Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-20
BY NO MEANS A JOKE.
No Outlet for Center Avenues Pond,
and 1t is Steadily Rising.
TIE PEOPLE BECOMING ALARMED.
A Turbine Won't Work, and the Water
Floods Cellars and Floors.
SOME CITIZENS THREATEN SUITS

About 800 people last evening sat around
the edge of that flooded pond out Center
avenue. and INDUCED in guessing how high
the water was going to rise, and in sarcastic
bits Of wit and advice to the toiling workers
as to how threatened disaster might be
avoided.
1t was the old story of snufing the candle
or poking the fire: Every man can do it
better than the man who is doing it, and no
doubt Engineer Lowry is doing the best he
can at the pond; but, up to late last night,
the famous turbine pump hadn't pumped
Water rose in the pond about inches
yesterday, and will rise about the same by
tonight, unless the pump pumps, when the
fears of the neighborhood and the surging
bosom of Red Pond are sllayed.
There are two boilers on the ground to
supply steam for the turbine, and every Is
minutes their asthmatic wheeze broke the
silence and the Sabbath, and that's about
all.
WHAT IS REALLY REQUIRED.
An engineer standing by volunteered the
information that the turbine required 120-
pound steam pressure before it could raise
the water in the 10-inch main Is or 20 feet
over the hill. The rickety boilers showed
pressure of 60 pounds each. This seemed to
make pressure apparently of 120 pounds;
but it didn't get above the 40, of course.
1t is scarcely possible such a practical
man as Lowry would attempt to raise him
self by his bootstraps; but he may have been
misinforned as to the requisite power for
the turbine. Anyway, the strangers words
,oI 10 ho nd oil
and up into the night, not one drop of
water passed through the big main, and the
water crawled up inch by inch, the vexation
of the workers and the fears of the inhabit-
ants increasing in proportion.
The floor of the big rink is away under
water, and the half dozen houses along
Center avenue, owned by E. P. Jones, have
from three to six feet of water in the cellars.
J. CLOSER, of Spencer g CLOSER, lives in
one; Thomas Graham in another, and the
grocery and dwelling of f. @. Grove is the
third. The others are unoccupied. The
props of the back porches have begun to
give way, and, if something isn't soon done,
they will all move out. Mr.. CLOSER is. in
dignant, and wades into the city officials
and threatens to sue them, and says the
others will follow.
WHY HE GRUMBLEs.
He said if the officials had listened to the
advice of men who knew what was coming
it never would have happened; that the
ground had fallen in around the sewer drop
until it was level with the mouth; that the
officials were notified, but took no action
until too late to build up the sewer above
the ground surrounding.
Mr.. Graham was in an equally sarcastic
mood. He said he had offered to take the
contract to clear the way for 81 200; but was
refused. His intention was to sink Golfer
dam about the drop, clear away the debris
and let her go.
Another plan, and very feasible one,
was that trench be dug to below the sur
face Of the dam, and let it run into the
other valley. This looks easy, as only about
80 feet separate the valleys, and trench 10
feet deep has already been dug for the big
pipe.
Itwas impossible to learn why these
things were not done, and perhaps there are
good reasons. Meanwhile the flood is
rising, and those living on the edge of the
pond are thoroughly frightened
lest the water percolate the banks
and threaten the buildings. Affairs
looked very gloomy, also, because the sky
threatened rain; and, if that comes before |
some effective steps are taken, what ap-
peared to be joke at first may even threaten |
loss of life, as the pressure against the banks |
is already tremendous, and something must
give way If the creek gets on a rampage.
There is no doubt the authorities are do
ing all they can. The job Is far bigger
than it seems to the uninitiated, and it did |
look hopeless last night with those two
weak boilers.