The New York herald., 1875-12-03
A BROOKLYN FLOOD.

| BURSTING or GREAT MAIN-A NIGHT or
ALARM AND DELUGE-IETERRUPIIoN or RAIL
ROAD TRAvEL-ExTENsNE DESTRUCTION OF
PROPERTY.
Ihat portion OF Brooklyn lying in the vicinity OF the
intersection OF De kab Marcy avenues was greatly
excl1so early yesterday morning by the occurrence
"a an aocideh1 winch caused extensive destruc-
tion OF property and for time threatened the lives
OF large number Of persons The catastrophe was
the bursting OF an immense water main on Do Kalb
avenue, between Nostrand and Marcy avenues Tho
FIRST intimation the residents of the neghhor
hood had Of their peril was the alarm
ing sound created by the rushing of n
mighty torrent When the noise came 70
their the people living on De Kalb avenue
sprang from their beds and the doors and win
dows Of their houses ascertain the cause of the
afirightening noise which had disturbed their slum
bers In the street startling sight their view
From the centre OF the thoroughfare great body Of
water boiling up like some mammoth fountain
and then rushing madly away with great velocity,
spreading flooding stores and private houses, inun.
dating the cellars and finding it's way into not few
parlOrs. The height TO which the water sDouted was
at times nearly twelve feet and il came up with a
Kissing noise, scattering dirt and stones IN all drec-
tons. At this spectacle the arghted people fed from
their houses. When they realized that the buildings
would not be swept away in the food they cautiously
hold goods as were portable. The water gained IN
volume so rapidly that they obliged TO con-
sruct rats 10 navigate the street and reach their own
doors.
The news of the disaster spread very quickly, and in
short time hundreds OF people came docking to the
scene. Tradesmen deserted their stores and swellcd
the throng of spectators that watched the flow Of the
waters until daylight shyering in the piercing cold
wind and quaking with that their property was in
imminent danger of being swept away. They gazed
anxiously and wearily at the spot where the water
gushed up from the old thirty sixnch MAN, which had
4 In taup
space OF about thirty feet The flood continued its
height for about two hours.
The fact OF the bursting of the main telegraphed
to the Police Central once and was thence forwarded
| TO the East New York station house. From there
mounted messenger was despatched to the storage
ervoir at Hampstead AS he arrived the water
gates were closed The effect of the shutting OF the
gates upon the great torrent which foamng through
the Brooklyn streets and threatening enguf the
was very soon apparent In less than fifteen minutes
the ilow began to subsido; in half hour the water
had sunk to the level Of the curbstones and was fall
ing steadily into the swollen through the four
culverts at the corner of Nostrand and De Kalb
nues. The water continued flowing until noon but
daylight II had subsidized sufficiently to enable the ci
zens to ascertain the nature of the accident over the
spot where the great pipe burst the earth had sunk
about four feet The excavation was filled with dirty
water giving 1t the appearance OF frog pond Travel
on the De kalb avenue line of cars mpeded up
noon, and one of the cars, in attempting TO pass
the hollow, fell in and raised with great difficulty
Water Purveyor Rhodes the first official to reach
the scene of the disaster He said the cause OF the
bursting of the old main the sinking OF earth
beneath one of the joints The land had always been
marshy, and was still very soft and uncertain. The
main was constructed in 1858.
Theodore A. Drake, Engineer OF the Board of City
Works also believed the accident caused by the
sinking of the pipes He differed from the view of Mr.
Rhodes in that he believed the break in the centre
of one of the lengths of pipe and not at joint Mr.
Drake superintended the construction of the
1853
The damage wrought by the catastrophe will reach in
amount about $50 000 As far could be ascertaned
the heavy losses were comprised between Nos 6lS and
633 of De Kalb avenue. The loss to the city is about
SIS 600 which is included in the tOt rvpn Ae
soon as the flood had in measure subsidized hre en-
gne was set to pump the water out OF the excavation
work which will not be completed before tonight
Some of those who have suffered losses by the over
flow talk Of bringing actions against the city.