The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-08-11
FATAL LEAK.
Bursting Of the Reservoir at Port
land, Me.
FOUR PERSONS SWEPT TO DEATH.
The Discovery Made by Two Women Wh'
Energetically Aroused the People
in Danger-Some, However,
Get Caught.

PORTLAND, Me-, Aug. THE great
reservoir of the Portland Water Co., on
the Eastern promenade burst, letting
loose its 10000, 600 gallons of water in
the space of about fifteen minutes
Under the walls of the reservoir were
two small houses each with stable
attached. The one next to the reser-
voir stood but foot from the reservoir
fence and the high walls of clay and
dirt doomed fifty feet or more
above the grassy bank, seeming like
the side of a small mountain. Michael
Lappin lives in this house with his wife,
five children and an adopted child.
Four of his children are very young,
while the fifth is young man grown
In the next house lived Dennis Con-
nelly, his wife and two daughters,
Agnes and Mamie, and his son John
and his wife.
The elder Connolly was away from
home by night, being Waterman at
the Office of the American Express Co.
The other members of his household
were at home. Fred Hutchins lives at
iilt sllCCt, uCtl liiC
Hutchins' household consisted of him
self, his wife. who is sick, his
sister, Miss Edna Hutchins. and
his wife's mother, Mrs. \. NJ. Jones
of Lewiston. Mrs Hutchins was sick
Saturday night, and Miss Edna and
Mrs. Jones We're up at $50 Sunday
morning to make some coffee for the
invalid. Very soon after arising they
went out for short walk, the morning
being very beautiful. They went
down Walnut street, and as they passed
the reservoir Miss Hutchins heard
kissing noise and saw a stream of
water bubbling quite forcibly from the
ground at the foot of the reservoir
wall.
"What is that? A spring." said she
to Mrs. Jones. "a spring. The reser-
voir is bursting" cried the older
woman, as she saw it, and Immediately
she ran with all her speed to the Lap
pin house. aroused the inmates. and
then aroused the Connellys. This done,
Mrs. Jones began arousing neighbors
on the other side of Walnut street and
in less exposed localities
1t was probably about 5:45 when Mrs
Jones warned the Lappins. The stream
at that time was only about as large as
mans arm, but almost the next in
slant il was the size of mans body.
The members of the Lappin family left
their home with fortunate celebrity. In
less than five minutes Mr.. Lappin, his
wife, the four babies, the older Lappin
boy and James Mosely had rushed out
of the house with such clothes on as
they could get in their haste. They
took refuge on the other side of Walnut
street where a few neighbors were al
ready arriving.
The Connolly family was not so for
tunate. They We're warned in time,
and it seems that Mrs Connolly was
already up and dressed when the warn
ing came. The other members of the
family got up at once, and surprising
that they would surely get out James
Connolly started for the barn to rescue
his horse. The younger Mrs. Connolly
did get out of her night dress hastily.
folding a wrapper about her q
she went. She got across the
IOdu anu 1Cll thClC. HC
elder Mrs. Connolly. with her two
daughters, appeared next at the door.
They were holding each other by the
arms and seemed to be about to come
across the streets while there was yet
time. But for some reason they did
not go. The water was already dash
ing against the dOor-sill, and per-
haps this terrified them, or per-
haps they thought the house would
be the safest place. The reason will
never be known. for the group of hor-
ror-stricben neighbors saw them draw
back and close the door. Young James
Mosley, Mrs Lappin's adopted son,
comprehended that the Conleys were
lost unless they could be gotten out at
once. He dashed across the street
through the increasing water and went
into the doomed house. He was never
seen again alive. as the water burst
forth. crushing the house like paste
board and carrying it away with all
within.
Mr.. Conley had not got his horse fully
united before the food was upon him.
He and his horse dashed through the
torrent and escaped.
TIE flood also tore up the street to
the depth of fully six feet, the water
going down the steep bank into the
cove. The bodies of the four victims
were recovered. The break is supposed
to have been caused around the over
flow pipe.
SAD DROWNING.
Three Bows Lose Their Lives Near Grand