Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 141, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 June 1919 — SERVICE PLANT DAM GIVES WAY [ARTICLE]

SERVICE PLANT DAM GIVES WAY

WATER POURS THROUGH FIFTYFOOT BREAK—MACHINERY IS BADLY WRECKED. Monticello, Ind., June 15.—A break in a damn across the Tippecanoe river here at 3:20 o’clock this afternoon caused between $30,000 and $40,000 damage. The dam is 350 feet long and 10 feet high. The break starts at the west end and extends about fifty feet into the river. There is three miles of backwater between fifteen and twenty feet deep which must pass through the opening. The east end of the modern power plant, which extends into the river, is being swept away and the two thousand people who came from miles around to see the water rushing through the opening in the dam, heard thousands of dollars worth of machinery drop into the water and roll on with the current. The plant and dam are owned by the Interstate Public Service company anff furnished light and power to twelve cities and towns. However, all, with the exception of Monticello, are equipped with steam plants in case of emergency, but Mionticello’s emergency steam plant was put out of commission when the east end of the power plant was washed away. Monticello is in darkness tonight, lanterns, lamps and candles being brought back into use, and tomorrow will be a holiday, for there is no power with which to run the various shops and manufacturing plants. Churches were dismissed tonight and the town had ith6 appearance of London during an air raid. Frank Nipple was the only man on duty at the plant when the break occurred. He said that there were two “kick-ins” and that almost immediately after the water under - mined the wall of the building and started on its mad rush for freedom. A “kick-in” was explained to be a leavy charge of lightning on a high (tension wire, lessening the load in the engine room of the plant, and in turn slackening the speed of the turbines. Mr. Nipple stated that immediately after two “kick-ins” registered, the water undermined the wall of the building and began to tear out the ..plant. The dam was originally built fifty years ago and was formerly used in the operation of grist mills. . However, the present dam, which is of \ concrete construction, was built, but eight years ago. The power plant was of modern construction and housed the most modem equipment. Thousands of fish, the finest in the Tippecanoe river, are now passing through the opening in the dam and will eventually be carried down into the Wabash river, restocking that stream with game fish. f Hundreds of people from surrounding to\vis were in Monticello today and there was excitement a plenty.