awn.-
-. .Ja-
THE llELZ_1_l_lGlll FLOOD
Coroner Determined to Fix Responsi-
bility For Disaster.
THE DANGER IS NOW PAST.
Statement of 3 Nearby Resident That He
Had Long Expected the Poorly Built
Dam to Give \Vay—Two Bod-
ies Are Still Missing.
Matteawan, N. Y., July Iii—Coroner
Henry B. Bevier will not begin an of-
ficial investigation into the bursting of
the Melzingah reservoirs and the
drowning of seven persons like rats in a
trap at Timoney’s brickyard early yes-
terday morning until Saturday.
The matter will be vigorously probed
then, he promises, and the responsibil-
ity for the terrible disaster fixed if it is .
possible to do so.
The bodies of the seven victims lie in
the several undertaking rooms in the
twin villages of Matteawan and Fish-
kill Landing.
It- was feared last night that the Bea-
con dam would burst, but it is intact
today. This reservoir is much larger
than the two Melzingah reservoirs com-
bined.
If the Beacon dam should give way, a
frightful loss of life would ensue, and
hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth
of property would be destroyed.
It is solidly built, however, and is
likely to withstand anypressure brought
against it. People were scared because
of the heavy rains which set in yester-
day afternoon, and a report was current
that the dam was leaking badly.
Watchers remained by the side Of the
dam all night long prepared to warn the
people in case of a break in the ma-
sonry.
Scores of people headed their way up
the steep hill to satisfy themselves that
the. mighty waters which its thin walls
hold would not burst their bonds and
sweep out of existence the cozy little
town of Matteawan, part Of which nes-
tles confidingly on the slope of the hill.
Matteawan Like Johnstown.
Matteawan, its people recall today,
is situated as Johnstown was, below the
fatal reservoir. The Mount Beacon res-
ervoir lies higher than the Melzingah
reservoirs, and its waters, if they did
break loose, would whirl scores to eter—
nity. There seems to be no immediate
danger that the Mount Beacon reser-
voir will break, but a most thorough
investigation will be made.
Matters are still in a chaotic state at
Timoneyville, where the flood of rush-
ing water did its fatal work, but in a
day or two the debris will have been re-
moved and things righted. It will re-
quire months to repair the. damage done
to the Timoney brickyard.
It is said the owner contemplates
bringing suit against the water com—
pany for damages. Two bodies still
remain in the debris at the biicl-{yurd
but will probably be recovered soon.
The revised list of the dead is:
Julia Conroy, :3 years Old; John Con-
roy, 18 months Old: Mrs. John Conroy,
William Ferry, LO years old; John
Zinka, 46 years old; Amelia Lourey,
3 years old; Mrs. John Ferry.
Clasped Her Babe In Death.
The search for the bodies was labori-
ous, and many obstacles were encoun-
tered before five Of the victims were re—
covered. ,
Mrs. Ferry was holding her child
when her body was found. One arm
was bent as it would have been in hold-
ing the boy, and the other was held up
as if to keep off the rushing waters.
Giles E. Taintor of the firm of Tain—
tor & Holt of 11 Wall street, who own a
large amount of water company’s stock,
said that he attributed the break in the
dams to a cloudburst.
“There must have been a terrific
cloudburst in the mountains,” he said,
“or the thing would not have occurred.
It is untrue, as has been stated, that
the dam was only three feet thick.
“I don't know how thick the darn
was, but you can rest assured that it
was a proper thickness, as the con-
struction of the reservoir was in the
hands of competent engineers.”
The cloudburst theory has no believ—
ers in Fishkill. It was stated that the
company had been warned time and
time again of the unsafe condition of
the dam, but the statements are denied
by the company.
Considering the extent of the flood.
the damage, not counting the loss of
life, is trifling. In all probability $30,000
will entirely cover it. Nearly every-
thing destroyed was old.
The dam in the reservoir that burst
was probably 250 feet long. '
A Civil Engineer’s Statement.
“The dam was what they call a ‘rip-
rap.’ ” said Civil Engineer John Rob—
ertson, wholives near by. "I’ve studied
the construction of dams specially, and
I never saw a dam in my life like the
Melzingah dam. I judge it was about
30 to 40 feet deep. Double the width of
the dam would not have been safe un—
der all conditions.
"This dam was built unevenly and
especially thin in the center. No part
of the dam was more than 3 feet wide.
and the other end was 20 inches wide.
Apparently either the builders original-
ly or so;.-:-.:~:dy subsequently believed
the dam ’9 too weak and tried to
brace it n‘n‘xi two banks. They saw to
the head of the dam on either side, as
they should have, but their construc~
tion was lamentably weak.
"There were mud and dirt and cobble-
stones. It stands to reason that such
an alleged brace would give way under
any unusual pressure. That was the
case on Wednesday. The immense
quantity of water failed to find a suffi-
cient outlet for overflow. This water
first tore down part of the front wall.
“Even that wasn’t enough to lessen
the pressure, and it bore down on the
mud and cobblestone 'bank, which
should have been a brace, bore that
away and then tore through thermiddle
of the. dam, where it was weakest.”
Robertson built a $3,000 house some
distance from the reservoir. “Because
I feared the dam would break some
day,” said he, “I built it three feet
higher than I would otherwise have
done.”
The Tennessee Senatorship.
Nashville, July 16.———Governor Taylor
did not come through Nashville on his
way home after the burial of Senator
Isham G. Harris, and there is no posi-
tive kit’ormation as to his selection of
a. senator to fill the vacancy. It now
seems likely that Representative Mc-
Millln will be appointed.
l
WEEKLY .- NURWLAK - GA ZETTE.
WEDDING AND FUNERAL.
.I‘llss Fitch Was Married Two Days After
Her Mother’s Death.
~ Norwich, Conn., July Iii—The follow--
ing advertisements, which appear today
in the local papers, have stirred up this
staid old town:
“Died—At Norwich, July 12, Mary E.
Fitch, widow of William Fitch.”
“Married.—Hillhouse—Fitch. At Nor-
wich, July 14, by the Rev. J. Eldred
Brown. Francis Hillhouse and Sarah
Fitch.”
Mrs. William Fitch, the Widow of a
very wealthy manufacturer, died on
Monday night. She was worth about
$500,000. Her daughter, Sarah, was the
only child that lived at home with her
at the time of her death.
Within 48 hours after Mrs. Fitch died
Miss Fitch became Mrs. Hillhouse, the
marriage ceremony being performed in
the house of death and in the presence
of the other relatives of the deceased.
Three other daughters survive Mrs.
Fitch. They are all married and have
not lived in their old home for years.
One daughter‘ married William N. Wil-
bur of Philadelphia. a wealthy manu-
facturer of chocolate. Another became
Mrs. William Jewitt, marrying a prom-
inent druggist of Grand Rapids. The
third daughter married E. Loomis, a
Boston manufacturer.
The three daughters were notified of
the death of their mother, and, with
their families, came on at once to be
present at the funeral, which took place
this afternoon.
Sarah is 24 years old and has always
'been knoxvn as a girl of exceptionally
strong impulses.
She and Mr. Hillhouse had been en—
gaged for some time, but it was not ex-
pected that the wedding was to occur
at so early a date as that on which it
did take place.
Sarah yesterday morning surprised
her sisters and the others of the family ,
by announcing her intention to be mar-
ried while her mother’s body was in the
house.
A hasty summons was sent to the
Rev. Dr. Brown, pastor of the Trinity
Episcopal church Of this place. He ar-
rived at the house yesterday afternoon
from Block island, where he has been
spending his vacation.
The ceremony was performed in the
parlor of the big Fitch house, in East
Town street, in the presence Of all the
members of the family.
The Fitch family is one widely known
and respected throughout eastern Con-
necticut. Mr. Hillhouse is known in
New Haven and New York as a man of
means and culture.
THE CRISIS IN THE EAST.
The Sultan’s Present Attitude—Re-en-
forcements For Crete. '
Constantinople, July 16.—Yesterday
Tewfik Pasha, who is conducting the
peace negotiations on behalf of the
Turkish government, informed the em—
bassadors of the powers that he hoped
the council of ministers would make a
reply to the collective note that would
prove satisfactory and that this would
be presented shortly. His assurance
gives rise to the hope that Turkey will
comply with the demands of the pow—
ers.
The porte reiterates its intention to
send re-enforcements to Crete, and is
making preparations for transport yes-
sels.
The weather is causing widespread
disease among the Turks in Thessaly.
Councils of the sultan’s ministers
early in the week agreed upon an in-
demnity of £6.000,000 as the extreme
limit of Turkish concession to Greece,
and this agreement was sanctioned by
an imperial irade. The councils also
prepared a report stigmatizing the
concert of Europe as ”a league of cross
against crescent.” The sultan, after
considering the report, answered by the
following irade: “I am convinced that
the efforts and energies of the powers
are directed entirely toward the main—
tenance of peace and the prevention of
fresh complications. In these circum—
stances it is the plain duty of Turkey,
whose sentiments are likewise pacific,
to put an end to the present abnormal
situation. Consequently I command
the ministers, if possible, to find the
necessary means for concluding the ne-
gotiations and to sign the preliminaries
for peace.”
Bernhardt Snnbs Officials.
Portsmouth, England, July 16.—Mme.
Sarah Bernhardt, who arrived here to-
day on her provincial tour, provided an
annoying disappointment for the mu-
nicipal authorities. They had made
elaborate arrangements to give her a
formal civil reception, but she refused
to meet them.
One Day’s Government Receipts.
Washington. July lit—National bank
notes received for redemption, $393,005;
government receipts from internal rev-
enue, 647,171; customs, $523,002; miscel-
lanemic “12199
MSSSSSSSSSSSSSSRSSSSSSSM
’ Tastes Good——
{2 Sold by dnrggms for 50 years.
Tarranf on Co.. Chemists. New York
‘32
§§¥§3¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ °
APOINT ppm i. 3
All the Workman In One West. Vir-
ginia feline Have Struck.
OTHERS MAY FOLLOW SOON.
Opinion That Arbitration “'ill Prevail,
Owing to Reported Concessions of
De Armitt — Miners [11 Debt
After Months of “’ork.
Parkersburg. W. Va, July 16.—Two
hundred miners employed by the Goedet
syndicate at Fleniington finally struck
today. every man in the mine quitting.
This is the first strike under the gen-
eral order occurring in central West
Virginia. It is expected that the miners
in Gates mine, east of Flemington, will
join the Goedet strikers tomorrow.
Outlook For Settlement.
Pittsburg, July 16.—The prospect for
a. settlement of the miners’ strike is
brighter than at any time since the
struggle began, and both sides are al—
most ready to count on a resumption of
work in the near future.
The cheering announcement is made
that W. P. De Armitt, president of the
New York and Cleveland Gas Coal com-
pany, whose 1,200 men have been con-
stantly at work and without whOse as-
sistance the success of the movement
would have been jeopardized, has
agreed to join with the other operators
in a plan for the settlement of the strike
on a true uniformity basis.
This result has been brought about
through the efforts of the members of
the joint arbitration commission. The
commission called upon Mr. De Armitt
and submitted its plan, to which he
agreed. Then the commission met the
miners’ officials, and the proposition a1-
so received their approval.
Under the terms of the agreement
Mr. De Armitt consents to sign a con-
tract which will bring about a condition
of true uniformity in the Pittsburg dis—
trict according to the plan formulated,
but which failed, 18 months ago.
Would Affect All Coal States.
The contract provides that there shall
be no company stores: for honestweight,
fair screens and the removal of other
evils long complained of by the miners.
He will sign such a contract provided
95 per cent of the operators in the Pitts-
burg district become parties to it.
In agreeing to the terms, the miners'
: officials promised to use their influence
to obtain the signatures of the opera-
tors to the contract.
They stipulate, however, that the pro-
' posed contract should have no immedi-
ate effect in calling Off the present gen-
eral suspension.
General Little of the Ohio board of
arbitration says that if the plan is car—
' ried out it will not only affect Ohio, In-
50c. and $1
diana and Illinois, but will be a. barrier
against recurring troubles in the Pitts-
burg district.
Awful Plight of the Miners.
Columbus, July 16.—President Ratch—
ford has mailed personal requests to
miners throughout the country, asking
for statements regarding the wages they
received. for publication for the benefit
of the public.
Thirty-nine miners in the Sunday
Creek valley have been heard from.
Since early in the spring the wages Of
these men for each two weeks has aver-
aged $5.74 each. The total earnings were
$223.98 and for the same period their in-
debtedness to the operators for rent,
provisions, mining materials, etc., ag—
gregated $619.29, leaving the miners in
debt to their employers in the sum of
$396.71.
President Ratchford says this a fair
sample of the condition of the miners.
Coal From \Vest Virginia.
Cleveland, July 16.—Large consign—
ments Of West Virginia coal were re-
ceived in Cleveland. One thousand car—
loads came over the Baltimore and
Ohio, 300 over the Cleveland, Canton and
Southern and quite a number over the
Cleveland, Lorain and Wheeling. There
are no longer fears of a scarcity, and in
every respect the situation is more hope-
ful. Vessel owners, however, who had
not made season contracts foyfuel have
felt the effects of the coal shorfage. They
are compelled to pay $2.25 a ton, which
is 50 cents more than before the strike,
and many boats are being tied up on
that account.
looking For Locke's Heirs.
New York. July 16.—Attorneys are
looking for the heirs 'Of William Locke,
who died at the Gilsey House in this
city, where he had lived several years,
on July 7. Mr. Locke made several be-
quests tO friends, none of whom was a
relative. The estate is valued at $150,000
3}
31}
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. ,. . . .
THE MUTUAL LIFE" INSURANCE [10.
OF NE W YORK.
RICHARD A. MoG‘U‘RDY, President.
Stalemenl for the Year Endinu December 3|sl, 189.
According to the Standard of the Insurangpe Department of the State of New York.
INCOME,
Received for Premiums - - - --
From all Other Sources - - ‘ - . -
$ 39,593,4l4 20
l0,l08,28l O7
WEE—27
DISBURSEMENTS, '
s I2,595,I|3 39
|2,842,456 u
Io,1_o_l,oos 54
SSTI,2I8.515 I4
To Policy-holders for Claims by Ilealh - - -
For all Other Accounts - - - - - ' .
ASSETS.
Uniled Slates Bonds and other Seourilio - - ' - -
Firsl lien Loans on Bond and Mortgage - - -
Loans on Slooks and Bonds - - - - .
Real Eslale - - - - , - -
Cash in Banks and Trust Companies - - - - .
Accrued Inleresl, Nel Deferred Premiums, elo- - -
S I I O,|25,082 I4
1|,543,929
",0 9|,52
22,161,655 60
I2.680.390 00
5,535,555, 05
$ 234,744, 48 82
205,0“).633 12
._._..__._ _-.___.__—_
32—93335” 10
S 9l8.598.338 45
Reserve for Policies and other Liabilities
Surplus - - - - - - . . -
Insurance and Annuities in force - - .
l have carefully examined the foregoing Statement and find the same to be correct
liabilities calculated by the Insurance Department . CHARLES A. PRELLER, Auditor.
From the Surplus a. dividend will be apportioned as‘usual
Report of the Examining Committee
Office of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York
To THE HONORABLE, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
THE MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW YORK
The undersigned, a Committee apppointed by your honorable body on the twentv-
third day of December, I 896, to examine the Annual Statement of the Company, an J
verify the same, respectfully
REPORT
nt to the power and authority thereby conferred, the Committee have at various dates betweeni. - ate of the
d the date of this Report attended at the oifice of the Company, and have been waited on by the Treasurer
the Auditor and and the Cashier, together with the the respective assistants of such officers, and have care:
11 the items contained in the said Statement,_ and have found the same to be correct. They have examined
and counted every certificate of stock, bond and other obligation held by the Company, and compared the price at which the
same are carried in said Statement with the market quotations and find the same not exceeding such quotations—in fact, in
many cases below them. They have examined and counted the bonds and mortgages on real property held by the Company,
and find the same to be as stated. They have also verified the valuations of the Company’s holdings of real estate and have
verified the deposits of money in the various banks and trust companies, and have counted the cash on hand held by the
Shier.
Ca And the Committee certify that all the books, papers. documents and evidences of title of every description necessary in
such examination have been freely submitted to the Committee by the said officers and their assistants, and that the same are
accurate, in good order and well kept. .
And the Committee further certify that the investments of the Company are of a high order, and that the system and
methods adopted by the Company in recording Its transactions and caring for the assets are entitled to commendation
ROBERT OLYPHANT J. HOBART HERRICK
JAMES N. JARVIE CHARLES D. DICKEY, JR.
JAMES C. HOLDEN CHARLES R. HENDERSON
That, pursua
said reference an
the Comptroller,
fully gone over a
All of which is respectfully submitted
NEW YORK. JANUARY 25, 1897.
The company has issued an order whereby women can be insured without the extra
charge heretofore required. More definite information on the subject will be furnished by
the local agent, Mr. A H. Camp.
Board of Trustees
GEORGE G. HAVEN
ADRIAN ISELIN J R:
GEORGE S. BOWDOIN
THEO. A. HAVEMEYER
WILLIAM C. WHITNEY
WILLIAM ROCKEEELLEB
JAMES N. JARVIE
CHAS D. DICKEY JR.
ELBRIDGE T. GERRI
HENRY H. ROGERS
JNo. W AUCHINCLOSS
THEODORE MORFORD
WILLIAM BABCOCK
STUYVESANT FISH
AUGUSTUS D. J UILLIARD
CHARLES E. MILLER
WALTER R GILLETTE
H. WALTER WEBB
FREDERIC CROMWELL
J ULIEN T. DAVIES
ROBERT SEWELL
S, V. R. CRUGER
CHARLES R. HENDERSON
RUFUS W. PECEHAM
J. HOBART HERRICK
WM P DIXON
ROBERT A. GRANNISS
ROBERT A GRAN N 188 Vice-President.
WALTER R. GILLETTE, General Manager.
ISAAC F. LLOYD, 2d Vice-President. HENRY E. DUNCAN, JR, CorreSponding Secretary
WILLIAM J. EASTON, Secretary. ~ ALBERT KLAMROTH, Assistant Secretary
FREDERIC CROMWELL, Treasurer. ',
JOHN A. FONDA, Assistant Treasurer. JAMES TIMPSON. 2d Assistant Treasurer.
WILLIAM P, SANDS, Cashier. EDWARD P. HOLDEN, Assistant, Cashier.
EMORY MCCLINTOOK, Actuary.
, JOHN TATLOCK, JR , Assistant Actuary.
CHARLES A, PRELLER, Auditor. WILLIAM W. RICHARDS, ComptrOller.
C. CLIFFORD GRETSIN GER, ASL-istant Auditor. HENRY S. BROWN, AsSistant Comptroller
JOHN C. ELLIOT, Superintendent of Domestic Agencies.
EDWARD LYMAN SHORT. General Solicitor.
MEDICAL DIRECTORS:
ELIAS J. MARSH, M. D' GRANVILLE.M.IWHITE, M 1
SAMUEL D, BABCOCE
RICHARD A. MCCURDY
JAMES C. HOLDEN
HERMANN C. VON POST
LEWIS MAY
OLIVER HARRIMAN
ROBERT OLYPHANT
GEORGE F. BAKER
DUDLEY OLCOTT
GUSTAVUS S. WINSTON, M. D.
JOHN W; NICHOLS Novaavon,
AH. CAME.
Control Agent fort
Slalo ol Connoolloul"
. Local Agent
.I
Norwalk Chronicler