Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-04-26

Ine 5o-lncn water main which conveys
the water from the Branch reservoir
to this city. The break was in sec
tion of the pipe about two miles
above Waterville, near the place
known as Jericho Junction. The wa
ter swept away the bank about the
pipe and so undermined the tracks Of
the Naugatuck division short dis
tance away that the tracks gave away
when a freight train was passing
over it this morning about 6 O'clock,
with the result that two cars were
completely wrecked while four others
were more or less damaged. The
wreck knocked to pieces the schedule
OF trains coming in and going from
Waterbury.
1t is thought that the bursting of
the pipe took place about 5 O'Clock
about four feet under the ground,
which forms a bank along the rail-
road lines at this place. The bank
Is from fifteen to twenty feet higher
than the tracks and the location of
the pipe is about twenty five or
thirty feet distant from the
tracks. The break was a clean one,
and was about eight feet long. The
force Of the pressure of water from
this break swept away the bank Of
dirt and stones and cobbles and sand
all about 1t. Nothing served as bar
rier to It's onward march. After
sweeping away everything above the
pipe it started to wash away that part
of the bank below it's foundation
This was easy work. 1t worked stead
fly forward to the railroad tracks and
then started to sweep away its foun-
dation. A clean passage underneath
the tracks was made for the mighty
stream Of water on its way to the
river.
The freight train, which le zater.
bury for Winsted at 5 80 thiS morning
was the train wrecked. The train
consisted of an engine and about Is
cars. The engine and about IA cars
passed over in safety. Thenl came
three cars, heavily laden with coal
The weight of these was too heavy
for the undermined tracks and they
caved in and two of the cars fell into
the ditch while four others were de-
rallied and badly damaged. When the
accident occurred Engineer u. Ian
caster jumped into the river and es-
capped unharmed while Fireman
Buggie Of WinstedS Jumped
onto the river bank and is said to
have broken his leg He was later re-
moved to Thomaston The engine was
stopped by Fireman Buggie, who hap
pened to be in the cab at the time.
As soon as possible Engineer Cairns
was notified of the break in the water
main. and Superintendent Hopson OF
the Berkshire and Highland divisions
was informed of the wreck. Both men
Immediately started to remedy matters.
Tho xxyo fa,,
was turned off about Z o'clock. The
city's water supply is being furnished
to-day and will be furnished to-mor-
row and perhaps the day after, by the
East Mountain and the Cooke street
reservoirs! Engineer Cairns arrived az
the scene Of the break at an early hour.
He stated to Democrat reporter that
he was unable to account for the break.
The pipe apparently is as strong as the
day when 1T was laid 1t would take
at least forty-eight hours to repair the
break. The whole section, about
twelve feet long, in which the break
occurred Will have to be taken out.
This will be most difficult work A
new section of pipe will be put in.
The pipe is IA inches thick The press
IRE of water at this point is about nine
ty pounds.
was notified he gave orders for the
wrecking train IN New Haven to start
for Waterbury as soon as possible,
and he himself came here on the first
train. The wrecking train and crew
of thirty men under the charge OF
Foreman Joseph Moody left the Elm
city at 500 and arrived here at 1915
Superintendent Hopson and j. Frank
lin Taylor, general manager of the
Randolph & Cloves Co, and two news
paper men, who secured permission to
ride on the train from Superintendent
Hopson on request of Mr. Taylor
boarded the train, which soon arrived
at the scene of the wreck. The wreck
ing crew was soon engaged in clearing
away the wreckage. Two coal cars
We're in the ditch. They were SO badly
damaged that they were thrown one
side when removed from the ditch and
will be burned. A third coal car and
three box cars were badly wrecked
The wrecking crew did its work well
and at II o'clock one of the cars was
removed from the ditch. BY this even
Ing it is expected that the tracks will
be cleared SO that the trains may run
as usual
All the trains were blocked during
the day. The engine of the train
wrecked and the fourteen cars unin-
jured pulled away for Thomaston soon
after the wreck. The train, which ar
rived in this city from Winsted at 6:3o,
was stalled by the wreck. The pas,
sengers had to get off and walk as far
as Waterville, where they boarded the
trolley cars. The next train which ar
rived from Winsted was at IL o'clock.
The passengers had to get off and wait
II. ~ wxyI,; ~
from this city to the scene OF the
wreck about II o'clock. The passen-
gers on this train were transferred to
a train which was waiting on the other
side of the wreck and was bound north.