New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-12
A WHOLE WARD AFLOAT.
BURSTING OF A WATER MAIN
IN BROOKLYN.
HOUSES UNDERMINED, PAvEMENTS AND
POLES UPROOTED- DAMAGE NAY
REACH 81 100000 FAMILIES
TURNED OUT OF HOUSES
MADE UNSAFE BY
THE FLOOD.

hNED VI Of ftOtSES
MADE UNSAFE BY
THE FLOOD.
With a noise resembling the explosion OF tons
Of dynamite 4S-inch main OF the Brooklyn
Water Works burst at O'Clock yesterday morn
ing at Covert-st and Centrsl-ave. With a rush
the pent-up water burst forth. impeed by
pressure Of forty pounds to the square inch 1t
shot up in the air for distance of eight feet.
In an instant over feet Of the large con-
duit had broken away and the water rushed
forth as from "A broken dam The first explosion
shattered the windows in the immediate vicin-
ity and soon flood raging through the
streets which aroused the whole neighborhood.
over twenty blocks in the Twenty eighth Ward
were covered by the rush OF waters. Sidewalks.
pavement. lamp and trolley poles were torn up.
cellars and Easements flooded. and the streets
and houses thrown into chaotic condition. II
is almost impossible to estimate the damage
done but 1t is believed that not less than $500
600 would cover the actual loss. Some say the
figures will reach $l,000000. For three hours
the flood reigned supreme. and 1t was not until
the main water supply OF Brooklyn cut off
the Ridgewood reservoir that the water
stopped rising in the streets. The greater part
Of the Eastern District is thus shut off from a
n
fire break out. The Fire Department has sent
all the chemical apparatus which it possesses to
that section Of he city. but little could be done
If a blaze once got started. This condition OF
affairs will probably last until tomorrow, as 1t
is lot believed that the extensive break can be
repaired sufficiently to stand the water pressure
before tomorrow.
That TO one wss drowned by the flood is prob
70 he hat no
early Sunday morning. when few people were
in the streets AS it was. three unfortunate per-
sons had to he rescued after they had been bat
tered into a helpless condition
MORE THAN \ NIL LION AND A HALF GAL
Ions.
Over one and a half million gallons Of water
in less than one hour had spread through the
streets Of the Twenty-eighth Ward In the still
rising flood floating rubbish and fotsam
and jetsam picked up and carried for blocks by
the rushing tide. The people were penned in
their houses, and few dared to venture out. The
families abandoned the lower floors. into which
the water had forced itself and watched with
fear and trembling from the upper floors while
the muddy stream continued to rise. II was
with awe and dread that they watched and
waited Few knew what had happened; some
suspected, but did not know ne extent % the
trouble. SO great was the food that some
feared that the Rdgewood reservoir had coll
Rpsed. and that at any minute an overwhem-
ing flood would come upon them.
1t was dark when the accident happened. and
as the dawn approached hundreds OF faces
could be seen looking out VI IN the remarkable
scene. Shivering groups Of women and children
in a hundred homes begged the men to assure
them that there was no danger. but in the ao-
sence Of all knowledge Of just what was hap
pening the men themselves. unable to leave
their homes could give such assur-
ance 1t was not until daylight .-ad come and
the water had begun to go down hat the fam-
lilies in the flooded district became calm again
The fremen and policemen felt that they
should do something in the emergency, but they
had not been equipped with RATS, boats or Ire
preservers. and the futility of venturing out
without them was apparent. The members or
one engine company rescued three castaways
by means of lines. The rescued were two
bakers boys and a paper carrier.
Covert-st. and Certral-ave. were the main
channels of the escaping water. and so fercely
did the current rage around the houses in these
streets that the foundations Of many Of them
were undermined. Deputy Building Superin-
tendent Guifoyle reached the scene at o'clock.
and after a hasty examination said that a num-
Der Of the buildings would have 70 come down.
II was 10 o'clock before it was possible to get
from house to house without having the water
over your shoe tops Three OF the borough off,
cials had been routed out Of bed and had by
this time been the scene for several hours.
They were Deputy Fire Chief Dale. Deputy
Water Commissioner Moffet and Commissioner
Gufoyle. They looked with amazement at the
wreck made by the water In short a time.
small pond had been washed out in the street
by the mad surgng Of the water as 1t left the
shattered main. This pond was 100 feet long
and 20 feet deep. Everywhere wreckage lit
tered the streets. They were piled up with over
turned pavements and uprooted poles. Public
School No. IS. at Coyert-st and Evergreen
ave. will be closed for some time its founda-
tions were weakened that the walls were
shored up yesterday afternoon by the Building
Department over LOO children will be thrown
out OF school Three families were taken out
Of No. 500 Central-ave. by the fremen. who
found that the walls were cracking. The res
cued people were Eugene Davis. wife and five
children; Joseph Smith, wife and child and
Warren Powell wife and two children From
No l59 Covert-st. w. F. Winchell wife and two
children: Mrs. L. c. Refs. child and SER
want John McCrae and aged sister. and Fritz
Kouts and wife were taken out by the hremen
and lef. homeless.
TROLLEY COMPANIES SUFFER.
Both trolley companies suffered severely. Sew.
eral long sections or the tracks Of the Central
ave line OF the Nassau Company. and the Hal
sey-st line Of the Brooklyn Heights road were
washed up. f. w Mohr. who had a bakery a,
Westfeld-st. and Central-ave los, heavily. as
his entire establishment was wrecked and
large stock Of Christmas candy ruined Two
other bakeries-those Of r. Doergfell No J75
Central-ave.. and w Huber No. 469 Central
ave.-suffered similarly. TWO houses at Central
ave. and Covert-st. were N opped up by Commits
siOner tiuilfOyle, who found half the foundations
gone The families in ten houses in all were
crowded out. and took shelter in engine houses
The foundation Of every building in the section
Will have to be inspected and Will require a
month Of labor.
Superintendent Hawkes. OF the Department OF
Repairs said that the pipe had been put down
ten years ago. and had been thoroughly in
spected In his opinion the pipe must have
hofocti,.n ha,