This Day in History: March 21st, 1907

This Day in History: March 21st, 1907

Michelin tire Promotional Postcard 1910

BIG TIRE FACTORY FOR MILLTOWN

Famous French Concern, the Michelin, Buys Out the International and Will Enlarge the Plant- Millions Behind the New Industry.

Little Milltown is to have the biggest boom in its history.

The celebrated Michelin Tire Co. has bought the entire plant of the International Tire Co. there and will turn the factory over to the manufacture of its own tires. In addition to this, it has plans already drawn for another factory to join the present structure. They will begin the manufacture of the Michelin tires next September. Work on the new factory building, however, will be started before then,

Ever since the Home News printed the fact that a $1000,000 company was incorporated in Trenton last week by the Michelin concern, mentioning Milltown as its New Jersey office and J. C. Matlack as the agent in charge, there have been rumors about the deal. These rumors it was not possible to confirm at Milltown, for little was known there.

The Home News succeeded today, however. In locating the general manager of the Michelin Tire Co. in New York and he informed us positively that his concern had bought the Milltown factory and would Improve and enlarge the plant. He said, further, that they expected at the outset to turn out 300 tires a day and Increase it as fast as they could get help He said also, that everybody employed by the International now who knew his business would be retained, but could say nothing now about the executive branches of the factory.

It is understood that the Michelin concern paid a handsome price to the International for its property. It is also believed that the present hands of the departments at Milltown will remain under the new concern.

The Michelin tire is the most famous automobile tire in the world, being at French patented article. The tire is Imported Into this country in great quantities and the import duty amounts to a considerable amount.

It Is High Class and Expensive. The French company has long desired n branch plant in this country where they can make the patented tire and save the Import duty. They fixed upon Mil- town as the proper site for their plant. The French plant of the Michelin company is located at Lyons, France.


This Day in History: March 4th, 1909

This Day in History: March 4th, 1909

GAS FOR MILLTOWN

The Public Service Corporation, it understood on good authority, will extend its gas mains to Milltown next Spring, and light the homes of that borough. Milltown already gets light from the PSC, though not in the same manner as do New Brunswick residents. The light is bought in bulk by the borough and sold by the municipal corporation.

It is now planned by the P. S. C. to deal directly with the Milltown people in the sale of gas. A lot of pipe as been distributed along the road to Milltown, which, it was thought, were to be used for gas mains here.

These men said today that as far as they as they know this was not the case, and that they had not heard of the gas extending mains going forward this early. It can be almost positively stated, however, that in 1910 Milltown gas will be burning.


This Day in History: February 17th, 1929

This Day in History: February 17th, 1929

GIRL BADLY HURT BY MOTOR CAR

Nora French of Milltown in Hospital Not Expected to Live

DRIVER OF CAR IS HELD UNDER BAIL

Others Less Seriously Injured in Accidents on Local Streets

Nora French, of Sand street Milltown, is in Middlesex hospital in serious condition and is not expected to live as a result of injuries sustained when struck by an auto near her home on Saturday afternoon.

Fillnk LeMont of 111 Main street, Milltown, operator of the car is being held under $300 bail by Recorder Jacob Morris of Milltown pending the outcome of the girls injuries LeMont was placed under arrest at the hospital by Chief Robert Collins and Officer Nick Young of the Milltown police.

Officers upon investigation learned that the little girl and another girl whose name is not known were exiting from a trolley car bound from New Brunswick to South Amboy at Main and Sand streets when LaMont’s car struck them.

The investigation is and to have resulted in the discovery of the fact that LeMont was passing the car on the wrong side Police stated he was traveling toward New Brunswick when he struck the girl.

It was the second incident of Its kind in Milltown in the past week and police state that only the severest measures in all cases will break the practice of passing trolley cars on the wrong side.


This Day in History: January 27th, 1919

This Day in History: January 27th, 1919

STORAGE OF CITY WATER INCREASED BY CONCRETE DAM

The concrete arch dam for the city water supply has been completed and is now ready to be put into service so the supply of stored water will be largely increased. The dam is located six hundred feet above the old dam and is built in the form of an arch spanning the mill pond from bank to bank. The spillway of the new dam is two hundred feet in length which is forty-six feet longer than the spillway of the old dam. The new dam will raise the water behind it four and a half feet higher than the previous level of the pond and will back the water as far as the dam at Milltown. The water in the new pond will overflow forty acres in addition to the area now covered. most of which is located between. Ryder’s Lane and Milltown. The amount of water which was available in the old pond which could be drawn to a depth of five feet below the dam was 87 million gallons. The new dam will add 146 million gallons to the capacity of the pond so there will be an available storage in the Weston’s Mill pond of 233 million. gallons.

The dam is built in the form of an arch. This form where the site is suitable makes it possible to build a dam with greater strength with much. less material than the form of dam which depends on the weight of the structure only to resist the water pressure. The older type of dam usually has a factor of safety of two while the arch dam which has been constructed has a factor of safety of ten. An unusual feature of the dam was that it was constructed in the water of the pond which was over eighteen feet deep and which could not be drained on account of having to maintain the city water supply during the construction of the dam. The construction under these difficult conditions was carried on by building the dam in twenty-five sections which were surrounded by a tight cofferdam of steel sheet piling.

Concrete Poured in Movable Forms.

After pumping out the cofferdam the concrete was poured in movable forms which were used for the whole. structure.

The dam has a spillway with. a length of 200 feet which is held by abutments of twenty-five and thirty feet in length at the two banks. The j dam rests on the solid shale rock and the abutments reach to the shale in each bank. The crest of the dam is three feet wide and the base is nine) feet wide. The height of the dam in the pond is twenty-three feet. The normal difference of water level above and below the dam is four and a half feet but the structure is designed to hold the water for the full height of the dam if the water in the lower pond is entirely drained.

In fixing the location of the structure complete plans and estimates! were made for the dam as built and also for raising the old dam. It was found that it would take more labor and material to raise the old dam than to build an entirely new structure in the adopted location. In addition to the cost of the work there. would be a very great risk of accident during the construction of the dam which might wipe out the pumping station. There would also have! been the work of caring for the ice;” house property which was located Just above the old dam and which would have involved serious expense,

The question of additional storage has been a pressing one for sometime. In 1911 the advisory water commission, the members of which were Drury Cooper, E. P. Darrow, W. H. Benedict, A. A. Titsworia, F. C. Schneider and A. S. March, strongly advised the immediate raising of the present dam three feet to provide the additional storage. They stated. at

that time that this would take care of the immediate need and that additional provisions could be taken after some years had passed. The present structure raising the level of the pond four and a half feet adds over) fifty percent to the additional storage contemplated by their recommendations.

Plans Made in 1914.

The plans for the dam were made! in 1914 at the time of the serious water famine which occurred in:” September of that year and it was strongly urged that the structure be, built at once so sufficient water could be stored to prevent the recurrence. of the shortage. On account of the authority to build being withheld je from the Board of Water Commissioners by the Board of Aldermen, the work was postponed until Commission Government took hold of t matter. The building of the dam was again postponed by the judgment of the advisory water board until after the completion of the filter plant as it was thought that building operations would cause the water to be made turbid. The work was finally started in the fall of 1917, The necessity of the work was shown last fall when all of the storage was used up and temporary pumping was required from the creek below the dam to maintain the necessary amount of water.

During a dry time all the water required beyond that furnished by the flow of Lawrence brook must be taken from storage. The flow of the brook was estimated by the state as given in the report on water supply as a minimum of five and a half gallons a day for the driest period. This estimate is largely in excess of the actual amount which was observed in the dry periods of 1914 and 1918. A careful measurement of the individual streams of the watershed. show that the minimum flow of the Lawrence brook area amounts to only 1,800,000 gallons for 24 hours. The consumption last September, due largely to war conditions perhaps, required seven million gallons a day so five million under these conditions must be taken from storage. City Can Supply 100,000 Population With Water by Damming Near Milltown.

When the water consumption of the city again exceeds the present provision additional storage will have to be sought by a dam somewhere above Milltown or by taking water from the Raritan River. The late Dr. Cook reported on a project for a high dam at a site near Parsons pond which would impound 1,640,000,000 gallons of water. The cost of the dam at that time was $347,000, but under present conditions, it would be two or more times that figure. As everyone has great faith in the steady growth of the city of New Brunswick which is largely dependent on the water supply the necessity of looking! forward is apparent. With the above] storage a population of 100,000 could be supplied with an adequate amount of water.


This Day in History: January 25, 1913

This Day in History: January 25, 1913

COUNCIL ACCEPTS OFFICIALS BONDS

Special Meeting of Borough Council to Discuss Street Conditions-Want Street Commissioner-Engineer Schneider Wants Assessor’s Map.

MILLTOWN, Jan. 25.-A special meeting of the Borough Council was held in Borough Hall Thursday evening, Mayor Conrad Richter, Clerk R. A. Harkins, Borough Attorney Frederick Weigel., and Councilmen C. Bauries, H. Kuhlthau, G. Crabiel, B. Miller and A. Skewis being present.

The bonds of the collector and treasurer as well as bonds for all other officials were accepted by the Council.

The matter of the condition of the street In front of the car barn was discussed, and the Council ordered that in as much as the franchise with the Public Service provides that they (the Public Service) are to take care of the streets in front of their place, they would be ordered to do so.

Matter Left With Attorney.

The petition of the residents of Riva avenue relative to the concreting and curbing of the said avenue, was taken from the table and placed in the hands of Borough Attorney Weigel with instructions to proceed in the matter of drawing up an ordinance and specification for same as soon as possible in order to get work under way in the early spring. The street committee were authorized to purchase a horse and cart for the collection of garbage and general use in maintaining the streets.

While the Council are ready to receive bids for the collection of garbage at the same time they also are looking for a man that would act in the capacity of a general caretaker or overseer of the Borough whose duty it would be to take care of the cleaning of streets, collection of garbage, care of electric lights, etc.. Applications for which should be made to Mayor Richter. After careful consideration of expenditures. during the past year the Council seems to think it advisable to form a street cleaning department, which it is believed would be better for the people of the Borough, that it would be a great improvement over the present system, and at the same time more economical.

The Mayor was instructed to insert an advertisement in the Home News to the effect that all applications for this position should be made to him.

The appointment of a Street Commissioner for 1913, has been deferred until definite arrangements can be made.

Frederick Schneider, Borough Engineer, was present at the meeting and explained to the Mayor and Council the necessity of having an assessor’s or tax map made for the Borough, due to the fact that the legislative committee recently recommended a bill that all municipalities should have a tax map whereby the taxes could be levied more accurately. In this case, every piece of property would be sure to be taxed and the possibilities of omission would be slight.

The Council is not in a position to take any immediate action but the matter will receive careful consideration in the very near future.



Church Services at Milltown.

Dr. Morris will preach at both morning and evening services at the Methodist Church. His morning subject will be “The Cross Gives the True Estimate of Divine Love” and in the evening his subject will be “The Empty House.”

The Woman’s Home Missionary Society of this church will hold its regular monthly meeting at the home of Miss Etta Evans on Mon- day evening at 8 o’clock.

On Wednesday evening next a flinch party will be held in the lecture room under the auspices of the Epworth League. Everyone is invited to attend.

Services at the German Reformed Church will be as usual. In the afternoon Mr. Christ, assisted by members of the choir will give an organ recital in that church at 4 p. Prayer meeting in this church is held on Wednesday evening.


This Day in History: December 30th, 1920

This Day in History: December 30th, 1920

N.Y. POLICE WILL LET MILLTOWN BANK ROBBERS COME HERE

Local Charges to Come First in Long Series Made Against Chaffee and Bitzberger – May Wait Return of Judge Daly.


Milltown National Bank at Michelin Tire - 1924

Local authorities have been promised by the New York police, it was learned today, that unless a more serious crime than robbery is fastened on Jerome Chaffee and Harry Bitzberger, arrested in New York on Tuesday through the work of County Detective Ferd David of Middlesex, the men will be sent back here and will not be held for the many crimes charged against them there. Detective David said today that it was his belief, that Chaffee’s story that the Milltown robbery was his first “job” is the truth but that Bitzberger appears to have a bad record.

According to Chaffee’s story, which has been partially verified by Detective David, he came to New York in 1916 on his release from Fort Leavenworth military prison and endeavored to straight. He ran a pastry shop for a time and later became a chauffeur and held a responsible position. He was married early in 1919 and told his wife of his bad military record but promised to go straight.

A short time ago, however, he met Bitzberger, who had been a fellow convict at Leavenworth, and got him a room in the same house, not knowing what he was doing. It is believed that Bitszberger operated alone for a while and got Chaffee in only in time for the Milltown robbery.

To Be Held Tomorrow.

At yesterday’s arraignment of the men, the local detectives were unable to produce exemplified copies of the warrants, but they will have them ready tomorrow and the prisoners will then be committed for thirty days pending extradition.

As Judge Daly will not return until January 7 there will probably be no attempt to bring the men back before that time, but they will likely be indicted by the Grand Jury on that date and then brought back as soon as the extradition proceedings can be arranged.

Wanted In Westchester.

Police officials in Westchester County reported yesterday that Chaffee and Bitzberger were believed to be members of a band which has looted many homes in that county. Soon after Voorhees and Watson were arrested the fingerprint expert of White Plains said that the men’s finger marks revealed their connection with robberies there.

The police of New Rochelle were seeking Voorhees and Watson for burglaries there as a result of a confession by Arthur B. Clayton, recently sent to Sing Sing, who implicated them.

Fingerprints on a safe in Pelham Manor, robbed of Liberty bonds and jewelry valued at $5,000, were believed to be those of Chaffee and Bitzberger, it was said.

The men also are alleged to have participated in the robbery of $7,000 worth of clothing from the store of Charles Wellers at Peekskill and of $5,000 worth of liquors from the country home of Harold Stearns at Tarrytown. Several other suburban robberies are attributed to them.

Inspector Coughlin received word from Pittsburgh last night that Bitzberger’s real name was Lloyd Henry Bitzburger, and that he was the son of John P. Bitzburger, a wealthy plumber of Lancaster. Bitzberger appeared in Lancaster last October and soon afterward a bakery was robbed and $3,000 in Liberty bonds taken from a safe. On Nov. 11 Bitzberger was married at Harrisburg, and five days later the First National Bank at Landisville, six miles from Lancaster, was entered and between $100,000 and $150,000 in negotiable securities taken. Bitzberger disappeared on the day of the robbery.

It is believed that Bitzberger was not connected with the big Sleepy Hollow robbery, as he did not meet Voorhees and Watson until after that time, but he is thought to have operated with them in later Westchester robberies.

It was learned today that the automobile used by the gang in the Milltown robbery was purchased by Chaffee with money furnished Bitzberger by Voorhees and Watson.