100 years ago: Second water main break floods Mass Street

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Feb. 22, 1913:

  • “Another break in the main. The tests of the water pressure were resumed this morning disclosing another weak place in the Massachusetts street main. Shortly after 1 o’clock persons on the street at the corner of Henry street noticed a mysterious movement in the pavement. A section of the pavement more than 25 feet square seemed to raise up as if lifted by an explosion. Then water began to gush forth at the car tracks and soon the street was flooded…. The water company informed of the break was again forced to shut off the pressure and another big hole in the street is promised. The street car company found difficulty in operating its cars at this point as the upheaval of the pavement left the outside rail at the curve several inches lower than the street. The water that gushed through the break flooded the sidewalks on the south end of the 800 block and threatened to flood several of the cellars at this point.
  • “The Civic League of Lawrence wants the streets of the city marked with appropriate signs. Yesterday at the annual meeting of the league the work for the coming year was outlined and it was decided that the annual ‘Clean-Up’ must give way somewhat to this new venture. No definite action along the new line was taken but the women present were very enthusiastic over the proposition and the League plans to do some real work in this direction, devoting two years to it. The league will favor action by the city council on this and promises that it will help in any way possible to secure these street signs. This is a matter that has been agitated more or less for several years but very little has been accomplished thus far. The women hope to be able to do some real good along this line…. Although the League has decided that it will not take as active a part in the ‘Clean-Up’ this year as in the past the plan is not to be abandoned. The third Saturday in April will again be declared the official day for the annual raid on garbage and the league hopes to see much accomplished on that day, but it will not be responsible for the disposing of this garbage as in the past…. In connection with the work of sanitation the league intends to ask the city council to name a special sanitary officer who will devote his entire time to looking after the sanitary conditions of the city.”