The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-07-31
RESERVOIR
BURST; ONE
LIFE LOST

Bridgeport. Conn. July 81-Loss OF life
and immense damage 10 property fol-
lowed the bursting Of reservoirs north Of
this city as result Of the unprecedented
fall Of rain early yesterday The pre-
cpitation in the series OF showers which
struck across Connecticut Saturday night
and yesterday morning reached total
Of seven inches in this section. $ down
fall which overfsxed the city sewers and
caused the flooding OF cellars Of buildings
in downtown streets
North Of here, I'm the towns OF Easton
and Trumbull, the rainfall was even
heavier. and so quickly did the water
rise AZ the dam at Wards mill AT Easton
that the dam went out at o'clock yes
terday morning sending Z great body
Of water down through the town OF
Trumbun In a short time the dam AZ
the paper mill reservoir broke and the
body OF water swept down into Berkshire
pond.
There was no warning 20 the people
who lived on the banks OF what Is usually
small water course The house occu-
pied by John Iesco. his wife and sew
eral children was picked up by the food
and carried a mile below. The Iesco
family were asleep at the time but all
were rescued after a perilous journey
A house occupied by Michael Moran was
hurled against the Berkshire bridge and
smashed 10 kindling wood. and Il Is be
lleved that Moran was drowned. Police
and firemen went 10 the rescue and saved
several lives
Inside ~ an hour the great hodv NJ
water which had been sweeping down
from Easton had reached North Bridge
nDr - usaa
Berkshire bridge. II caught the harbor
craft which was moored just below the
bridge unprepared. and several ha awsers
gave way under the strain. The barge
Clara, owned by McCanfery & Sons of
New York. was torn away from dock
and carried against the Fast Washing
ton avenue bridge and later under IN.
The family Of capt Keneally Of tho barge
was rescued. but Capt Keneallv was
Knocked overheard and later was rescued
from n pile.
While the barge Clara was going down
stream the three masted schooner Hope
HAYNES from Bangor. Me was torn from
her mooriugS a Miler's dock and was
being driven down stream in the wake ~
the Clara. She brought up against the
Congress street bridge and drove her iib
boom through the structural work and
tore down the electric light wires. The
escape Of current from the wires and
the flashes as the live ends toucnrd the
pavement and set fire 10 the gas which
was escaping from a broken main. This
brought an explosion which shook up
the entire neighborhood and brought out
the fro company from p nearby depart
ment house. The fire communicated 10
the har rgc and schooner Hope Haynes but
was soon extnguished.
The schooner Doa Allison Capt Rose.
Of Richmond Va. also broke loose but
her crew let go her anchors, which held
fast.
The barges Marion T. Rulley and Mar
garet Hart also were torn from their
moorings and drifted down stream. The
former struck th- draw on the Stratford
avenue bridge and caused IL 10 open. the
barge going through and being carried
down the harbor and out into the sound
narrowly escaping a collision with the
steamer Allen JOY. Capt Robert Meyers
his wife and two children. were rescued
by the tug Senator Rice.
AZ the time that the reservoirs AZ Eas-
ton and TrumbuIl were emrtvinE them-
selves the food had caused the overflow
of Pembroke lake I'm another part OF
North Bridgeport The water swept
against the Barnum avenue bridge and
wrecked II just when an ice wagon was
crossing II. In the wagon were William
Kowzesk and John Starkin The wagon
and horses were swept away and Kowze-
ski was drowned. his body being found
late this afternoon. Starkin was swept
out Of the wagon and was able TO swim
ashore.
All day sightseers visited the course of
the food in North Bridgeport and in
Easton and Trumbull walked over a CON
siderable area Of the beds Of the drained
reservoirs. In the city proper a great
many cellars had been flooded. so that
FIRE engines were used TO pump out the
water The trolley service for a number
OF hours was almost a a standstill and
the telephone and telegraph service was
impaired greatly.