New-York tribune., 1900-11-15
OLD RESERVOIR BRIMs OVER
WORKMEN DRIVEN OUT OF r1RRARy
FOUNDATIoN-wATER MAIN BURsTs
CARS STOP

The site OF the old reservoir in Bryant Park az
FIfth-ave.. between Fortieth and Forty-second sta
where workmen are now building foundations for
the Public Library. and the surrounding strsets
were flooded yesterday by the bursting of the srea,
42-inch water main in Forty-second-st Just where
the break happened is not known, but it was be-
tween Fifth and Sixth aves. When the main broke
1t crushed in the big brick sewer which runs
parallel 10 it, and the greater portion Of the
was thus carried on.
There is. however. what is called an efiuent
sewer connecting the old reservoir with the Forty-
sscond-st sewer. This had been used to flush the
reservoir or let out surplus water. The big
saver being unable TO carry the rush of water, II
hacked into the reservoir through this effluent
vent It's appearance in the reservoir. which is
about five feet below the surface and coming as IT
dis in immense volumes. alarmed the 15O men work
ing there for Eugene Lentilhon, the contractor.
and they fed. John Lentilhon rallied the men. and
r,,r them ct work to 5000 bags Of valuable
Portland cement, worth upward OF $500. which
were on the south side OF the site The men got
ali the cement to safe place except 200 bags
In the mean time the Police and Water Supply
6eDartnents had been informed. The latter told
julius Tenner. general foreman Of the water dis
trict IN which the break occurred. and he sent men
( TO close the gates at Madison. Fifth and
sixth aves 1t took hour and q half TO accom-
pl!sh this By that time the reservoir had filled to
the street level and the water overhowed into
Ffth-ave and Forty-second-st- For half an hour
traffic in Forty-second-st. was stopped as the
{ q
water got into the electric conduits, and the
line tied up until the water receded.
\ gang OF thirty working IN trench
about feet deep the north side OF Forty
seccud-st-, close 10 the curb. and running from
Fifth 70 Sixth ave, putting in electric conduit
The earth they had eXcaVated formed a perfect
dam, and while the flood ragged around them they
kept work. Some workmen fixing wires for
the electric railroad and in the holes Forty
second-st. and Sxth-ave. had to get out to escape
being drowned.
X TOOK the food an hour and a half to Ill and
overflow the reservoir. After the gates were
closed the out quickly at the rate OF Ave
inches every twenty minutes.
Mr.. Lentilhon said his loss will not exceed $500.
He said the foundations already laid have been
put down IN the best Atlas Portland cement and
injured in the least He said they could
made TO get an opinion on this point from
the architects Carrere Hastings, at their Office
No. IS East Forty-eighth-st but they were not
accessible.
Tenner the general foreman OF the Water Supply
Department. said the break would not cause any
The broken main two service mains, Of Z and 70
inches. and these viii furnish adequate supply
Of water He said a large gang of men had been
ordered up the street and repair the break
He said the main may have been broken in several
WAYS He thought a small leak may have caused a
in and the heavy main to sag and break. or
the heavy electric motors recently put In Forty
The water did back into of the cellars
IN the neighboThood. For g few minutes, however,
there some anxiety, and servants were put at
work clearing everything perishab BILE out OF the
way. There was much relief when the crisis was
passed