The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-28
ELECTRIC CARS STOP AND
PASSENGERS WALK WHEN
ERHOUSE IS FLOODED
Service Is Abandoned Early in the
Evening, Causing Surprise and
Inconvenience to Citizens.
INTERURBANS LEND AID
Borrowed Current, However, Is
Insufficient to Maintain Serv-
ice in the City.

Every street car in the city was stopped,
hundreds of passengers were left stranded
miles from their homes all interurban
lines were blocked within the city limits
and the entire street-car system cut off
from its source of power yesterday even
ing by the increasing deluge of water pour
ing down from the north along the low
lands of White river.
The damage was done by the water ris-
ing into the power house of the Indian
apolis Traction g. Terminal Company on
West Washington street, submerging the
lower floor and compelling the company
to stop the machinery. The machinery in
the power house was closed down at ASS
o'clock. when every street car in the city
came to standstil, and did not move
again until late in the evening. when the
company succeeded in connecting their
lines with the power houses of the inter-
urban lines and receiving enough current
TO clear the tracks of stranded cars and
open the way for the interurban cars to
move out with their heavy loads
For three hours ali car traffic was at a
standstill in the city, while the street-car
company was making every effort to better
own power house, officials of the company
began at once to make arrangements to
connect their lines with those of the inter
urban lines running into the city and thus
secure motor power from the outlying
power houses of these companies. Men
were put to the task with no loss of time
and by o'clock some of the connections
were made and the tracks cleared of cars.
BY $3.50 o'clock connection had been made
with the wires of the Union Traction Com
pany, the Northwestern Traction Company
and the Indianapolis & Eastern Traction
Company, and sufficient power was secured
to run cars on the Central-avenue, Illinois
street College-avenue, Irvington, Blake and
ProSpect-street lines.
Throughout the night the entire service of
the company depended upon this source of
1t is believed that the machinery at the
power house on West Washington street
can be started this morning. Officers of the
company say that as soon as the water
goes down few feet the power house can
be used.
President MCGOWAN said last night at 10
o'clock: IF the water in the river drops
four feet can have our machinery at the
power house going in four minutes. We
think there will be no damage done the
generators unless the water remains high
for a day so, but at present most of the
machinery is above water and can be
started just soon as the river goes down
a few feet
This new calamity of the flood was un-
expected, it being thought that the river
could never rise enough to reach the power
house. which is almost three blocks from
the river When the water began to move
toward the power house the company had
embankments of sacks of sand and dirt
piled around the power house six feet high.
This embankment was keeping the water
out until a sewer broke and opened a wa
terway through which the river poured it's
torrents. This occurred shortly before 5
o clock and within few minutes the ma
chinery had to be shut down.
The movement of lighted cars was fol-
lowed by sudden rush of stranded pas
sengers For over three hours all cars had
remained at a standstill and passengers
forced to walk or call a cab. The lat
ter did flourishing business and of all the
city's people were probably the only ones
who were glad of the breakdown.
Officers of the Indianapolis Traction &
Terminal Company telegraphed to Pitts
burg last night for the chief engineer of
the Westinghouse Company. He will ar
rive in this city to examine the ma
chinery of the power house. At late
hour last night seven feet of water stood
in the lower floor of the power house.