Morning journal and courier., 1893-08-07
rIOM All HuaItcIs'
-FOUR lives we're LOST
By the Bursting of Port
|and's Big Reservoir. /
PoPUusT HAVE 4 NEW Scheme
The Government to Own
the Railroads.
P0PUlIsT HAVE 4 NEW SCHEME
MASHED GU! OF HUMAN sEMBLAneE
Sickening Sight in a Rail-
road Wreck.
DEATH IN THE FLOOD.

Il r
PortIand,s Reservoir Burst and Mil
lions of Gallons of Water Set Loos<
- Several People Living Near the
Banks of the Reservoir Lost Theil
Lives - One Family Escaped From
Their Dwelling Just in Time
Others Were Buried Under the
Water.
PORTLAND, Me-. Aug. 6.-The great res
ervoir of the Portland Water company or
the eastern promenade burst this morn
ing, letting loose its twenty million gallons
of water in space of about fifteen min.
utes. The immense mass of water thus sud.
denly loosed, dashed with mighty power
upon the two houses occupied by the fam.
lilies of Michael Lappin and Dennis NJ. Con-
ley. The buildings were crushed and fou,
persons lost their lives, viz: Mrs. Dennis
NJ. Conley, Miss Agnes Conley aged seven,
teen years; Miss Mamie Conley, aged IF
teen years, and James Moseley, aged eigh-
teen years.
Under the wells of the reservoir were
two small houses with stables near by.
The one next to the reservoir stood but q
high wall of clay and dirt doomed Fifty or
more feet above it. Michael Lsppin, an
iron moulder, lived in this house with his
wife and FIVE Of his children and one
adopted son, James Moseley, aged nine
teen years. Four of his children are very
young, while the fifth is young man.
In the next house lived Dennis M. Con-
ley, his wife and two daughters and his
son John D. and his wife. The elder Mr.
Conley was away from home. The other
members of his household were home.
Fred L. Hutchins lives at % Willis street.
near the reservoir. Mr.. Hutohins' house
hold consisted yesterday morning of him
self, his wife, who is sick, his sister, Miss
Edna Hutchins, and his wife's mother, Mrs.
A. N. Jones of Lewiston Mrs. Hutchins
was quite sick Saturday night. and Miss
Edna and Mrs. Jones were up about $50
this morning to make some coffee and at
tend to the invalid.
Very soon after they went out
for short walk, the morning being very
beautiful on the promenade. They went
down Walnut street and as they passed by
the reservoir Miss Hutohins heard hiss
ing noise and cav u stream of water bub-
bling quite forcibly from the ground at
the foot of the reservoir wall.
older woman as she saw it, and immedi-
ately she ran with ell her speed TO the Lap
pid house, aroused the inmates, and then
aroused the Conleys. This done, Mrs.
Jones began arousing neigobors on the
other side of Walnut street and in less ex-
posed territory.
1t was probably about a quarter of six
when Mrs. Jones warned the Lsppins. The
stream at that time was as large as a mans
arm, but almost the next instant 1t was the
size of a mans body. The members of
the Lsppin family evacuated their home
with fortunate celebrity. In lees than five
minutes Mr.. Lsppiu, Mrs. L.ppin, the
four babies, the other Lsppin boy and
James Moseley rushed with such clothes Of
they could get In their haste,
The Conley family was not SO fortunate
They were warned in time and it eeemi
when the warning came. The other Nom
bers of the family got up at once, and sup
posing that they would surely get out
James Conley started for the barn to rescue
his horse. The younger Mrs. Conley die
get out in her night dress, hastily folding I
wrapper about her as she went. She ra1
across the road and fell fsintipg.
The elder Mrs. Conley with the two
daughters, Agnes and Mamie appeared
now. They were holding each by the asm
and seemed about to come across the stree
while there was yet time. The water wa
already dashing against the, doorsill ant
perhaps this terrified them, perhaps they
thought the house would be the safes
place. The reason will never be known
but the groups of neighbors saw them draw
back and close the door.
Young James Noseley, Mr.. Lappin'
adopted son, comprehended that the Con
leys were lost unless they could be gottel
out of the house. He ran across the stree
and went into the doomed house. He wa
never seen alive again. Mr.. Copley hat
not got his horse fully united before tn
food struck him. Man and horse came on
of the barn together and escaped. Tn
water tore up the street to the depth O
fully ak feet and rolled down the stee
bank into the cove.
The bodies of the four Victims were re
covered.
The break is supposed to have bee
caused by leak in an overflow pipe. Th
reservoir cost $125, 600, was designed by
a. Shedd, the, Providence engineer, an
was built under his supervision. Th
damage to the reservoir is about $25 900.