The daily gazette., 1880-04-05
EDITION
The Basin Break.
THh DAMAGE MORE SERIOUS THAN AT
FIRST SUPPOSED w HAT ACTION
WILL BE TAKEN.

Thu DAMAGE MORE SERIOUS TRAN AT
FIRST SUPPOSED HAT ACTION
WILL BE TAKEN.
During yesterday and this morning,
it was ascertained that the break In
the south compartment of the Cool
Spring Reservoir was more serious
than at first supposed. The main fis-
sure is in the east bank, and from the
effect of yesterday rains and the force
of gravitation, it increased in size
from two to about ten inches. 1t ex-
tends along nearly the entire length of
the bank and is about ten feet below
the top. Above the fissure the brick
work has not yielded an inch, but be-
low it has sunk down until the pud-
ding and paving brick around the
base of the foundation have been bulg-
up to height equal to the width Of
the fissure in the wall. a l .iHI.
There are also several cracks along
the division wall between the two
basins on the south side, but these are
not serious can be easily repaired, and
are supposed to have been caused by
the natural settling of the wall.
An examination of the foundations
of the walls and of portions of the bot
tom of the basin, showed that water
has been at work making sad havoc.
. Whether this water is surface drain
age, or from the adjacent springs, is
not yet known, but it has undermined
the basin bottom and caused it to set
tie perceptibly and assume a soft,
spongy condition. The spring water
is conducted under the basin by means
of pipes, but the pipes are still running
freely, and If any spring water has
found it's way up from the basin it has
not been caused by any burst in the
drains. nrr .0.'., 'r...,....o... II
To-day the Chief Engineer is engag-
ed in cutting cutters from the founda-
tions to the centre of the basins, so as
to draw off the water and leave the
ground as dry as possible, in order to
give better idea of the real situation.
A special meeting of Council will be
held at the basin, at three o'clock to-
morrow afternoon, which has been
called by Mayor Almond, for the pur-
pose of making o thorough examina-
lion of the damage done, and consid-
eling the best means of reconstruction.
Mr.. j. @. Kasson, civil engineer of
Philadelphia, who has been connected
with Cool Spring Reservoir, will be
present and give a professional op n
ion in relation to the affair. l'
Meanwhile the people need have no
t. ars of a water deluge or of q water
famine. There is no water In the south
basin, and even if it was full, the banks
are strong enough to Withstand almost
any pressure. The north basin is still in
good order, and with ordinary pumping,
will keep the city fully supplied with
water for an indefinite time.
. The cost of the necessary repairs that
will be occasioned by this accident Is as
yet an unknown proulem. The Drick
thinning of the eastern wall will, in all
probability have to be entirely removed
and relaid, and it may be possible that
the entire bottom will have TO be thor
oughly examined. For these reasons,
the cost may be less than $1,000, or it
may exceed $4,000. One thing is GER
tain, however, that the defect is not due
to the work done on the basin since 1877
but either to the poor nature of the To-
lation selected for the basin, or the i'm
perfect character of the work done in
the early part of the history of this
costly undertaking. However, there is
no getting rid of the fact that the city
has quite serious job on hand, and the
effort of Council will be to have the re-
pairs done as chsaply and effectually as
possible. .....