The Portland daily press., 1893-10-25
FLOODED BY WATER.
Several of the County Offices Deluged
Owing to the stoppage of Roof Drains.

Yesterday morning when Janitor
Leighton entered the county side of the
City Building about 6 O'Clock, he heard
the sound of dripping water. When he
opened the door of the clerk of courts
office the sound was pronounced in the
inner Office, more generally known as
the vault room. There water was rum
ming down the pipe of the gasolier that
hangs from the centre of the ceiling,
on tosthe long desk that occupies the
middle of the room and contains valuable
papers. From the ceiling in front of the
window water was dripping
and even the main room was receiv-
ing a slight tribute. The floor was awash
ton thought the water might have been
driven in over the window by the fierce
southeast gale, between the florings, but
when he reached the second story of the
builing he found d scene OF devastation.
The water was pouring into Judge
Bonney's room and into the picture
gallery, which contains the portraits and
and mem bers of the Cumberland Bar,
both past and present Ascending the
long flight of stairs that leads to the
third story he found the, same condition
of things in the jury room. and the ap-
partment devoted to the County At
torney.
Mr.. Leighton ran over to Casco 5s
house and induced Dana Miles to puu on
his freman's suit and go on to the roof
of City Building to stop the leaks if pc s.
sible. Mr.. Miles found the long gutter
that stretches from the tower almost
over to the cupola about two-thirds of
the length of the county side of the
building was stopped up with gravel and
dirt, and in one of the drains of this gut
ter was a large sponge. Whether it had
foated into the drain or how it got there,
was unknown. Anyway both of the
drains were stopped and the water had
banked up on to the roof and worked it's
way through. With such gale as pre-
vailed early yesterday morning, accom-
panied by pouring rain, the building
had to suffer.
Workmen were at once sent for to put
the cutters and roof in proper condition,
and busy hands were engaged hopping
up the water in the various rooms.
Clerk of Courts Stone though he had
succeeded in removing all valuable pap
ers. 1t was fortunate, he said, the water
did not touch the bookcases, and that
one Of his large wooden boxes, lying
directly under a leak, was water tight.
In Judge Bonney's room the floor and
carpet were sopping. 1t is hoped that
no books or papers of great value were
injured. County Attorney True !, had
moved his books out of his room few
days ago. What damage was done by
water to the picture gallery time will
tell. 1t is one of the most fortunate
things in the world that the water did
not penetrate the Greenleaf Law Library
for, if it had, the damage would have
been very large.
The sponge mentioned as foul in a
drain pipe, OF conductor, did the most of
the mischief. 1t was fastened to a wire.
This sponge, it is said, belongs to the
Board OF Health and was used by them
not long ago when they were peering
about the roof and probing down the
ventilators for something detrimental to
the health of the community. It is
thought that it was dropped on the roof
accidentally and rolled into the gutter,
along which the rush of water rolled it
to the escape pipe. On the other hand,
the Board of Health say that they used
no sponge, when they were making in
spections in that quarter, so the way the
pipe came to be stopped up remains as
much of mystery as ever. Judge Bon
ney has moved his office to the third
story to the room formerly occupied by
Judge Haskell.
The damage to the building will
probably run from $500 to $1,000