The New York herald., 1879-12-03
BROOKLYN STREETS FLOODED.

GREAT ANNOYANCE CAUSED BY THE BURSTING
OF WATER MAIN ON WHICH MEN WE'RE AT
WORK.
water pipe explosion occurred yesterday after
noon at the corner Of Atlantic and Fourth avenues,
Brooklyn. Several Easements in the neighborhood
were deluged and the streets overfown for several
blocks. To supply water to the western
district Of Brooklyn new pipe had
been in process Of laying for some time
past. 1t had been completed to the corner of
Atlantic and Fourth avenues and yesterday the
day fixed for the connection Of the parts. The
Water Department had been duly notified of this
fact and one o'clock the hour fixed for making
the connection: but twenty minutes before that
hour. thereabouts, the accident occurred. Three
or. say. laborers engaged in clear
ing away the earth from the gate when suddenly
the water burst from the cap Of the pipe and
shot up into the air 0 distance OF several
feet. The men at work on the cap were drenched.
and one man. stuck in the sand. had to be dragged
out by his fellow workmen. 1t took but little
while for the water to inundate the immediate vi
cinity. perfect food ran down Fourth avenue
into Pacific street, rushing above the cutters and
into the Easements of the dwellings along the block.
Into Richardson's stables. corner of Third and At
lantic avenues it forced its way down Fourth ave-
nue. to Pacific avenue through Deane and Bergen
streets to Third avenue and from Third into Wyck-
OF avenue.
THE DrsrURBANcE IN THE NEIoHBoRHooD.
As matter Of course. the greatest inconvenience
The supplies were cut of in many quarters that
many families had to suffer In order to explain
this 1t would be necessary to know all the various
complications of the water gates running from the
Eastern division. and on that subject even the
officials whom q reporter talked with seemed to
be confused. In the rush which followed the
breaking the Water Department officials seemed to be
at Theories were advanced abundantly but there
one of especial significance. It that Of an
ex-employe whose views indorsed by other
citizens. They were briefly as follows:-A number
uafaa Of tha cir vafQ Ia 10 kns inn
about the business. They did not even know where
the gates of the lines located, and in emer
gency could not find them promptly So 1t was. they
Atlantic and Fourth avenues. Others again said
that it was the fault Of the employees at the WASH
ington and Atlantic avenue main depot, who had
failed to shut off the gates ut the appointed hour
The belief which seemed most prevalent. however,
was that although the main gates at Washington and
Atlantic avenues were closed at the hour designated
the volume OF water was too much for the cap on
the pipe at Atlantic and Fourth avenues.
Chief Nevlns, OF the Fire Department, was on hand
in the afternoon. He had an engine ON the ground
to pump away the water collected around the gate
from had been exhausted at all possible points lead
ing to the corner where the explosion occurred At
about eight o'clock a number OF workmen had dug q
passage to the neighboring sewer into which all the
collected water around the Atlantic avenue pipe
cast Chief Nevins aud his had also cleared out
the easements Of five houses in Pacific street which
had been overfowed
Mr.. Peter Milne, Purveyor Of the Brooklyn City
Water Works. said to HERALD reporter that ample
provision had been made in OF fire. He could
not give any explanation as to the cause of the
food.
City Works Inspector John McCioskey. under
whose inspection tho main il being laid by the con-
tractors Fourth avenue, said that the workmen
were In the act OF unscrewing the cap from the main
when IL blew of. He was under the impression
that the water had been shut OF above. had been
ordered.