The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-01-03
A HEAVY LOSS TO
ELECTRIC COMPANY.
DAM AT POKTMAN'S sHOAI.s WELD
TO THE FLOOD
Tho Damege 10 at Lonst 500 .OO0--The Los,
ALSO Fel'S Heavily on Cotton Mills and
Other lndustrlos Using Electric
Power.
Special to The State1

dam of tho Anderson Water, Light
and Power company at portmun
shoals on Seneca river ton miles
west OF tho city was washed away
last night.
The dam was 700 foot long, "A
feet high, 30 foot wide at the base
aud 3 feet wide at tho top. About
100 feet Of tho dam in tho center ia
gone; it III not Thought that the ma
"onry IL washed away clo"r to the bod
OF the rivor. 1t is thought that about
10 or Is feet of tho bottom remuiDs,
but it cannot be told yet whether it
has been too badly injured to DO
used in rebuilding.
The dam was built by q. O. Tenny
Of Spartanburg and bad been pro-
nounced by number Of engineers
who had examined it to be sufficient
strength and Holidity to withstand Oil
emergency volume Of water. Tho
washing away Of the dam waB Il
great surprise and it cannot be told
yot whethor it was duo to defect in
the building or not.
Seneca river commenced rising very
rapidly late Sunday afternoon as
result OF the heavy rains of Satur-
day as WAS apprehended. The crash
came at ll:l5 last night and was en-.
tirely without warming it. Is thought
by some that u log or raft camo
down the river ut high speed caus-
ing it to break. Tho power house
containing the dynamos, eto, sets on
the east side OF tho river at tho hase
OF the dam. Three OF the employees
Of tho company were in tho power
house when the dam burst, and tho
water lIUolnl th9 house with nla.ust
Incredible rapidity and the floor was
soon covered to depth OF ID feet,
Gubmerging all the machinery. Two
OF the employees escaped at the door,
and tho others swan out the window
and some distance down the river
and landed on tho bank. The dyna-
mos and the other machinery were
submerged, but it is not thought they
will be seriously damaged.
The dam, with the machinery, etc..
represented an Investment of $400,
600. 1t cannot be estimated yet with
any degree of accuracy what will be
the cost Of rebuilding the broken
dam, but tho cost cannot be loss than
$50, 0,OO0to$75,0O0 or perhaps greater.
Put the greatest losa, and this can
hardly be estimated, will be in tho
loss Of time to the power company
and to the cotton mills and other in
dustries using electric power. 1t
will be several months before tho
dam can be rebuilt, and in the mean
time many Of the wheels OF industry
in the city must stand idle. The An
derson cotton mills, employing 1900
hands, had the greater part OF it's
machinery driven by electric power.
The mills, however, have a 300 horso
power engine and dynamo and yes
terday decided on running as many
looms and spindles az possible both
night and day, thus giving continued
employment to possibly 800 Of EN-
ployes. The others must necessarily
remain in idleness or seek empl,y y
ment elsewhere for tho time boing.
The mill will start up about 500
looms and about 1900 spindles to.
morrow. The Orr cotton mills, ON.
ploying about 500 hands, used cleo
trio power exclusively and this mill
is necessarily closed down in all do.
partments. 1t may be decided to in
| stall an engine but this has not been
settled yet, and even if this is done it
will take time to get it in place. Un.
til then the employees must remain
idle. The Riverside mill and the
Cox yarn mill use steam power and
aro not affected. The Cox mill has
recently installed machinery te
double it's capacity, and was to use
electric power for the new machinery
One Of the planning mills, tho role,
n,nr mills, two Of the printing Offices
and other srnallnc cuncerns 1850 LEO
trio power. These will have to max,
temporary arrangements by using
steam power.