The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-12-08

SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO THE CROf6NSf Of6NSf"SVg,! va
TER MAINS-THE LOWER PART OF THE
CITY WITHOUT WATER.
At eight o'clock last evening a break was discov-
cred in the 9TH avenue Croton mains, between Goth
ana 10Th streets, directly over the Old Hospital.
when first discovered, the stream issuing from the
break was incOnsiderabe, but it rapidly increased
Ghti G IT became almost a river in volume. 1t was
nEe clock this morning before the upper and low
er connections of these mains we're closed and the
waste waste oi water stopped. In the meantime large
@ E'alt was made upon the upper reservoir, and the
loWer reservoir at AID street was almost entirely
emptied lake of respectable size hninc, for1nd ~
the vacant lots between 5th avenue and the Harlem
railroad. AVN
At the former grade of the upper portion of 5th
avenue the CrOtOn mains lay seven feet beneath the
surface. But that part Of the street has been re-
Gently regarded at an elevation of Is feet leaving
the mains embedded about twenty feet. The water
percolating from a small leak undermined the
pipes, leaving them unsupported beneath heavy
superintendent mass. They of course gave Way
and the most serious break ever known in the his.
tory OF the Croton Department has been the result
Inc extent OF the damage scarcely be ascer.
talhed. Superlntendents of the repair state that
the work will not be completed and the pipes re-
opened before Saturday night. There is a large
body of wOrkmen employed upon the break, and
the Croton Board are now doing their utmost to
facilitate repairs. In the meantime, what are we
to do for water? There are four mains connecting
the upper and lower reservoirs.
Two thlrty-slx inch mains in the Fifth avenue,
and two thirty-inch mains, one in Third and the
other in Eighth avenue. AS both mains in Fifth
avenue are implicated in the break, our sole supply
of water for the next four days will be from the
Eighth and Third avenue mains. 1t will be seen
that three-tourths of usual supply of water is
cut off. Bv shutting off the Croton from the fac
tories, by locking the dock hydrants, and using
water for the ordinary domestic purposes as if it
were selling at Sahara desert prices, we may sur
vive this accident without material danger
1t is we'll to know that in cases of emergency
there are large wells in the city, which the own.
ers wouId without doubt throw open to the public
Our greatest danger is from fire, against which
we cannot take sufficient precautions. We under
stand that the insurance companies, at their com
mittee meeting this afternoon, will make arrange
ments to double their force as a safeguard against
fire
Notviths landing the seriousness of the disaster,
there is much that is laughable in the present Gro
ton panic. The great army of the unwashed re-
ceIvcd large accessiOns from the avenues this morn
ing, and philosophers of the teetotal school, if
they have done any heavy drinking to-day, have
done so at the nearest restaurant in the shape of
beer.
crowd ofmen, women and children, to the
number OF hundreds, charging like Zouaves upon
common street pump, and a policeman, stern re
preventative ofiustce seeing that no one got more
than his half pail of the limpd beverage, is singu
lar sight, to city that ordinarily turns a river