The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-02-23
COSTLY FLOOD In SHELTON
RESERVOIRS GIVE WAY CAUSING
HEAVY DAMAGE.

Loss Estimated at Between $4,000 and
sIoo,oo0-severaI Persons Narrowly
Escape Drowning-street halfway
Tracks, Telegraph and Telephone
Poles Torn Up--Rush of Water Carries
Away Everything In Its Path.
Derby, Conn. Feb. 22.-The town of
Shelton was visited by a food this
morning which for the amount of dam
age done and the miraculous manner in
which several persons were saved from
drowning is unprecedented in the his
tory of Shelton, which town is annually
visited by floods of more or less serious
ness. The property damage will be
between $4,000 and 100000.
The flood occurred early this morning
and the first warning was given by B.
N. Beard, who lives near the lower res
ervoir in the town. There are three res
ervoirs in Shelton. situated on a high
hill. 1t was in the reservoir further
est away from the town that the trouble
first started. In some unknown manner
a hole was broken in the wall large
enough to allow the water egress. The
flowing water soon widened the gap,
With +I,o .,.ac,,l+ tbo4 %to reSnryoir ir1onp-
diately below was soon unable to hold
the overflow. The smallest reservoir of
the three is the last one and conse-
quently it was entirely inadequate to
hold the rushing waters from above.
When the pressure became too great
the entire front wall OF the reservoir
burst and the raging forrest then had a
free path to the town with the excep-
ton Of huge stone archway which
marked the outskirts of the water COM
pany's grounds. With the great num-
ber of trees which had been torn up,
together with the broken ice, this wall
was like paper and it gave way with a
crash, From this point the water had
drop Of two hundred feet with the nat
ural result that the land and buildings
below suffered by the great impetus
thus gained. BY this time the fire de-
partment had been called out, but the
men were unable to do anything to stem
the tide. Brook street was soon food
ed and in short time the water dug
gully in Howe avenue ITO feet long and
30 feet deep. The water then swept
down to the canal of the Ousatonic Wa
ter company. and the great amount of
gravel carried along soon stopped 1t up.
This canal furnishes the water power
for the mills in Shelton.
On Howe avenue near the stone arch
is situated a house occupied by the fam
lily Of Walter Nichols. Nichols was not
at homo at the time, and the first warn
ing his wife had of the trouble was
great crash at the outside door and a
moment later the water was surging
through the first floor Of the house. The
bedrooms where Mrs. Nichols and her
six children were sleeping were soon
flooded The door leading into the liv-
ing apartments was in danger of being
forced open by the water and ice and
Mrs. Nichols put her back to the door
and held it while the children escaped
to the floor above. She soon followed
and a short time later the water rushed
through the rooms. The family was
compelled to remain in the upper part
of the house until the water receded to-
day. Will.
Warren Wilbur is another person who
had miraculous escape from death.
He was sleeping in a building on Brook
street and was awakened when large
piece oe ice crashed through his door.
He jumped out oe his bed and took in
the situation at glance. Wilbur jump
ed into the street and the water was
waist high. He made his way as best
he could to the nearest point of safety,
but was several times struck by the
floating ice. and painfully injured. A
short time later the water carried away
a wall in the building and the bed in
which he had been sleeping a few mo-
ments before was carried away by the
floor, together with every other article
in the room.
C. P. Nettleton. who conducts a
fancy chicken farm. lost sixty hens
which he values at $780,
The street railway tracks and tele-
graph and telephone poles were torn up
and thrown about in confusion.
A conservative estimate places the
loss at $4,000 and it is believed that it
will reach 100000.
Men were at work all day digging out
the canal of the Ousatonic Water COM
pany, and the work will be continued
Tomorrow. It is hoped that by Tues
day the mills supplied with water power
from this canal will be then able to re-
sumo operations.