BKEAK IN THE WATER MAIN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2281, 15 October 1914, Page 7

BKEAK IN THE WATER MAIN

MINIATURE NIAGARA ON "WELLINGTON TERRACE. ' 'A serious break, in the 21-ihch watermain from' "Wainui-o-rhata occurred just opposite St. Andrew's Church, oh "Wellington Terrace, at about 11o'clock yesterday morning; '-] The 'water bui's't opeii the roadway just' over ''the''cbh'crete wall which stands oyer the steps''leading down opposite the Occidental Hotel, j and'.poured in ,a solid.inasS oyer, ibe parapet to the ground; some thirty odd I feet below,, forming a rushing cataract down the slope: cn'to the' Quay! For twenty minutes or more . the. main poured out its'hundreds "of gallons of water over the parapet to the ground below, until steps ,hSd been' taken to turn off the supply leading along the main. .... A huge crowd of people soon, gathered below, and watched the unusual spectacle. The remainder of the water rushed down the Terrace like a mill race, on. round Parliament Buildings, to the Quay. Soon the two streams converged, and tho Quay became one .street of water, which in places was two or three feet deep. Tradespeople in the vicinity anxiously stood at.-ithoir shop doors watching the water,-, rise higher and higher. Motor-cars stationed by the. sidewalk were soon axledeep in the water, while the trarhcars ploughed a spray-hewn patch througU the ever-growing lake. One shopkeeper was to be seen, making a desperate attempt to rescuo ', a large case of goods from the water. 'And all the while the cataract V uisdcred down from the Terrace, the water glistened in the midday sun, wh 'e the crowd, growing larger and larger every moment, enjoyed the free sight of the miniature Niagara. It was finding new outlets now. - It trickled, and then flowed a muddy path over, the empty section below the steps, formed a hugejet*on to-.the roof of- a- shed at tee back of Mee's, the chemist, and'caused a small slip down, the unprotected portion of; the bank. . '■'-'.

;The flow eventually was cut off; tho waterfall gradually disappeared, aud the cataract !on to the Quay, ceased, along tho Quay the street was left lined and covered with a thin deposit of yellow silt. Soon carts arrived on tho scene to clear away tho debris, hoses washed away the silt, and a gang of workmen to repair tho broken main. ...... .This had. just about been completed when, about. 7 o'clock last night, there was another blow-out close by. Fortunately, this was not very serious, and about 9 o'clock last night a gang of workmen were making good headway towards repairing it.. It is not known what caused the break, and • ■though thousands of gallons of water were lost it is not expected that it will materially affect the supply. Business establishments in the vicinity suffered somedamage to stock from the rush of water, but the damage is t not thought to bo very serious.