The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-01-03
A HEAVY LOSS TO
ELECTRIC COMPANY.
DAM AT PORTMAN's SHOALS YIELD
TO THE FLOOD.
The Damage ls at Least 800, O,OoO-The LOSE
Also Falls Heavily On Cotton Mills and
Other Industries UsinG Electric
Power
Especial to The State

dam of the Anderson Water, Light
and Power company at Portman
shoals on Seneca river ten miles
west of the city was washed away
last night.
The dam was 700 feet long, a
feet high, 30 feet wide at the base
and s feet wide at the top. About
15O feet of the dam in the center is
gone; it is not thought that the ma
sonry is washed away clear to the bed
Of the river. 1t is thought that about
10 or Is feet of the bottom remains,
but it cannot be told yet whether it
has been too badly injured to be
used in rebuilding.
The dam was built by G. o. Tenny
of Spartanburg and had been pro-
nounced by a number Of engineers
who had examined it to be sufficient
strength and solidity to Withstand an
emergency volume of water. The
washing away of the dam was q
great surprise and it cannot be told
yet whether it was due to defect in
the building or not.
Seneca river commenced rising very
rapidly late Sunday afternoon as a
result of the heavy rains Of Satur
day as was apprehended. The crash
came at I1:15 last night and was en-
tirely without warning it. Is thought
by some that log or raft came
down the river at high speed caus'
ing it to break. The power house
containing the dynamos, etc., sets on
the east side Of the river at the base
Of the dam. Three of the employees
of the company we're in the power
house when the dam burst, and the
wafer Aoode3 The house with almost
incredible rapidity and the foor was
soon covered to 3 depth Of 13 feet,
submerging all the machinery. Two
Of the employees escaped at the door,
and the others swan out the window
and some distance down the river
and landed on the 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 $4OO,
600. It cannot be estimated yet with
any degree of accuracy what will be
the cost of rebuilding the broken
dam, but the cost cannot be less than
$6O,OOOtos75, 900 or perhaps greater.
But the greatest loss, and this can
hardly be estimated, will be in the
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 the
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 l,3OO
hands, had the greater part Of its
machinery driven by electric power.
The mills, however, have 300 horse
power engine and dynamo and yes
terdsy decided on running as many
looms and spindles as possible both
night and day, thus giving continued
employment to possibly 800 Of en-
ployes. The others must necessarily
remain in ialeness or seek empty.
ment elsewhere for the time being.
The mill will start up about 500
looms and about $1,000 spindles to-
morrow. The Orr cotton mills, en-.
ploying about 500 hands, used elec-
trio power exclusively and this mill
is necessarily closed down in all de-
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
are not affected. The Cox mill has
recently installed machinery to
double its capacity, and was to use
electric power for the new machinery
| One of the planning mills, the roller
a3ur nils, .wo Of he printing Offices
:; and other suall7r concerns TIE eiec-
| trio power. These will have to make
temporary arrangements by using