Omaha daily bee., 1898-06-10

~ NVAABdus was Alt RtbHAI dAiuu VI u lew
poles al various points about the city.
Tn telegraph lines sustained but trlhing
damage and the FIRE alarm system for a brief
period was imperative. Just before the
heavy %downpour ceased the wires became
overcharged with electricity and a great
many Of the fire alarms about the city were
set TO ringing furiously. From the railroad
yard terminals little or no damage is re-
ported.
No casualties were reported at the police
station as a result Of the storm.
Lagoon wall Breaks Again.
The storm did serious damage to the
piling OF the lagoon at the exposition
grounds and another heavy expenditure will
be necessary to repair the breaks. About
loo feet Of the sheet piling was washed out
completely. carrying great quantities OF dirt
into the lagoon, and about 200 feet ad-
ditional was more or less damaged by the
effect of the water. None Of the breaks
occurred where the repairs were made after
the last heavy rain.
The greatest damage occurred near the
Machinery and Electricity building on the
north side of the lagoon near the steps
which lead to landings near the water level.
Two sections were washed out here. one
about fifty feet in length and the other
about forty feet. In both cases the sheet
pilins was broken entirely away from the
main piles, showing that the defect was
in the method Of fastening the former to
the latter. The famous Geraldine speci-
~hcations for attaching the sheet piling to
the main piles called for a waling piece
extending from pile to pile, and to these
strips the sheet piling was fastened with
nails. Nc attempt was made TO hold the
shoot aglsn- he rnnanC ~ pyalinU niprpG
on the outside bolted to the main piles and
the nails were not strong enough to hold
the weight of the wet earth. When these
sections gave way the massive balustrade
extending along the lagoon at this point
was carried down in the wreck. The heavy
tubs of cedars, oleanders and other shrubs
which had been placed along the balustrade
were buried in the debris.
Directly opposite this point, in front OF
the Mines building, a section of piling back
OF the small bit of parking bordering on the
boat landing was undermined and washed
out at the bottom. About forty feet was
thus affected. the earth being washed out
| over the flower bed referred to, spelling the
| whole arrangement. The ground in this
immediate vicinity was honeycombed and
the pavement gave way in spots.
The piling just west of the bridge at
Twentieth street, on the south bank OF the
lagoon, was bowed outward for about thirty
feet, the center being six feet out of line.
There was no gutter at this point to carry
of the water, the delay in completing the
bridges preventing the paving at this point
being properly finished. Two or three other
places about the banks were affected more
or less by the water, but no other serious
break occurred.
Repairing the
1t is the opinion of expert who examined
the damage done by the water that the only
way a repetition of the occurrence can be
prevented is to concrete the entire sur
face about the lagoon. Since the brick walks
we're laid the frequent rains have percolated
between the bricks and have caused the
earth to settle until with every rain the
water stands all over the pavement in spots,
the water being nearly three inches deep in
some places. The surface drainage being
thus destroyed. the water makes its escape
through the earth toward the lagoon with
the result that the banks are thoroughly
saturated and the pressure against the pill
ing is more than the form of construction
will support.
As soon as the damage was inflicted as
many men as could be found were put &c
work to repair the damage. superintendent
Foster and the entire force of the Building
and Grounds department took a hand and
men were sent out to pick up as many men
as possible. Mr.. Foster said the repairs
would be made as fast as possible and will
probably be completed before the end Of
the week.
The electric light wiring along the la.
COON sustained but little damage, the feed
mains not being damaged at all. The tap:
| tnaltnu m tho nnEtE which u-ara .an-riaf
away were broken off, but this will not in.
~terfere with the lighting of the lamps or
the other posts.
The downpour of water taxed the capacit,
of the overflow pipe of the lagoon and tn,
, surface of the water in the basin wa
raised fully six inches above the norma
: level. The electric lights surrounding tn,
2 fountain in the Mirror were covered en-
tirely and the water rushed into the over
f flow pipe in a torrent.
a The Government building roof leaked lik
4 a sieve and II was necessary to remov,
t some of the exhibits entirely. Oilcloth wa
D used very freely to cover over such of tn
J exhibits as could not be easily moved.
! In:erreres with Main Laying.
The force of running water interfere
seriously with the laying of the large waite
Y mains for which trenches have been recent,
. dug on Twenty-fourth street between Far
A nam and Pierce. South of Leayenwort
: street the excavations were made in file,
h earth and this has caved in at variou
points. At Pierce street the water has com
g pletely undermined the street, leaving onl
r a crust of earth overhead, which is in dan
5 ger of giving way on the passage of a We
hicle overhead. Between L~eayenworth an
Farnam streets the pipes have not as ye
been laid and the trenches, from eight I
/, ten feet deep, have caved in all along III
! line, in many places dislodging large sec
: tons of cedar block pavement. At the ter
minal of the trench on Harvey street waite
has gathered in the excavation to a dept
; of seven feet and has undermined the stree
TO a considerable extent. The excavation
are for piping of the largest size, thirty-si
inches in diameter, and il is estimated tha
: the pumping and %rehlling necessary to re
> pair the damage will amount TO abol
- 81 600