The Portland daily press., 1899-04-14
Department Would
Have Been Powerless.
Break Occurred Just Beyond
Str0udwater.

supplies Portland with water from
Sebago Lake. burst about three-qusrters
of mile beyond Stroudwater In the
bed of the old canal. Immediately after
the break occurred the pressure indicator
in the Portland Water company's office
and at the Central fire station took IA
sudden drop from 761pounds to 80 pounds
in less than minute and continued to
fall rapidly below that point. At half
past eight o'clock the pressure at the
Central station was less than 10 pounds
and 1t continued at this point all the fore
noon, though increasing little until
about noon, when the city mains were
supplied from the reservoirs and low
pressure obtained. At O'Clock yesterday
afternoon it reached 43 pounds in the
Central station, was 90 pounds Mt En-
CINE Is house, 10 pounds at engine AS
house and from 90 to 30 pounds in Deer
indicated on either the Western or East
err promsnades.
From the above it will be seen that
Portland was entirely at the mercy of the
fire king all the forenoon and the stu
alton was little improved last night. The
Inconvenience resulting to the citizens
from the slight water pressure was lit
tie compared to the danger the city was
in from fire. Had blaze started in
Portland yesterday forenoon the fire de-
partment would have been powerless to
prevent disastrous conflagration.
Chief Engineer Eldridge was Informed
Of the break in the water main at an ear
ly hour and at once started out to see
what could be done. He found that a
fire on Munjoy hill, or the Western PROM
enade, or in Deering, would mean the loss
Of large amount of property, because
the department would have nothing to
fight the fire with In the business Sec
ton of the city during the forenoon the
situation was almost as bad and had not
been improved very much up to a late
hour last night In the centre of the
city the only thing that could be relied
on was the chemical engine and Capt.
Butler of this piece of apparatus was
given orders to respond to every alarm
in Portland excepting few boxes on
Commercial street, just as quickly as he
could get to the spot If the chemical
engine could not handle the blaze then
the rest of thu department would do
what it could, but tlremen were nervous
for fear an alarm might be turned in and
many of them passed the entire day in
the engine houses ready for quick call.
A PRESS reporter asked Chief Eldridge
what he thought of the situation, Mr..
Eldridge WAS rot disposed to talk very
much to newspaper men. He said that
1t was very dangerous condition of
affairs, and he hoped he would have no
opportunity from experience of learning
just how dangerous it was. He said the
officials of the water company had told
him they were doing all they could TO
improve the situation, nevertheless he be-
lieved it his duty to report the matter to
the mayor in order to see if some arrange
ment could not be made to prevent a re-
occurrence of this shortage OF water. at
its useless to worry about it or say any
thing because worrying and talking will
do no possible good. but 1 admit that re-
gard the situation we have been placed in
as n most serious one and worthy of
government"
Had firs started at any time yester-
day the result might have been disas-
trous for Portland. MunJoy hill, the
Western Promenade district, land Deering,
were in the worse shape and with the
gale which was blowing all day yester-
day they we're in danger of being swept
away by big tire Deering depends en-
tirely on hydrant streams to extinguish
its fires and there was not enough pres
sure In that section of the city yesterday
to force a stream through length of
hose. The chief engineer did not dare to
send spare engine into Deering for fear
that fire might break out in the crowd
ed business district which would require
all the force hefcould muster rs the wat
er would have to be dragged up from the
pipes. Had Deering, Munjoy hill and
the western section of the city had chem
ical engines the department would hot
have worried quite SO much over this
condition of affairs
WHERE THE BREAK WAS.
The break was in the 24-inch main in
the bed of the old canal, three. quarters OF
a mile beyond Stroudwater. 1t was caused
by the cement wearing away from the
pipe and allowing the iron to rust
away. Through this big main over
4, 00o, 900 gallons of water flows into Port
land every day. AS soon as the break &C.
Cured the water from the lake began to
pour out into the canal and the water
pipes in the city were also drained back
into the canal. AS soon as possible the
gate in the pipe at Libhy's corner was
olose1, preventing the water in the high
er parts of the city froFn running out,