Virginia Main Break
Oct 22, 2004

Power Outage Under Investigation

Myers said the pipe had a crack that extended about three-quarters across on the bottom, which indicated that it was a stress crack caused by the earth's movement. A broken water main in Wallace Hall was the result of a stress crack that stretched three-quarters down the length of the pipe.The earth shifted, and deep below the surface a water line bent and cracked. The high-pressured water from the six-inch diameter line flowed towards a manhole, filling it to the brim, and then flowed through electrical conduits down to the electrical vault in Wallace Hall, filling it with four feet of water. The electrical vault arched and part of campus went black.