Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-09-26

RaiF a Million GaiIOas OF Water Set
free.

Free.
Shortly before midnight Monday and
while the bulk OF the residents of the
western part of the city were peacefully
sleeping, their streets were visited by q
Nood which was as unusual as alarming.
Pennsylvania and Delaware avenues were
transformed into incipieut rivers and the
oroBa streets such as Jefferson, Washing
ton, West and Tatnall streets were
washed by the Juvenile freshet. The 10
Inch forcing main at Ninth and Rodney
streets, through which the water is
pumped from Cool Spring into Rodney
street reservoir, had been disconnected at
q Joint by CAVERN and in the three
hours intervening before the water could
be stopped, from $50, 600 to 400, 600 gal
Ions OF water had escaped. The damage
done is practically nothing as by the uss
of sleeve in connecting The two diacon-
neoted pipes the main will again be in
working order. The annoyance, delay
and possible scarcity of water in the
western part of the city are the only
effects OF the sudden accident.
The Rodney street reservoir contained
about l, 500, 900 gallons of water and as
fully one quarter of this was lost that
night, only about 1000, goo gallons re-
main, which ia the ordinary daily con-
sumption of that section of the city sup
piled from this reservoir at this time OF
the year. This section OF the city COM
ipfises the entire western and newer parts
including Pennsylvania aud Delaware
avenues as far in as Tstusll street and
!also Tatnall, West, Washington and
other streets as far south as their inter
section with Ninth street. 1t also in.
iciudes most of the city west Of jackson
street. Residents Of this section are
warned to use the water sparingly for q
day or two, until the broken main is re-
(pAirsd.
The breaEage occurred just back OF
the residence Of Charles W. Rowland.
Men have been busily engaged for some
weeks past in laying new 20 ,inoh Fore
ing main from Cool Spring to Rodney
street reservoir which ives TO have been
used in place of the broken main as soon
as finished, while the latter was to have
been held in Tsserve in case OF accident.
The trench for the new main was dug
deeper but not far removed from the old
main, being about 10 feet deep at the
point where the accident occurred. The
latter WAS onl about three feet below
the surface OF tine ground which 10 "msdt
ground" to the depth of several feet and
1.-The recent heavy rains have softened it Il
an unusual degree. Tnis soft earth i
thought to have caved IN, carrying on
section of this old main with it into thu
deeper trench where the connection be
tween the two sections was torn loose b,
the violent wrench. Or, perhaps the Ole
main may have been "wesping" and thu
have gradually undermined the soft eartl
which held it in position.
AT any rats the water began to rush on
Rs thick as the pipe would permit dis
charging over 9 1000 gallons per minute
1t cleaned out the deep trench for til
new main il twinkliug, and reschin
Tenth street, swept ACROSS the vaoan
lots in an easter!y direction until
reached Pennsylvania avenue whence
reached Delaware avenue, gradually dis
tributing itself by means Of the eros
streets and GveYtinp shy possible damage
1t was midnight before messenger fr1t
William T. Porter, tee president OF th
Water Commissioners, Informed HAIR
Massey, the night watchman Ut the reset
voirs, of the state of affairs. The latte
rushed to shut OF the gates, and, in hi
excitement, turned them the wrong wa
and became fastened so that be could NJ
bulge them. Massey in turn then scul
ried out to Silysgbrook and arouse
Alexander Morgan, the kesper of u
reservoir, who arrived shortly afterwnI
with another man. The tares men finsl
shut the water oil ut o'clock next NOR
ing, during which time the water in Il
reservoir fell about thrse fest.