpS last night two men were
set to watch the dam at Feltville and 10 signal
to the people if il should give way. Wsshouts
threatening the railroad, and trains were
running slowly and irregularly. Telegraphio
wires were again tangled and broken, SWITCH
boards were burned out, and at a quarter past
the transmission of dispatches had become an I'M
possibility. The Beeckman-st. bridge over
the Central Railroad at Plainfeld was
again partially deprived of its sup
ports. Many of the heavy timbers with
which ii was repaired had been undermined and
wrenched away by Cedar Brook, which has fol-
lowed new course directly through the street
since Tuesdays food. Only one track was used,
and that with extreme caution.
DISPATCH FROM THE MAYOR.
To Warren Ackerman, who owns the dam AZ
Feltville, was sent in the morning the following
dispatch:
danger of bursting in Of another heavy rainfall.
This would destroy million of property and endan-
Believing that you do not know this fact, vouch
for the good faith of the examination. and appeal Il
you, the owner OF the dam, 10 act al once 10 aver
the threatened calamity. JOB MALE,
Mayor of Plainheld. n. J.
Mr. Ackerman responded promptly TO Mayor
Males dispatch and at once started for Plain
field, where the two had interview lasting
half an hour. Mr.. Ackerman announced his
desire to do all in his power to prevent tho
threatened break, and cheerfully consented To
follow the plans submitted by the Mayor
The dam runs straight across the mountain gap,
and Mr.. Male proposed that two massive stone
piers should be erected below it, and that 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 filed
in with broken stone and cement. Mr.. Ackerman
agreed to this at once. and promised to have men
set to work Immediately TO repair the breaks
He himself went to Scotch Plains to superintend
the affair personally
At o'clock came the reassuring news that
corps of laborers were hard at work trying TO re-
pair the weakened parts Of the dam, but after
ward there was received message that as fast as
one ilssure was filed another was opened.
The main outlets for the waters of the lakes had
been through places where boulders he'd 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
structure, and the food eating its way through
the narrow openings
CODE OF SIGNALS ARRANGED.
Resolved that something must be done TO give
the people such warning possible, j. b.
Dumont, president of the City CON-
mon Council, and Councilmen NJ. Mar.
vim Dunham and Francis f. Marsh
decided TO post watchers the heights above
the dam and to arrange code of signals, that notice
might be given if the danger should become
more threatening. The Chief of Police, Tunis
j. Carey and Colonel Julian Scott, the two horse
men who went gallopng through the main street
of the city on Wednesday night with the warning
that the dam was on the verge Of falling, were
chosen as the couriers, and at o'clock they
set out on horseback for the scene OF danger.
They took with them haversack of provisions,
bundle of rockets wrapped in oiled silk, and
blankets for themselves and horses.
When they reached the dam they tcthered
their horses among the trees and prepared for
night of watching. 1t had been arranged that
should crisis come they were TO signal by
rockets to the telegraph operator at Fanwood, and
if his wires were still useless, he would send up
and the men at the tagging and switching stations
along the line would pass the news along IL
message that the dam had burst reached the
city the fre-bells were to be rung, and the alarm
would DE quickly spread. This would give the
people possibly an hours start OF the water, ana
those along the banks of Green Brook, Stony
Brook and Cedar Brook would have time to es-
cape to the higher ground
At half-past O'Clock Mr.. Aclzermans men we're
endeavoring to open the gate in the dam, which
had been closed for years with mud and weeds.
The workmen were unable, however, to accomplish
anything in this direction. During the fres ct
of seven years ago millhand lost his life at this
work.
ANOTHER SHEET OF WATER
The dam at the place where Seeley's Mills were
destroyed on Tuesday only partially wrecked.
Three feet of the dam, which was added several
years ago. was swept clean from the foundation,
but the old dam stood firm. In consequence, there
was still held in check here large sheet of water
Should the large Feltville dam give way, this one
also would undoubtedly 60
At South Stirling, in the mountains back OF
North Painield, the Passaic River was overflow
ing its banks yesterday and the village was
flooded. One farmer had recovered only thirty
of "a herd OF sixty cows Two of those missing
we're found dead killed by lightning.
In the city of Plainfed men were at work
during the day proppng up unsafe buildings ana
clearing the brook Of the trees and logs whlcn
aoated down from the upper part of the city.
The engines at work ali day clearing the
cellars The streets in the lower part OF the CITY
were in an extremely bad condition. and little
progress was made in removing the mud and
wreckage.
DANGEROUS SANITARY CONDITIONS IN ELIZA
BETH
In Elizabeth the lower parts Of many OF the
houses were still filled with water TO depth OF
from four to six feet. The health inspector
and street commissioner made tour
of Price.st, and reported that dozen
houses were in bad condition.
The mud left by the food had choked up the
In one bouse were found two aged women, Mary
and Jennie Fox, who had been imprisoned IN their
rooms since the food began and had had nothing
suffering from hunger and the lack OF sleep or
dry clothing. -, 49,.
conference was held between the Mayor,
uoai,h Board and Street Commissioner in regard