Evening journal., 1889-09-24
FLOOD AT MIDNIGHT.
THE MAIN AT RODNEY STREET
RESERVOIR PULLS APART.

The Pipe Falls Down an Embankment
and is Disjointed--About $4,000 GAL
Ions OF Water Gush Out and over the
strests-No Damage Done.
The twelve inch water main connecting
Rodney street reservoir with the City
Pumping Station, became sprung about
midnight last night, and thousands of
gallons of water rushed through the
aperture.
Workmen have been engaged for some
time in digging trench for twenty
inch main to the reservoir. The new
pipes were laid as far as Ninth street on
Rodney, and the trench was dug
for greater distance. The old
twelve-inch main was nearer the
surface than the new one Is to be and
was frequently exposed while the dig
ging was progressing. The old main for
distance Of fifty feet was uncovered
and it was in this condition when work
was stopped last evening.
In the night the forcing Of water
through the pipes Jared the main and II
fell off the ledge into the
deep trench. The pipe did moi
break but pulled apart and let the water
out in a strong stream. The scene Of
this incident is fifty yards from tht
northeast corner Of the reservoir and ex
actly on the line of Ninth street The
water rushed down the trench to Tentf
street and when il reached that
street. was a stream fifty feet wide
| Some of the water went down Tenth I,
Broome and then distributed its volum,
over the fields But the greater volume
of the water made channel across tn
field on the line of Rodney street to Penn
| sylvania avenue.
| The gutter on the right hand of Penn
/ sylvania avenue going down was over
| flowed and the water covered the sidewalk
| At VanBuren street, where Pennsylvania
and Delaware avenues join the wild
pavement, was covered and the waite
! stretched from the inside car track I,
the inside of the sidewalk from thi
point to Jackson street. The flood formed
abreast here, but lost little Roadway, a
it continued down the avenue.
Adams street managed to take off a grea
quantity Of the water and filed tn
Shipley run sewer at its inlet, Tenth snC
Adams streets. The roar of the food a
it rushed down the gutter wakene
many persons in the vicinity
The water that entered the sewer wa
emptied into the Christiana river. Tit
remainder went down the avenue an
found outlets at the cross streets. Som
persons affirm that much of it flowed int
the Brandywine, but this lacks confirms
tion.s
The water was shut of as soon as pos
sible, which was about three hours afte
it started. Chief Engineer Bond with
force of men has been at th
scene of disaster since early thi
morning and he is trying to have th
work completed by this evening. Tire
hundred and fifty thousand gallons O
water valued at 81 escaped and lowere
the reservoir about three feet. The who
city is now being supplied from the Coz
Spring reservoir. II It runs out thel
may be water famine for a few hour
The city uses 5000 900 gallons {
water each day, 1 900, 900 of this is take
from the Rodney street basin al
5000, 600 from the Cool Spring. The r
serve in the latter basin is now bein
pumped into the city mains.
The food caused no damage to propert
yet it acted like hose in cleaning Il
earth from the cobble stones on tn
streets down which it passed.