Water Main Bursts And Floods Houses

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29985, 21 November 1962, Page 10

Water Main Bursts And Floods Houses

(Neto Zealand Preu Association)

WELLINGTON, Nov. IS. Water awiried from one street to another, through houses and properties, this morning when a 15in water main bunt in the Wellington suburb of Newtown. Within a few minutes half a dozen neighbours at the corner of Mein and Owen streets became involved in a number of crises. A car parked in Mein street begin sinking into an ever-widening water hole. An 85-year-old blind and deaf man was rescued from a bach as water flooded a foot deep around his bed. An elderly woman with a weak heart hurried from her kitchen as a waterfall came down from the next door yard and streamed into her house. Hundreds of pounds worth of damage was done to carpets, linoleums, furnishings. other property and gardens while the artificial river flowed for nearly two hours. A downpour at the same time as the pipe burst confused the issue for those trying to take protective measures. But when the rain stopped and the water kept flowing through the houses, it was

realtaed a water pipe must have burst. Across the road, Mr J. Powell mves:tga<ed a “rush, ing” noise. "I went to the door and saw all the water shooting past.” His immediate thought was for his father, Mr W. Powell, aged 85, who is blind and deaf. He was in bed in a bach in the back yard. Mr W. Powell had felt the water under his bed and was wondering what was happening by the time his son arrived.