The Portland daily press., 1893-08-12
HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
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|
| but I have been told by some mem Der of
| tbe company have forgotten whom.
| that the water was running at the time
| in a sheet about two inches thick into
the mouth of the overflow pipe. Now, if
| from any cause that pipe could have
oot broken SO that the water, for some
| little length of time, all the way along
| the whole line of this outlet pipe down
| could have gotten into the earh around
| it. soaked in, that may have so softened
the earth that the water aftet while,
packing in there, could find some outlet
| open a course for great body of water
| to 90 out. 1t has also been suggested
| that in that thunder shower of Friday
which / understand was very severe here,
| as it was in many other parts of New
England that pipe might have been
struck by light9lng; Now, that is a
| me; but it was seriously suggested, and
| l have thought of it. ! am not sure that
| it might not have occurred, I should not
| have thought of it, | should not myself
have given it as reason, but / have
known of a great many water pipes
| having been struck and destroyed by
lightning. That is pipe which has not
| al very great mass Of material to act as a
reservoir to take charge of electricity. 1t
| does not go anywhere except down to
| that trap and then connects with an ordi-
nary city sewer. That is not good CON
| ductor Of electricity. This whole body of
| water would be an attraction for light
| ming and that would be an excuse for the
| theory, perhaps. 1t the pipe was broken
| in that way, that would furnish an OBJ
portunity for the water to get into the
| earth
The water ives drawn very low last
| winter The Ieople used so much water
that it was utterly impossible for the
main to supply it, The lake was low;
| the water in the lake was not as high as
| usual The people used the water very
| lavishly perhaps to the extent of
200 gallons for every person in
town. The pipes were not adequate to
send such supply IN day and night.
That reservoir was low. I was told by
Mr.. Wescott that it was as low last win
ter as it was on Monday after this break.
Now, the action OF frost, without the
presence of water, to that extent was not
anticipted for any length of time. 1t is
possible that the action of the frost
heaving there in that impervious earth
might have racked that, pipe for a dis
that the water might have followed and
perhaps finally have gotten in outside
of the concrete and by slowly oozing and
soaking might have softened the earth.
OF course, if it gets against the pipe, it
is pretty likely to follow it. | have very
often made a junction, puddled with
smooth iron pipe. that would actually
hold water, but it is not thing you can
count on The pipe is, so smooth that the
attachments not sufficient to prevent
water from following along the pipe, un-
less it is extremely well done. 1t would
follow until it came to shoulder, per-
haps. Every twelve feet of course we had
u shoulder They were put in with all the
skill and care we knew how to exercise.
1t is Just possible that might have taken
place, and that the slow percolatlon OF
the water in there through weeks and
months, might have at last found some
chance to get out that would set 10
motion current that carried out the line
stuff and, as it got little faster, having
displaced the fine stuff, carried the
coarser stuff until rush occurred. mat
might be a very long process, but 1T is all
coniectural, / don't know what might
have occurred.
Other witnesses examined were MI.
Newman, the contractor, Mr.. Marden,
the assistant engineer, Messrs. Mahanna
and Dennis, who were foremen Of con-
struetion. and Ephraim Dyer, the inspec-
tor. All agreed that the reservoir was
properly built as to material and work
manship.
On the matter of springs the witnesses
said that there were none on the side
where the break was, but there were
some on North street that were all piped
and cared for during the work.
Mr.. Wescott testified as to the bust
ness relations regarding the contract
with Mr.. Shedd. He submitted the con
tract and explained various matters. He
was perfectly satisfied as the result OF
his inspection of the ruins and the opin-
ion of the experts, Messrs. Roess and
| Jackson that the work was well done
with proper material. His theory was
that the waste pipe was responsible for
the break, although how he could not
say.
Mr.. e. G. Jordan was the last witness.
His testimony was descriptive of his pre-
liminary work on the reservoir lot. Be
ing asked to give his theory of the break
he said that in consideration of the fact
that the water was drawn down very low
last winter, he thought the frost acted
on the concrete block around the waste
pipe and opened a tiny crack between it
and the granite, and that the water did
| the rest.
The jury adjourned to Wednesday the
23rd at p, M, when other testimony
will be heard.