Evening star., 1933-08-24
Toll Through Night in Water
Up to Chests Amid 200,-
OOO-VoIt PeriIs.
DAM BUILT TO CLEAR
SCORES OF MACHINES
Service Again Normal After Tenn.
porary Use Of Baltimore Current.
Breakdown First in ~ Years.

Confronted with a breakdown Of Its
Benning power plant for the first time
in its 81 years of operation, skilled work
men of the Potomac Electric Power Co.
last night and early today worked IN
water up to their chests and in dam
gerous proximity to 100000 volts Of
borrowed electricity. to restore the
Capitals electric power supply. The
unprecedented flood had interrupted
service when 1t inundated the plant
early last night.
The men-working stripped to the
waist or almost entirely naked-bullt
800 feet of 8-foot-high dam, pumped
tons of water and cleared scores Of
delicate machines. This morning,
Washington rode to work on its street
cars, used its elevators as usual. and,
in short, carried on business normally
so far as its dependency on elect-ica!
power was concerned.
The big Job of restoring power COM
pleted. the utility company today turned
its attention to the repair Of disrupted
service in outlying residential sections.
Plant Suddenly Enveloped.
The big jolt to the power company's
service came at about $50 o'clock last
night. Without the warning Of a
gradual mounting Of water about the
Benning plant, on the Anacostia River,
what appeared to be wall of water.
The thrush, hkened to an ocean comber
that floods a beach, struck the plant,
buried its floors beneath four to five
feet Of thick, muddy water, and stopped
all machinery.
Screens designed to clear the water
that is pumped into the boilers OF the
plant steam engines fouled or carried
away, and debris Of all sorts. including
live fish, was being fed to draining
boilers. The fires had to be banked
Immediately, and the plant, for the first
time since 1t was started, in 1906, was
completely silent.
The companys technicians promptly
switched on the huge storage batteries,
and these operated for the short time
necessary to cut in on the recently
built ''tie line" to Baltimore, This line
was established to give Washington an
emergency source of power in the event
its own facilities broke down completely.
The storm, which broke the Benning
plants back, however, also put out OF
commission the Baltimore Consolidated
Gas g. Electric Power Co.'S two steam
generating plants, and both cities then
had to draw on the hydro-electric plant
on the Susquehanna River. at Safe Har-
Dor. near Columbia, Pa.
The source of power from that plant
was limited, but the Baltimore Power
Co. shared with Washington even this
short ration so that the Government
offices, hospitals, traction companies,
newspapers and other elemental"
agencies could carry on.
Men Rushed to Plant.
Meanwhile, men who had worked on
line repairs throughout the storm yes
terday were rushed to the flooded Ben
ming plant. They began rearing dams
about the plant and manning pumping
euuipment to clear the water. Rail-
road ties, cinders and gravel were
thrown into the making Of the dsms
The pumping equipment was made
ouate, however, and Fire Chief George
Watson dispatched three Fire Depart
ment, bumpers to the plant. Because
OF high water, these machines had to
cross the Pennsylvania avenue bridge
and circle through the country and
come up to the plant from the east.
The work was done by the light OF
hand electric torches and ordinary
kerosene lanterns.
Although the borrowed" power COM
ing in over the tie line was running at
200 900 volts which in turn had to be
handled and switched about to strategic
points in the city over ater-threatened
equipment, not q single casualty or
even minor accident to personnel oc-
Cured
The pumps and dams got in their
work and the machinery was quickly
cleared and restored to operation this
morning.
The nights work was closely watched
by DR.. William Mcclellan, president of
the company; A. G. Neal, vice president
and general manager. and c. Melvin
Sharp, executive assistant to the preN
dent, who stayed at the stricken plant
until early morning.