Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1893-01-23
GREAT WASTE OF WATER
THE CKTV'0 BKG STANDPxPE
AKES A TUMBI.E.
Forty Five Feet of water ed
Loose Upon the eide Of Beau
lm0nt-EKOvy the wreck Locke
some InCident0.

~ ooos = 49, ee~AS
de Jedgment Day had sholy GOMEZ" were
the words used by an old darkey in
the manner in which the frost
king accomplished the wreck of the city's
in Beaucatcher Gap.
Early yesterday morning the huge
tank was torn with fracture from top
to bottom, and the thunderous crash
caused for time the direst consterna-
tion in the minds of the inhabitants
in the ravine below; before they could
leave their homes the pipe collapsed and
the forty-seven feet of water and ice
which it contained surged around them
with a roar that threatened the annihil-
alton Of life and property.
The authorities were notified of the
disaster, and precautions were at once
taken to insure a steady supply of water
for the city.
The wash from the fall covered the
roadway and it became so slippery that
it was with difficulty passage could be
made, the first person to cross, milk
man, having to unhitch his horse and
lead it through the snow in the woods
while the vehicle was guided down by
hand. The road was Uttered for hum
dred feet with rocks and chunks of ice;
several lengths of pipe for the new main
were washed down the bank, and big
Joint left in the track Of the wagons.
From the south bank of the ravine the
flattened mass Of iron shows lap for
half its length with the point of rupture
at the southeast face, the edges irregu-
larly bent, rolled and twisted. The
break from the foundation plates oc-
CURED at the rivet line and was complete
for the entire circumference.
n Narrow Escape.
Across the ravine, south of the big
iron cylinder, about $50 feet distant
therefrom, was the cabin occupied by
John Clark. his wife and their children.
The slush about the door had not har-
dened when their door was opened to
THE CITIZEN, anu the wife told the story
of the family's fright and their narr ow
| escape from an awful death. The per-
| sons living in the immediate vicinity y
had become greatly alarmed at the loud
| cracking noises frequently heard coming
| from the direction OF the standpipe since
| the cold weather set in and for ten days
had lived in const ant dread of a catastro-
phe. On Sunday morning, Just
before day, the mother returned home
from attendance at a sick room,
there was heard a sharp, cracking. tear.
ing sound SO awful in its note that the
woman crouched in speechless terror
and the awakening children began tc
cry. The report was instantly followed
by terrific roar that made the eartf
tremb1e and that shook the little cabin
and then came the wild rush Of the tumb
ling waters that filled the gorge, sur
rounded the house, and hurled the rock:
and ice against its sides. The shriekins
children dove under the beds, and the a p
palled parents were certain the hous'
would be washed away. An attempt
was then made to get to the higher
ground, but the water covered thei
shoes and they gave it up and returned
to the Louse, where they remained til
daylight. Serious damage was SUSTAINED
by the family in the loss of their supply
Of clio thing, which had been left hanging
upon the bushes about the house. Not I
trace of a garment could be found; every
thing had been swept away.
"a Powerful Storm"
In the tenement house west of tn
tank and lower down the bank ther
was as great a scare and similar damage
The icy deluge spent it's force against
we'll built wall on the upper side of th
building, but succeeded in tearing win
dow sash from its frame and foode
the room from the southeast end. Mark
on the walls showed the depth of waite
to have been three feet; family had RI
moved from the room but few days.
Jane Orr. the head of one of the fam
lies, said there was "a noise like a pow
erful storm and then the rush of waite
that splashed to the top of the hous
and sent the window in the basement &
winding, 1t washed all our ciothe
away" she said; 1--WE haven't a chang
left, but we're so glad the good Lor
spared us that we don't mind tt
clothes"
Another tenant said "When | hear
that awful noise l knowed the reserbo
was busted and was so bad scared tht
- l amt got over it yit, and just kaii
goto church"
Below this house the banks of I'll
gorge sharply converge and the volun
OF water dashed through the narro
defile and piled itself with increased fu
against the buildings in its path, whe
i scenes similar to those detailed abo
occurred.
The banks and bottom of the gul
were washed clean of snow, and in pc
tions immense masses OF earth had be
loosened and torn away. The receotl
waters strewed the ground with debl
from the wreck and trees ten inches
diameter were found that had be
twisted off. A section OF the iron ladd
was carried 800 feet, and the guy be
are tangled like threads. The track
Us water was clearly shown by the muddi
outline on the snow.
The scene of the trouble has been v
tied by hundreds of people and the he
of black mud a foot deep, covering
expcsed bottom of the tank, caused mt
unfavorable comment.
Builders and Cost.
The paralyzed standpipe stood si1
feet high, and was built in the win
and spring of 1ss6-'s7. by Alfred We
& Co. of Chattanooga. Tenn. The c
inder cost $9,965, and the masoi
upon which it rested cost about So o.
total of about $4,000. Its capac
was 72O. 900 gallons. During the MOI
of March. 1887, and before the pipe I
been put in use a heavy storm blew
side in, an accident that required 90
time to repair.
Two years or more ago break
CURED in the angle-iron, which PIN
the pipe to the foundation. The col
ton OF things has been known ever 81