The Portland daily press., 1882-06-10
A FLOOD.
THE RESERVOIR OF TIE PORTLAND
WATER WORKS BURSTS,
Tears Up Streets, Floods Cellars. and
Does Other Damage.

Bracket, Vaughan anu OuduWlOh shSoect
covering an area of 100000 feet, and having a
capacity of thirteen millions of gallons. The
wall of the reservoir is of brick and has wall
of solid masonry at the bottom. The distance,
including parapet, is thirty feet from the bot
tom to the top, or twenty-seven feet to the
parapet, with thick clay puddle as retain
ing wall, and brick lining, with cement
and cobble bottom. The sides of the reservoir
are turfed. and the parapet is constructed as a
driveway, such being the request OF parties
interested at the time the reservoir was built.
The clay puddle was not carried up to the par
apet because-as Mr.. Wescott the treasurer of
the company states-if it had been, with a
driveway on top, the pressure would have fore
ed the walls inward No trouble has ever
been experienced aud the City Engineer, Mr..
Goodwin, has for three years past, at the re-
quest of the company, made examinations for
changes in the walls, if any, and found none
to report. A fortnight ago to-day Messrs
Knight & Redlon the contractors of the reser-
voir, examined the structure with the treasurer
of the company,-the water having been drawn
off-and reported its condition all that was de-
sired. These statements are furnished us by
Mr.. Weseott.
Yesterday morning at 8 40 O'Clock newsboy
passing the reservoir, noticed small stream Of
water running through the reservoir wall near
the gate-house. He passed Oh without giving
any alarm, and few minutes later, Mr.. G. A.
Bickford, the flour inspector, who lives near
saw the stream of water each moment growing
larger, and instantly gave an alarm. Mr.. Dav-
idson, the gate keeper, struck the fire alarm to
call out the fire department so that they might
open the MIGRANTS and thus relieve the pres
sure of water. By that time the water had
begun to stream through the wall and had at
tracted the notice of every one in the vicinity.
Directly across the street from the gate-house
longing to Mrs. Fernad. A daughter states
that she stood at the second story window and
saw the wall give way-a space about fourteen
feet by fourteen in size-when a great river
leaped forth, with roar and crash, and all
the family made a rush for the rear door and
escaped. II they had not anticipated what
was coming they must have rushed out the
front door and been drowned. AS it was the
cellar was filed with water, and what saved
the house was probably the fact that the stream
struck the ground first and piled bed of clay
up before il almost as high as the first story.
After striking the ground nearly in front of
Mrs. Fernald's house the flood passed down
Vaughan street, outlying it, on the right hand
side, filling the cellars of the houses, carrying
away several large trees, damaging others,
tearing up the sidewalk and curbstones, and
presenting the appearance of river four feet
deep. 1t turned the corner of Bramhall street,
on the down grade, outlying that thoroughfare
a depth of four feet on either side, and reach
ing almost as far as the middle of the road. Mr..
Turkey, who resides at the corner of Bramhall
and Congress streets, was taking view of the
exciting scene and trying to find the best place
to observe it accurately. So rapid was the
movement Of the water that he had just time
to catch on to tree.box on his own side of the
street, when he was submerged some three
feet, and narrowly escaped being torn from his
holdings, while the trees and debris were s6ept
by him with imminent risk to his life. The
of his handsome brick residence
escaped being washed away and was only saw
Cd by boards that were placed against the foun-
dations and turned the force of the water. At
Congress street the horse railroad track was
covered with mud and sand to depth of sew
eral feet, aad horse, attached to wagon,
whose driver attempted to pass after he
thought the force of the torrent was spent, was
thrown to the ground and nearly strangled.
AT Congress street, the food divided. A
portion tore down the hill leading to Libby's
Corner, but the bulk plunghed up Grove street
making that hill curiosity. Nichols apothe-
cary store, on the corner, has gully in front
that reaches down to the foundation stornes,
but not a stonein that building was touched,
and his son stood on the steps with spade
and marked the outer edge of the torrent
on the wood of which they are composed. Mr..
Hiram A. BOWS family were just sitting down
to breakfast. They heard a terrible roar and
looking out of the window saw huge wall of
water bearing down towards the house. ct
will be remembered that Grove street is the
steepest hill in the city, The family had just
time to flee when the water poured in filling
the cellars and dining-room up to the ceiling.
It's wonder the house was saved. On the
right of Grove street, near the brow Of the hill,
the water poured down Neal and Carleton
streets, swept over the smooth field, and Just
escaped the wooden house on the right-hand
side of Grove street, outlying the ground by its
side as in the case of Nchols's store. All down
the hill cobble-stones, pavement, great
piece of masonry torn from the reservoir, and
branches Of trees were scattered. AT the foot
of the street the torrent pl )ughed up the
grounds of Deering Oaks running the turf and
finally ploughed into this pond filling it to
overlooking. If it had been desirable to cut
down the grade Of Grove street better device
could not have been adopted than to turn the
waters of the reservoir down its steep decline,
for more demoralized public way has never
been seen. Last night the effect of the wide
street with its gaping wounds lighted by num-
bers of lamps, suspended from poles, was
quite dramatic.
From an early hour, and thence throughout
the day and evening, there was constant
stream of people thronging to the scene of the
disaster. Probably every man, woman and
child who could get to Vaughan street visited
that locality at some time during the day. II
an i'll wind that blows nobody any good, and
the Congress street horse railroad line carried
full fares beth ways.
Mr.. Wescott states that the amount OF water
which flowed out of the reservoir inside of
thirty minutes was no less than 100000 gal
Ions, leaving 100000 gallons behind. 1t
seems that the water had worked its way be-
tween the point at which the clay puddle end
ed and the granite parapet began, and worked
lis way down the granite flight of steps to the
gate-house, thus soaking through the wall at
the point where the reservoir was strongest-in
the Vaughan and Bracket street corner-and
at height above the street Lowell that permit
ted only half of the contents of the reservoir
to escape. IL the break had occurred at any
other place the loss TO life and property would
probably have been fearful. Yesterday morn
ing the parapet arch was left above the breach,
giving very picturesque effect, and making
picture worthy of illustration by Harper It
seems as if the disaster would not have occur
red if the idea Of driveway had bsen aban-
doned and the top of the reservoir constructed
SO that the clay puddle could be carried up to
the top. The rains have been very heavy this
spring, and probably this is the first time the
reservoir has been filled to within eight inches
of the top. What saved the citizens from
greater disaster was the brief duration Of the
torrent, the flood lasting but twenty minutes
aftar the antua1 break had ncourrad fms rra-