Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-01-24
COUNTING THE DAMAGE

COUNTING THE DAMAGE
Done by Yesterdays Great Flood In |
the HOusatOnic-A Total Loss OF |
Nearly Half Million Estimated-l
Will Begin Repairs Right Away
No Electric Light on Cars.
BIRMINGHAM, Jan. 23.-Great is the
ruin made by yesterdays sudden freshet.
Though the extent is not SO great in terri
tory, the loss is probably the most severe
in round dollars that has ever at any one
time fallen upon this community. The
water has fallen greatly but is still some
feet above the average high water point.
A glance at the dam by daylight shows
what has been the havoc created there.
Fully $50 feet has been washed away
from the east side including the gate
house. 1t is wonder that the remainder
of the dam withstood all the torrent which
was pouring its force continually for SO
many hours with impetuous intensity.
There was lake formed by the dam which
extends back for about seven miles and it
was this sudden outbreak of pent up forces
which caused the remarkably sudden rise
in the water This accident to the dam
will throw thousands of operatives out of
employment (some only for a short time
however, as every factory in Shelton was
dependent upon it for its power. These
are the large Wilkinson paper mills, the
Star Pin company, Wilcox q Hawes Car
rage Hardware company, Electric Light
plant, Cutlery company, the R. q ID.
Adams factory, the D. M. Bassett com
h. oi1vor rlofa
factory, the Birmingham corset factory,
the Cornell & Shelton company's factory,
the Shelton tack works, the Osborn
Cheesman factory, the Whitlock Machine
company's factory, the Radcliffe Brothers
factory.
Some of these factories, including the
Adams mill, Redcliffe's and few others,
have an auxialiary steam power and may
be able to do something with this in few
days, but nothing like their ordinary
power. =,
Hundreds of people have been out all
day looking at the havoc wrought by the
elements. Down the river for distance
of fully 200 feet from the dam debris of
all kinds, stones from the dam itself, are
strewn along and piled up in confused
mass. The embankment, also, is washed
out for q considerable distance on the east
side.
Little further serious damage was done
until the Derby railroad was reached. Con
siderable of the trestle work which sur.
vived the recent freshet was swept away
but the iron bridge over the rivers bed re-
manned standing, though the abutments
were undermined. Much anxiety was en-
tertained for the time being over the Hunt
ington bridge, but that went through thu
ordeal with damage sustained only to the
abutment on the Birmingham side, which
has been weakened somewhat.
| The water company will start RICH
away to repair the dam. 1t is feared tina
the $50 feet has been washed away from
the very foundation. The cost will be a
least 100000 The remainder stand
firm, but no water flows over the top no
into the canal. A cofferdam will be erect
ed in about a month or six weeks, and thel
water can be turned into the artifcia
channel for the benefit of the Shelter
factories It will be some months late
before the solid masonry of the dam is re
built
The towns are without electric light
and will remain so for two or three weeks
The company is making preparations t
put in steam power They have alread
the necessary boilers all set and the foun
dations laid for the engine.
The Electric Railroad company hopes t.
| be able to start running again in a fey
days. That will be if the dynamos DIR,
out all right, but if they do not it will tax
as many weeks to replace them and at a.
expense of about 5000.
Estimates from many quarters place th
grand total loss ct points varying fror
three to five hundred thousand dollars
This covers everything down to the hooG
ing of cellars and the lost lumber of tn
Derby Building company. The watts
about o'clock this evening was about 81
feet above high tide.
1t is an i'll wind that blows nobod
good. The disaster to the dam will mai
business good for some firms in the bus
ness of manufacturing engines and boi
ers. To-day there was steady stream I
manufacturers making the trip to Ne
Haven to look up the question of stea
power for their factories during the tin
. when the dam will be repaired. A 1arl
number of these visited the manufactu1
of Ex-Governor Bigelow and the first OF
to be fitted out was the firm of Cornell
Shelton. They purchased 15-hor
power engine and boiler which arrive
here this evening. They expect to
running by Monday morning at the vel
latest. Hardly had they completed the
> bargain when four others from Shelte
came in to examine the stock on ham
A number of purchases were made ar
one of the men at the Bigelow shop state
that if they had had on hand the rigl
sizes, they could have sold between twent
, and thirty thousand dollars worth
boilers and engines.
The paper mills have steam to run Il
calendars, but not the rest of the nachil
| cry, and the Derby Silver company h
, steam in its buildings for heating pu
poses.
A Derby lady is visiting in Fair Have
and she read the accounts of the diast
) with much eagerness. Her first exclam
| ton was to the effect that at a certain 8
loon which was flooded by the waters. IL
| damage had hitherto invariably been dol
: by whisky.
WASHINGTON BRIDGE DAMAGED.