Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-03-06
BRANDYWrNE FLOOD.


Even the Pennsylyania railroad depA
was daYkcned by the brenkdowu and
incoming passengers had ~ walk, tsac .
tAxicab, il they could gst onc, or srssnd
tho nisht in = hotel downtown.
About 100 trolley carr were stsIlsd h.
and around the city. Some rcIiof emo a.
Z3O o'clock this morning, when one OF
the boilers at the Brsndyyine pcper-
house was started mp again. Then thu
Delaware avenue and Vandevr~ avenue
cars that bad got stuck mndc their vay
into The barn. They rcnAned In then
until tho usual hour Of starting out again.
and when they did goforth many persong
wondered Why the other lines, were not
running These two lineg happened ~
have the direct current, while the other
were all running on the aitcrnab y cur
rcnt. This was the explanation given 81
tho Market street Offices of the traction
company.
The remainder of IN. lines we're sill
out OF commission at o o'clock, but there
VA hope Of early resumption Of traf c on
aii lines, 20 IL WAS stated. The Riyerviev
and Maryland avenue lines were shortly
sfrrwsrd started again. This crippling
Of the system kept most business y ople
a. home tbis morning, making the heart
OF the city resemble Sunday.
Ordinarily the sub-station IN the city
~ nbie 10 take care ~ an emergency fol-
lowing any trouble st the main prwer-
hofse, but this time the minor station
was hslplesx, It's source having been
entirely cut Of.
The traction corapsny's Telephone lines
were kept bury by frantic population
last night while homes we're in total
darknfss. The switchboard 81 the Market
street offers was kept open until the
usual hour, 10 O'Clock, end the operator
was kept rushing.
Lights in the home al wen. out, but
many Of them were restored by q. m, or
a little later. This was DIE % the one
boiler which resumed is plscc In the
syytrm- But only those horaeS that hap
pcned 20 be on direct current got any
benefit from this. In the other hornes OIL
lamps, candles and other unakcshifts were
brought out and made TO serve the
emergency. Some stores in Market street
opened early NTH current for their lirbss,
while all others were still without any
current at ell.
No damage 20 the rolling stock Of the
traction company 70 sr<sk OF hss vet
been reported AZ Twentieth ard Market
one car jumped the tracks. There were
several other instance. Of rnishsos such
az this one, but no serious 1annagp1 70 the
car. themselves.
Oldest employees ~ the cornra-y ~
the Market street Offices we're unable 20
recall 90 serious breakdown ss this one
There have been rep afed stoppayes Of
the current for an hour or go, Ult rarely
IN the history 81 the city has the solIrcs
OF all it, electric power been shut of for
so long a time.
RESCUE NARROWED PASSENGERS.
In view Of the fact that mary trolley
passengers were marooned 10 ous Of the
way places IN The rural sections. a plumber
OF WiIningsoniaps went 70 their rescue
with automobiles. IL wes found that
persons living near where cars were stalled
took passengers in ard where IL vss con-
venieDt or desired, accommodated them
10, the right. In some cases warm slroers
were provided. There we're several
instances Of this kind along the Brapdv-
vine Springs, Darby and New Castle lines.
Motorists vert out or the roads where the
stalled cars were and took people 20 Their
destinations. One motorist engaged in
this work did not finish the lob Until J
O'Clock this morning.