Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-29

The Chicago Works Again Get Into Trouble
Through Ciogging nj the tunnel

Inc Sutsa8c Wefks again Gst tuto rroubte
Through cioeging nj the tunnel
caIcAoo. Jan 2s.--rhe water works % this
city were In trouble again yesterday and there
is still danger Of another water famine Few
people know how near they were 10 famine a
second time within week. az diligent effort.
were made TO keep the facts within the walls o.
tho city hall The situation equally ss
serious as IL was week ago. The supply Of
water was entirely cut OF from
of tie tunnels for hours at a time. The
cloGging OF another had begun. hut the
finally prevailed and the channel Was cleared
diminished supply at the faucets Of down
town buildings at times during the day sug-
gesied that something WAS wrong az the CRIB
or the pumping stations. The trouble proved
90 be at the East Chicago avenue pumping sta
ton. The pumps began 20 pound about
O'Clock yesterday morning and the engineer
stopped the engines lie found the chamber
below the Holly engine apparently full Of solid
ice.
There was nothing to DO but 20 remove one
Of the ends of the chamber beneath tho cylin-
der Of the pump. Tins was a long and tedious
task, AZ the head OF the chamber IL bolted on
the stay. The chamber was found packed fun
OF ice and quite as so,d as though il had beso
frozen Tor commercial purposes. Not drop
Of wafer could get through II HAD the pumps
been allowed 70 run a moment longer the re
suits would hsNe been disastrous. They would
simply have run away, and no frightened horse
ever wrought greater havoc 20 has surround
ings than would have resulted there.
REMOVING THE IcE.
II was a difficult Job TO remove this ice
When the chamber was finally cleared and air
took lie place the ice remaining IN the long
suction pipe dropped back INTO the well OF it's
own weight The pumps we're started again,
bat only to be cloggod within a few minutes.
They were started ana STOPPED a dozen times.
! a.. al. q. a A
Cleared. A force Of men at work on the 18th
street tunnel were sent for and, with
complete covering OF rubber. they
were lowered into the wells 10 attack
the ice which had gathered there. lt
was broken through. and then. with shovels
and scoops made Of wire netting. they gath
cred the slushy stuff u2 into baskets and II was
hauled to the door Of tie engine room. Fiji
teen or twenty men worked hard at this all
day and they were still working at O'Clock
last night The engineer IN charge said that
thes must have taken ont not less than fifty
loads " ice during the day. The temperature
was at freezing point where these men were at
| work. aud water just ready 20 freeze con-
| stantly dripping down upon thcm from the
baskets OF ice that were hauled up above them.
The pumps were not kept idle all day, as
enough ice was taken out within u short time
TO raise the bottom % the mass in the well
above the inlet Of the suction pipe. The pumps
were then set 20 work. but at reduced speed.
anu last hlSnt thes were ktlll moving slowly.
| The engineer believed then that the worst Of
the trouble wac over, but be could give no as
surance that this Was go.
Another flood OF Ice might come rushing in
| upon them at any time. The CRIB keeper NJ
sured him that there vas then DO ice entering
the crib and insisted that no ice had entered
| the crib since last Thursday; the ice that WAS
nov bothcring the pumps must be the rem
| nants Of last weeks catastrophe. He did not
undertake 10 explain where il had beea staying
| since that time. One of the engineers who has
been longestemrloyed at the old pumping works.
| said that there never had been such trouble IN
this before IN the history OF the water works.
| lie believed the water of the lake ali about
the crib, perhaps Cor miles away, was full of
this peculiar ice formation. due TO some I'M
known combination OF circumstances in water
and weather. 1t Was impossible. he said, "a
keep it out of the crib. therefore il liable
| to be heard from at any time.