Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-29
WATERBURY
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
abandon their ruined machines
and move elsewhere.
But the president of the
American Brass Co. and the
president of Chase Brass and
Copper Co.-both heavily dam
aged by the flood-put out re-
assuring statements. Their mes
sage: 1--WE will rebuild where
we are"
Then the people began to ask,
"When can we go back to
work."
The American Brass Co., with
nearly 5000 employees in Tor
rington, Waterbury and An
sonia, estimates it will take two
months to get back in full oper-
alton. Its experience was typical.
At Torrington. a million and
o half board feet of lumber
swept down from a lumber COM
pany and made a dam of the
Torrington bridge. The water.
thus damned, flowed directly
into the American Brass Co.
plant covering 5000 motors.
At the Waterbury plant, the
force of the flood was so ire
mendous that q concrete Oil
storage tank go feet in diameter
was lifted from its 11-foot-deep
hole in the ground and dumped
on the tracks running through
the plant yards. In the brass
goods division, billions Of light
bulb bases, lipstick containers.
pencil clips and shoe eyelets
were scrambled on the floor. In
other plants, walls were ripped
out and delicate machines de-
stroyed.
At Ansonia, the machines are
still obscured under a blanket
Of thick silt many feet deep.
The American Brass Co. re-
ports that rs per cent Of its en-
ployes are now back at work as
clean up men. But when the
mud is cleaned away. the motors
will have to be removed and sent
to mills for reconditioning. Then
MANY Of these men may be out
Of jobs again.
Rail Service Crippled
Also affecting jobs in the big
Industries is the fact that all
rail service to the south and west
has been wiped out and supply
warehouses have been destroyed.
Hundreds of the homeless
worked for small business-like
the 17-year-old apprentice meat
cutter. The Waterbury mayor
appointed a survey committee to
find out how much damage was
done to the smaller firms. The
committee hasn't finished its sur
vey yet. but one official said it was
clear that hundreds of stores and
business firms with one to five
employees have been wiped out.
I've Just been talking to a.
man who bought a grocery two
weeks ago." said Survey Com
mittee official. "He invested
every cent he had in it-$6, 900.
He told me he had scraped and
saved for years to buy business
None of these people had flood
insurance. The rates are pro-
hibitive. So he's lost everything.
That furniture strewn along
the river bank comes from a
furniture store that just opened
In July. The man put $4,000
into it. Now he's deep in debt
and he has just the walls of his
store. It's going to take time for
him to get started again.
Two years ago. a concern
here opened an electroplating
plant. 1t had 100000 in stock
and equipment. That equipment
rs not only very delicate but very
expensive. He had quite a few
employees. He's ruined"
Many Face New Starts
The survey official said some
Of the small businessmen are
permanently Scared" They'll
be looking for jobs themselves
rather than start all over again,
Most of them, though. he said.
are taking the blow remarkably
well and are determined not to-
be licked.
They'll have to go through
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