After the open meeting of the Board of Health, held on Wednesday afternoon, and reported in Thursday’s STATESMAN, an executive session was held. The question of a possible appearance of the cholera, next spring, as predicted by some physicians, and how to prepare the city for the advent of the plague was discussed.

The dams on the Nepperhan River were the chief topic of consideration and they were unanimously declared to be nuisances detrimental to health and dangerous to life.

City Attorney Hunt had been previously consulted in relation to the matter, and he advised that the Board of Health cause the dams to be torn down. After due consideration it was resolved to have the three lower dams demolished to the extent of giving the stream of water in the Nepperhan River a free course to flow onwards without obstruction. The following warrant was prepared, and, on motion of Police Commissioner Treanor, its execution was entrusted to Captain Mangin:

To John Mangin, a Policeman of the City of Yonkers, Greeting:

WHEREAS, the dam at the first water power in the Nepperhan River, in this city, and the dam at the second water power, and the dam at the third water power, in the same river, in this city, for some time past have been, and have repeatedly been declared, by the Board of Health of the city of Yonkers to be each a public nuisance, detrimental to the public health; and

WHEREAS, Pursuant to the authority vested in it, the said Board of Health has declared the said damns and adjacent ponds to be a public nuisance, detrimental to the public health, and has directed the issuance to you of this warrant commanding you to forthwith remove the said dams on the Nepperhan River, in the city of Yonkers, which are more particularly described as follows: The dam creating the first water power, the dam creating the second water power, the dam creating the third water power—

You are, therefore, authorized and commanded to forthwith suppress, abate and remove such public nuisances by tearing down the dam at the first water power on the Nepperhan River, in this city of Yonkers; the dam at the second water power on the same river, and the dam at the third water power on the same river.

In witness whereof the Board of Health of the city of Yonkers has caused this warrant to be signed by the hand of its President, at the city of Yonkers, this 30th day of November, 1892.

THE BOARD OF HEALTH OF THE CITY OF YONKERS,
PER JAMES H. WELLER, PRESIDENT.

It was deemed necessary that the work of demolition be done at night, and as quietly as possible to avoid the possibility of an injunction being issued to stop it. Accordingly Captain Mangin engaged Street Contractor Ahearn to have a force of men ready for work at the first water power at Warburton avenue, and Contractor Pennell to have like force at each of the second and third dams.

The Captain detailed Roundsman Quinn and Patrolman Peter McGowan to the first dam; Roundsman Woodrufff and Patrolman Carroll at the second; and Roundsman Johnstone at the third, with instructions to keep back crowds of people, and see that the workingmen were not disturbed.

At 10 o’clock the men were conducted to their respective places of operation and work was commenced. Numerous lanterns gave them light. The woodwork was first torn off the tops of the dams, and then the stones were pried from their places in the walls and precipitated into the bed of the stream below. At midnight refreshments were served, and work was continued till 3 o’clock this morning. Then such parts of the dams had been removed as was deemed necessary, and to day the water is flowing with comparative freedom.

Plans have been prepared by City Engineer Baldwin, and are on file in the City Clerk’s office, providing that property owners along the stream shall wall up the sides of the river, pave the bottom, and construct arches where the water runs under buildings. It is considered that the land reclaimed by these changes will more than compensate the owners for the expense.

The work so fairly begun should be prosecuted vigorously for the benefit of the public health and the welfare of the city.