The Newtown bee., 1891-01-30

west side of the canal, bat does not de-
pend upon it for water About 1900 peo-
pie will be thrown out of employment
and the loss must be heavy.
Universal surprise was expressed be-
cause Huntington bridge did not go of,
as it has long been unsafe and notice,
dated May 30, 1890, signed by the COM
missioners of New Haven and Fairfield
counties, warns all who cross that they
do so at their own peril. Temporary sup
ports were placed under it, last Summer,
but these were carried away, Thursday
night and the bridge is simply support
ed on piers which begin to show the eff
fects of age. The first bridge was lifted
off by an ice gorge in February, 1857, and
the present one built, at cost of about
$4,000, by the Derby bridge and ferry
company, in 1858. The towns of Hunt
ington and Derby assumed its care in
1872 and it has had new cover; other
wise, with the exception of the foot path
on the south, added few years ago, it
is as when built. A couple of years ago,
by Legislative vote, it and other town
bridges were transferred to the counties.
just below this is the long trestle by
which the Derby extension reaches Shell
ton. At the Shelton end is an iron bridge
with il couple of strongly built stone
piers. During the ice flood, two or three
weeks ago (the same flood that, for the
first time in its history, carried huge
cakes of ice over Birmingham dam and
weakened it greatly, about 200 feet of
this trestle was carried away and the
eastern pier undermined so badly that it
stood at an angle of 40 degrees, yet did
not fall. The rails were suspended over
the river, the piling being swept away.
The damage had been partly repaired and
a canal boat placed under the leaning
bridge to sustain it, while pile driver
was replacing the trestle as rapidly as
possible. Last weeks flood not only
swept away all that had been done, but
overthrow another section of the trestle
and swept the pile driver and hundreds
of piles down stream. Passengers con-
tinue to be transferred by bus from Der
by to Shelton.
An enjoyable time is anticipated at the
ball of the Echo hose company, Friday
evening, 3Oth, at the Gould armory in
Birmingham. The full Wheeler q Will
son band of Bridgeport will furnish mus
ic.
d. N. Clark has returned from a bust
ness trip to New York and Boston.
LYMAN Harris has returned to his farm
in Windham county.
One of the busiest of factories along
the canal is the Cornell & Shelton COM
pany. About $50 men are employed in
two gangs and the machineryis run night
and day. When the bursting of the dam
shut off power, Thomas l.. Cornell pre-
pared for immediate use an eight-horse
power engine which was in the factory
but not set up. The engine was ready
at 90, Friday morning, after night of
hard work This ran part of the machin-
cry and 2O-horse power Bigelow engine,
bought in New Haven before midnight,
Thursday, was at once set up.
There was pleasant whist party at
the residence of Miss Mary Hurd, North
Cliff street, last week Thursday evening,
in honor of her brother Samuel, who is
about to depart for California. First
prizes were won by Mrs Truman Russell
and Julius Burkhardt and consolation
prizes by Mrs Julius Burkhardt and Sam
uel Hurd.
Beardsley Bros. are to build Ansonia' s
new high school building for $40, $40.