The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-02
LIBERATED A GEYSER
WOrkmen on Pioneer Place Let
the Water Loose.
GREAT WINDOWS SMASHED.
Breaking of a Water Pipe Causes q
Grand but Costly Display-Na-
deau's Lucky Escape.

There was an accidental exhibition OF
water power on Pioneer place yesterday
afternoon about $50 o'clock. and an i'm
promptu geyser did a whole lot OF bust
ness for about ten minutes. Workmen IN
knocking down concrete wall let piece
of 1t fall on a twelve-Inch water main,
breaking it. \ huge stream of water
burst from the pipe and struck the side
of the olympic block, on the south side
of Yesler avenue, breaking windows, flood
ing Easements and offices. and altogether
doing perhaps $3.50 worth of damage.
Pioneer place has been torn up for sew
eral weeks by workmen employed by
Spur & Wilmot, the contractors who are
making ready for paving Front street.
The sheave wheel of the James street
cable line was moved a few days ago,
leaving the sides of it's concrete founda-
ton sticking up about three feet from the
surface of the excavation.
Running across the triangle from Yesler
avenue is twelve-ineh water main, pass
ing within a short distance of the sheave
wheel foundation. Yesterday afternoon
four or five men were battering down the
concrete wall with a piece OF railroad iron
about twelve feet long. Several pieces had
been broken of, and then large TRAN
gular piece was loosencd. Ii fell from the
wall and crashed down on to the water
main below. Although Contractor Spur
says that the main was covered by at
crete went through it and broke the pipe.
A ragged whole about sixteen inches one
way ard a foot the other was made. and
the pipe was cracked for a distance of
four or five feet.
Geyser boots Upward.
volume OF water the size of the hole
burst with tremendous force from the
main and struck the side of the Olympic
block just above the large plate glass win
dows in the ticket office of the Northern
Pacific. The stream fell downward a lit
tie and struck the big windows. The glass
stood the onslaught of the water for
few seconds and then gave way. The
clerks in the Office were almost paralyzed
with the shock. but gathered their senses
together in time to get out of the office on
the double quick. The glass was broken
into splinters, and the water poured into
the office like "a water spout. L. A, Ma
deau, the general agent of the Northern
Pacific, has his office directly in front OF
the big windows, but fortunately he was
out when the crash came yesterday. His
desk was locked, and most OF his papers
were uninjured, but piece of the broken
window was hurled edgeways through the
top of the desk and buried in the inside.
leaving a hole about six inches long and
an inch wide The Northern Pacific Of
flee received the severest injury. Besides
the breaking of the two big windows. val
ued at 800 each, some of the office fur
niture was broken and the whole place
was soaked with mud and water
When the water first burst out ii was
clear and white, but the dirt and gravel
began to roll down TO the opening. and
being caught up by the stream was hurlei
against the windows of the Olympic block.
The water kept getting blacker and dirt
Ter and the stream was getting larger, as
the force of the outlet was breaking off
little pieces of the pipe and charging the
hole. At one time IL spread out like an i'm
mense fan, with the wide END against the
fated Olympic block. The stream poured
forth with unremitting energy for about
ten minutes by which time the water de-
partment had shut the gates on Yesler
avenue and Railroad avenue, thus shut
ting off the supply.
Several Offices Water-Soaked.
An immense crowd had gathered by this
time and it was impossible to find out for
some time what damage had been done.
The square was deIuged with water. and
the workmen could be seen standing
around with soaked clothes, evidently
wondering what kind of cyclone they
had been through. Besides the damage TO
the Northern Pacific office, the windows
of the Northern Pacific Express Company
were broken and cracked but did not fall.
Several windows in the second and third
stories were broken and the offices water
soaked. In the basement the office OF ".
NJ. Calhoun * Co, received the inflow of
water that had been pouring against the
side of the building, but more than a gem
eral soaking of carpets. etc. their dam
age was slight. The basement under the
Delcho saloon was flooded and a pump
was Immediately rugged UP 20 clear il Of
the muddy water.
Some OF the workmen on the street mar
roWly escaped injury. team of horses
was standing close TO whore the break
was made and when the water burst out
they were crazed with fear. They stood
still and tremhled for an instant. and then
gave one grand plunge. breaking the wag-
on tongue and getting away.
The entire damage by the accident Will
probably amount 10 about $3.50 and
/ Superintendent l.. 3. Youngs. Of the wa
ter department estimated that IL would
cost 500 10 repair the main. 1t being neces-
sary 10 put in a new length. The repairs
were completed at II O'Clock last night.
Cause OF tn Breakage.
As to the cause OF the accident II is said
workmen did not use proper care in re-
moving the concrete. when they knew IL
was ~ such close proximity 10 the water
main. Il was said by some OF the by
ISLANDERS that the main had not been prop
erlv famped underneath and hence when
the concrete struck tt. the pipe gave way.
Contractor spur said that the ground be-
meath the main was perfectly secure and
that St was covered bv two feet OF dirt He
thought the sharp coTnered piece Of con
crete must have gone through the COW
ering Of dirt acd pierced the pipe.
TO restore gray hair to It's natural color
as 10 youth. cause it 10 grow abundant and