Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-01-26

Jack Frost Plays Havoc with the City's
Water supply.

The bursting of fire plug at the
corner of Sixth and Market Thursday
morning submerged the surrounding
streats in river of running water and
flooded the pavements along the east
side of Market street between Fifth and
Sixth. The break occurred shortly after
o'clock when water was detected ilow-
ing from the nozzle of the plug and
covering the pavement. The break was
caused by the contraction of the pipe
from the cold and gradually the water
forced its way through the aperture in
the plug until il lifted the entire frost
case OF.
Then the water shot upward in a
verltabe geyser and played havoc with
the adjacent sidewalk. The bubbling
spring of water sent out by the broken
plug was almost as thick as mans
body. Soon Market street was flooded
and water lay several inches deep in the
street bed The stream continued down
Market to Fifth, flooding the pavement
in front Of the city hall and covering
the tlagstone about the Clayton House.
Persons desiring TO cross from the east
erly side of Market street to the oppo.
site crossing were compelled TO wade
through water ankle deep. This state
Of affairs continued until about $ o'clock
until property owners sent men out to
open the side cutters and allow the
miniature river to find an outlet
Chief Engineer Bond was notified of
the bursting Of the fire plug az $50
o'clock and at once took steps to have
the leak repaired. Summoning IL num-
Der Of workmen in the employ of the
Water Department he put them imme-
diately at work in shutting off tho water
stops connected with the burst plug.
Six stops in all had to be shutoff before
the flow Of water ceased. One of the
stops is located at Fourth and Market
streets, two on Fifth street, two on
Sixth and one at Seventh and Market
streets.
1t was long after o'clock before the
workmen succeeded in getting this
| stop shut Off. Street car traffic was de-
layed for quarter of an hour by reason
OF the workmen having to occupy the
| street at this point in closing the shut
| of. Fully 10 cars were stretched along
| Market street on the southbound trip
and many desiring to make carly trains
were compelled to alight and walk t.
| llle runway SldllOHS. lHlS WIS HOb
very pleasant walk for those who de-
sired to catch an early train out Of the
city, but the fault was with the burst
fire plug and not caused by the street
car company.
The water on Market street in the
neighborhood of the burst plug was
turned off all morning TO allow the
worlmon to repair the broken plug
The men were forced to burn the plug
out and then a plug was inserted to STOP
the flow Of water until new fire plug
can be erected.
HOW IT WAS CAUSED.
The accident by which the fire plug
got broken was another of the curious
ways in which Jack Frost has played
his pranks on the community this sever
weather. The surplus water that flows
over when the plugs is turned off ant
which saturates the bricks and earth
surrounding the supports of the iror
cylinder, got gradually frozen, anC
naturally swelling, lifted the heavy
cylinder up. This in turn brought
strain on the main at its angle OF con
nection with the fire plug, and witt
what must have been tremendous force
snapped the strong pipe as easily as {
straw. II is not known what extent o
power Jack Frost used, but it was, quit
possibly, ton or two. Frost was founC
. ~,