Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-18
WATER FAMINE HITS
500, 900; MAIN BURSTS

1
sewer excavation was soon a swIrlIng tor
rent and the water overhowed onto Frank
| ford avenue TO depth Of three feet,
The break put out Of commission a sup
| ply station OF the United Gas and Improve
ment Company Mt wheatsheaf lane and
Jasper street. This station is used to re-
charge batteries of electric automobiles Of
the company The overflow partially sub
merged the engine and dynamo of the sta
tlon and In minute the plant was dead"
A hen house. belonging to Edward Hahn,
watchman of the station, was submerged
and sixty chickens drowned.
HOUSEHOLDER AROUSED
As soon as householders became aware of
| the fact that water pipes were on strike
| they began bombarding the office OF the
Water Bureau with queries.
| Chief Davis was routed out Of bed at
| 3 o'clock and Immediately dispatched
| force OF men 10 the scene OF the break.
There are two water pipes at that point,
| and the men had to determine which was
| the culprit The broken section was found
under eight feet of earth. Then began the
| effort to segregate the broken section. This
was done by turning several valves. While
| the workmen were trying TO segregate the
broken section, men In other parts Of the
|
famine zone by directing other water sup
plies to the section and readjust and equal
lZe the water pressure of the entire city.
Water supplies tapped for the benefit of the
famine area we're the East Park reservoir.
the Corinthan reservoir and the Oak and
Queen Lane sections.
Chief Davis said that II the city had es-
tablshed an independent pipe line from
Lardner's point, as advocated by the EVEN
ING LEDGER. the water famine would not
have occurred.
with the Independent pipe line" he said.
I'VE would have had an additional string
to our bow, and we could have had plenty
OF water in spite OF the break"
FACTORIES CLOSED
The break virtually crippled the plant of
the Stetson Hat Company. More than 400
workers were told that there was no work
for them today
The watchman at the plant of the Will
liam H. Horstmann Company, Fifth and
Cherry streets, noticed that the pumps in
the place had started TO "Jerl'' and he
filled all of the boilers. BY the time the
factory hands arrived the water was off
entirely. More than six hundred employees
were dismissed and the factory was shut
down.
The Pennsylvania Paste Company, 2Ss
North Second street, has enough water in
Its roof tanks 10 last through the day.
The Felton-Slbley Company. Fourth and
Cherry streets, was cut off early today but
later the pressure was restored,
More than 400 employees were let off for
the day at the Firth & Foster Company. n
dyehouse at Emerald and Adams streets,
Dye houses in that section of the city were
badly crippled. C. H. MaslRnd & Sons.
carpet manufacturers at Willard and AM
ber streets, let 500 men go for the day.
MANY AFFECTED
other plants which shut down COM
pletely or let many of their employees go
included the American Dye Works, Tulip
and westmoreland streets; the CRledonlan
Dye Works. 1896 East Clearfeld street;
John Blood underwear manufacturer, at
Clearfeld and Witty streets; ]. c. Hunt
ington Company 93s North Third street;
the Crescent Corrugated Paper Company
449 North Fifth street Royal silk Dyelng
Company, 1920 East oxford street; West
moreand Dyeng Company, Jasper and
Westmoreand streets.
Other plants which were thrown into en-
forced dleness follow:
G.. A. Bsler Paper BOX Company. 24B
North Sixth street employing 500 persons
II. II. Gulfuss Sons. manufacturers OF con-
dictionary supplies, 1909 Vine street, 200
Maloney & Bergln. manufacturers of metal
cornlcss 429 North Third street. 200 Mo-
nongahela Dlstiling Company, all North
Third street 100 carnwalth-Bell Company,
manufacturers OF steam packing boxes. 81
Cherry street SIutth-Foster 4 Co., dyers,
Emerald and York streets, 500: Harvey
Fiber Company Allegheny avenue and jan
ney street, zoo; Hutton Dyeing Company,
Frankford avenue, south of Bockius. 100;
Robert II. Foerderer, Wheatsheaf lane, east
of Frankford avenue, 100.
The Roosevelt Hospital reported that It's
water supply was cut OF InteTnes and
nurses were sent out with pals to search
the nelghborhood for water.
The Episcopal Hospital. Front street
Hta4s4 a
boilers. suspended work in the laundry,
turned off the lights and postponed all the
operations scheduled for this morning be-
cause water was shut of at the hospital.
The hospital had 10000 gallons or water
on hand In tanks, but that amount would
last but the fraction OF a day With $50
patients. The superintendent said there
was no complaint or criticism OF the Water
Department; that II was a circumstance
over which no one had control
Stetson Hospital t545 North Fourth
street, reported that II was using It's re-
serve supply OF water and going on with
operations as usual
The Kenslngton Hospital for Women. 1ss
Diamond street, with sixty patients, was
compelled TO postpone baths a number Of
hours on account of the break This was
the only Inconvenience, as the water began
to fiow again at about o'clock
st. Mary's Hospital. Frankford avenue
and Palmer street. with $50 patients. suf-
fered no Inconvenience went right on with
bathing and washing operations. Water
came on at Q o'clock In that district
BY some strange freak, the ST. Chris |
topher Hospital for Children. Lawrence and
Huntington streets, had all the water It
needed, while the hospital authorities re-
port that people living In the nsghborhood
about the hospital had q fearful time, run
ming everywhere 20 get water"
The FrankfoFd Hospital. by a like coin
uidsnes had no troubls,s while employees at |
the hospital, living on Penn street. > few
blocks away, reported that they had no |
water for baths before going 10 work this |
While the area covered BY the famine |
depends upon the high pressure system for |
hre lighting purposes. Inconvenience was /
suffered In certain sections where nre plugs |
we're connected with ths altered water syss |
TENS At no time however. vas thre Sc |
rloua danger. because ia eass q a bad nra. /