The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-05-18

One Of the most serious breaks in a
water main that have occurred in this
city for some time. practically running a
long section OF important highway. block
ing street car and vehicular traffic.
flooding Easements OF business blocks and
damaging goods stored therein occurred
this morning at 1870 at Washington and
From that time until about 4:30 O'clock
when the flood was finally shut off, from
the broken main, the water was flowing
in vast volume, submerging Washing
ton and Mathewson streets to a great
depth.
DISCOVERED AT 1:3o.
The break was discovered at 1:3O a. m.
by Patrolman w. l.. Costgan, who while
on duty on Washington street. saw a big
stream Of water shoot like a geyser sew
tihed Lieut.. O'Neil at the Central sta
tion, and the latter notified the pipe yard
Of the city water works department.
The three men who are held nights at
the pipe yard for emergencies, responded
Immediately, and on their arrival noting
that they could not alone remedy affairs.
returned to the pipt yard, hitched up wa
gons and FASTENED TO notify Superintend-
ent Patterson, the foreman of the de-
partmcnt. and the laborers. These men
live in all parts OF the city and before
they were all assembled at the scene of
the disaster the clocks pointed TO $3.50.
Soon the water works men were work.
ing systematically, and the task Of shut
ting off the water from the broken main
was begun.
YAWNING CHASM.
Because the gates near the break were
covered with water. mud, stones, and
the debris thrown out of the yawning
chasm IN the street by the spouting flood,
two sections OF mains had 10 be cut out,
and TO do this p gates had TO be shut.
These gates were as follows: One at
Dean street, a 30-inch gate; two at Jack
son street; one at Green street; one at
Walnut street; one at Empire street; two
at Aborn street. one at Snow street; two
at Mathewson street, one 4-inch gate,
the other l2-inch one; one at Clemence
street; one at Union street; one at Eddy
street; three at Dorrance street, one at
Francis street, and a A-inch gate be-
tween the new postoffice and Canal
street
The 3O-inch gates require four or five
men TO close them, and the valve stem
has to be turned 597 times. The 24-inch-
gates require three men to turn the
wrench 400 times. 1t takes 30 minutes To
close 30-inch gate, and about 20 minutes
10 close the 4-inch gates, according to a
statement made by Commissioner OF ub-
lie Works Slade TO News-Democrat re-
porter this morning, who explains that
had the three men who first came from
the pipe yard tried to close the gates
alone, the water would have been run
ming yet. and that all they could do was
to rout all the men in the water works
service. which they very properly did.
RAGING FLOOD.
While the three pipe yard men were
collecting the others OF the water works
force the rushing water was raging un-
impeded. and working havoc. When the
water was finally shut off there was dis
closeda hole In the square formed by the
OF Washington and Mathew
son streets, fully 20xl6 feet across and
which averaged four feet In depth.
In addition 20 this, for a long distance
along Washington and Mathewson streets,
the highway had been undermined, maxi
ing spacious subterranean cavities that
made travel over the streets dangerous
and necessltated that they be roped off
beyond the border line
The sidewalk I'm front OF the News
Democrat office was undermined. and the
huge fiagstone sidewalk and the curb
stones sank 10 a considerable distance,
taking with them the electric light pole
on the corner.
While the flood was at its destructive
work and the workmen were being sum-
moned, Lieut.. ONeil was busy. He
caused property owners In the vicinity
TO be notified and when there was danger
that electric light and trolley wire poles
might be undermined, he notified tho
power stations and the current OF cleo
tricity was diverted from the wires in that
section OF the city.
Lieut. O'Nell also had out the station
reserves and he and all the patrolmen
did what they could TO mitigate loss.
REPAIRING THE DAMAGE.
when the construction gang finally were