The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-10-14
A NEW YORK CEYSER
Big Water Pipe Bursts In the
Heart Of the City.
STREETS and CELLARS are FLOODED
The Loss Will without Doubt Total Far
Up In the Thousands, as Every
Building In Many Blocks
C.R

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NEW YORK. Oct. ia mammoth
Croton Waterman burst yesterday at
the corner of Madison avenue and For
ty-eighth street. this city. the heart Of
the fashionable district, and wrought
such havoc with property. both near
and remote, that not even partial call
culation can be made Of the financial
damage at present. For blocks around
scarcely a dwelling or public building
could be found which did not suffer in
greater or less degree by reason of the
volumes Of water that poured into the
streets, cellars and Easements. The loss
VIII reach far into the thousands.
The damage by the water extends as
far west as Sixth avenue and as Gar
east as First avenue.
The sewers were choked by the great
rush OF water. and then the flood rose
In the streets.
The big Waterman was probably
cracked by blast which was fired in
sewer excavation late Saturday after
noon. Then In the night time, when I'll
strain on the pipe was greatest. it gave
way, and the food followed. The break
ing of the four foot water pipe was an
nounced by a rumbling noise which
awakened the people in the immediate
vicinity. Looking out of their windows.
they saw great geyser in the middle
or the avenue shooting vast volume OF
water eight feet into the air, n column
so high that it almost reached to the
top Of the electric light pole on the
corner, Those who had no view of the
fountain heard mighty rush of wa
ters.
For five hours this column of water
shot into the air before ii was shut
OF at its source, and in that time 10
100000 gallons of water had run down
the avenue and si9e streets on either
hand
No sewer or system of sewers was
capable of carrying off the flood as fast
as 1t accumulated and a canvass of the
houses on the avenue and streets show-
cd that hardly a building escaped be-
tween Forty ninth and FOrty-fourth
streets.
In the majority of instances the de-
struction which followed the outbreak
was due to the overcharging of the
sewers. All the streets east of Madison
avenue slope gradually and down them
the water surged in a torrent, making
deep lakes in jiffy and flooding direct
ly the cellars and easements.
The most serious damage was done to
the railroad branch OF the Y. NJ. C. A.
building, corner Of Forty-fifth street,
and to the Knickerbocker Athletic club
house, corner Of Forty-fourth street. In
the basement of the latter place were
located the dynamos, machinery, bowl
ing alleys, bathrooms and big SWIM
ming tank.
These have probably been ruined by
the flood. The club officials place the
loss at $4,000. The clubhouse will be
closed until the damage has been re-
paired.
1t was impossible to locate exactly
the main which had broken until there
was shutdown at the Central park
reservoir. In this way much time was
lost while the deluge continued.
Almost without exception the houses
in the vicinity Of the break were so
flooded that they have been damaged
from $500 to $1,000. The residences of ].
Hooker Hamersley, William Eustace
and ]. Talbot and The clubhouse Of the
Delta Phi fraternity were among those
most damaged.
The tracks in the main yard az the
Grand Central depot were submerged,
but not seriously damaged.
The main which broke was laid in
1874. 1t has a capacity of 1000, 900 gal
Ions an hour, with a pressure Of ~
pounds to the suuare inch.