Dear Member:

 

October 15, 1955 is a significant date in the annals of Perkin-Elmer history. With no apparent warning and after many hours of torrential rains, the Norwalk River overflowed its banks and dumped up to four feet of water in the Main Avenue plant. It could have been a fatal blow to the relatively young company and its 493 employees...but, employees and their families all pitched in and were determined to not let that happen. And it didn’t! 

The year 2005 marks the 50^th anniversary of the devastating flood.

The storm lasted over two days. Most of Southwestern Connecticut suffered heavy damage, with homes washed away and factories destroyed. 

The Main Avenue plant was on moderately high ground. But the damage from the storm was caused when a bridge near the plant spanning the Norwalk River became clogged with loose lumber that floated down the River from a lumber company just north of the plant. Water could not flow under the bridge and flood waters spread across the P-E property and into the building. 

When the water finally receded, valuable blueprints and documents were missing. Some were later found floating in Long Island Sound, several miles distant. Others were found in the plant, intact but soggy. Damaged wooden desks and chairs were carted to a dump, and mud by the ton was shoveled from the floors. Top priority was given to cleaning and oiling machinery to combat rust, while hundreds of electronic motors required emergency drying out. 

Through the magic of e-mail, we asked several of our members who were there to recall their experiences and what they remember observing: 

George Hodge, Punta Gorda, Florida...”Water was rushing down the driveway near the bridge. John Ferguson, the superintendent of the Machine Shop, was walking with me and chatting about the damage. Suddenly, John disappeared...he had stepped into a 7-foot hole gouged by rushing water. Fortunately, he was not injured but we both got out of the driveway, pronto. The hissing of gas bottles and the smell of propane in the plant was a signal for all of to be careful and not smoke in the building.”             

Art Cummings, Mission Viejo, California...”Among the many people who showed up to help with the clean-up were Dick Perkin, Dr. Lee Davenport and Ted Talmage, all members of senior management. They organized work parties so there was no redundancy. I told Harold Baron, our Maintenance Supervisor, that a security guard was trapped in the plant. George Hodge brought in a dingy and the guard was taken to safe ground. We needed many irons and mangles to dry out the blueprints and documents. I was able to secure about 30 mangles from area merchants. Mrs. Perkin, with her daughter Winifred, headed up this endeavor and was one of our diligent workers. Her cheerful energy was an inspiration to all. Everyone worked from dawn to dusk, despite the fact that most had their own damage at home.”

Vince Coates, Palo Alto, California....”It seems to me that the water covered all benches on the first floor and was 12 to 15 inches above the bench tops. During the day of the flood, I stood with my son on the hill opposite the plant and watched the water flow into the building.”

Thornton Masten, Fairfield, Connecticut ...”The night before the flood, I visited the plant and we had some water damage from backed up drains from previous storms. I moved some test equipment and customer repairs from the floor to a high shelf. Little did I know that it was not high enough. If I remember, we had 13 inches of rain over a two or three day period. I remember fish being found on the work benches in Electrical Assembly. A new asphalt surface in the south parking lot was washed away. And I remember the night watchman calling to rescuers from the second floor executive wing window. He got out safely.”                  

Bill Hargrave, Tucson, Arizona...”I lived in Stamford at the time and wasn’t able to make it to the plant until later due to high flood waters. Engineering managed to recover and get some equipment running again.”

Dick Babish, Wilton, Connecticut...”I had left P-E at the time of the flood but when I rejoined the company, people in the shop used to pull away a tin backing at a soldering station to show me a carefully preserved reminder of the flood....some silt deposited on the wall defining the high water level about four feet above the floor. Others can regale you with stories of everyone including wives and families rallying in the salvage effort.”                               

Jim Congelosi, Tequesta, Florida...”All employees and others who helped with the clean-up were administered typhoid shots. I was a licenced pilot and was asked to fly Erich Hagenburger, the company photographer, over the area. I flew a J-3 Piper Cub out of a small airport in Armonk, New York. All photos that Erich took were used for appraisal reports for Government Assistance and Insurance.”           

Al Pirone, Marietta, Ohio...”Several months before the flood, P-E purchased the company I was with then, Warren Electronics in Bound Brook, New Jersey. I was closing down that facility at the time of the flood. But I do remember the work and effort that employees put in to clean up the mess, including Mrs. Perkin drying blueprints with the mangling machines. The machines were later raffled off when no longer needed, but I didn’t win one.”

Dick Baker, Newtown, “We had to leave our cars over in the James Melton Museum lot across Route 7 and walk along the edge of the bridge holding on to the guardrail. When I arrived, there were already a few people cleaning up. So many people came to pitch in without any question as to whatever job they were asked to do. Through it all, there were great friendships created that have lasted through the years.”                     

 Richard S. Perkin, who worked alongside others everyday, made this observation taken from historical records...”I thought the plant would be out of service for six months. But in 12 days time, we were at 90 percent production. The devotion and efforts of our employees and their families made it possible,” he added.  

Said Art Cummings, “this was the most unique bonding experience I ever expect to experience. What a group! Fifty years later, we all stay in touch!”  

Many who were a part of the clean-up at Main Avenue have emphasized the unselfish sacrifice of time and effort by employees working side-by-side. Those characteristics of camaraderie and bonding were carried throughout the entire history of a great company . 

To mark the 50^th anniversary of the storm and flood, the Norwalk Historical Society is sponsoring an exhibit at the Norwalk Museum, the former City Hall building at 41 North Main Street in South Norwalk. It runs now through November. The Museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday through Sunday. The Perkin-Elmer recovery is documented.

                                                                                                                                        Don Mahon    
 

 6-14-2005