Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-07-06
DAMAGE
At So. AMB0Y
South Amboy Terra Gotta
Badly Damaged by Storm
Suit is Threatened

SOUTH AMBOY, July 6. Thou
sands of dollars damage caused by
the ain at the plant of the South
Amboy Terra Gotta Company was in
strumental in bringing the common
council into special session last night
at the city hail. The city, accord
ing 10 Mayor Chase, will be forced
to face "a law suit within a short
time. The mayor was told this by
Peter c.. Olsen, president OF the
EvAth Amboy Terra Gotta Company,
who early yesterday morning was
called to the plant to witness the
damage lone by the heavy a and
wash sand. According to the story
told to the councilman last night by
Mayor Chase, both he and Council
mar Lovely were phoned by Mr..
Olsen, to come Immediately to the
plant.
The mayo said Mr.. Olsen showed
the city Officials the damage lone by
\the storm. He considered the city
was liable to the extent that no pre-
caution was taken to remedy the Sit
uation, which has been 4 n 70
: the plant for many years.
The terra Gotta plant is built in a
hollow, south of the Raritau River
Railroad roundhouse. AS a means
of carrying off the surface water,
a culvert has been built beneath the
tracks of the New York d Long
Branch Railroad, and into the water
through what is known as the Min
= now Ditch" This culvert, it seems,
is inadequate especially during a
storm such as hit this city on We'd
Ifnesday.
At the meeting last night, William
S. Dey, president of the Board OF
Tfeeholders. and Harold Filskov, SUI
n~erintendent of the Raritan River
Railroad, were present at the request
of Mayor Case. Both men gave
their views with reference to the
matter. Suggestions along the line
OF future protection were made. A
culvert sufficiently large enough to
cope with ordinary storms was sug-
gested, which seemed to meet with
the approval of the councilmen pres
emit.
City Engineer McMichaels was au-
thorized to draw sketches of the
proposed culverts, to be shown at a
conference to be held within a short
time between the street committee
and representatives of the New York
& Long Branch Railroad. 1t is the
Intention of the council to ask the
railroad, to build a culvert under
their tracks to meet the proposed
new one to be built in a different
location by the city.
! Councilman Disbrow, who hearth
5fy endorsed the plan as proposed,
stated that he felt that the terra
Gotta company would do all in their
power to help eliminate the condition
athat now their plant. He
Twas also of the opinion that the pres
ent system of drainage was made
uuate and that immediate protection
AEVas needed. THE amount of loss
{uffered by the terra Gotta company
Scoulds only be estimated by one
familiar with this sort of work, The
loss is tremendous continued the
acouncilman.
With regard to the suit threatened
by Mr.. Olsen, City solicitor Coan
stated that nothing could be done
until served with the papers. The
councilmen seemed to think that
the roadway built by the terra Gotta
company some time ago from their
plant to Broadway served as a bar
rier for the water and turned its
course t the plant itself.
TAKE DAMAGE DONE :. :. -.
~ The matter of the suit will rest
until the Terra Gotta Company
Z makes their move. but in the mean
time, the city will take steps TO
eliminate any possible repetition of
what has already occurred.
The mex meeting of the council
will be held on next Tuesday night.
The condition of David street as
caused by Wednesdays storm was
also brought to the attention of the
council by City Engineer McMich-
aels. Approximately two hundred
feet of the recently laid curbing was
3 Quilted out and a like amount of
pavement was endangered by The
storm. Property owners on the
street suffered much from the stream
that flowed to their yards.
This matter will be taken UP at
! the next meeting of the council.