Water main break shuts down restaurants, bars, T stations
North End and Financial District take it in stride
Carolyn Carty Sapontzis of New Jersey left Boston yesterday with an unsatisfied craving for Joe's clam chowder. The stove in Brian Dacey's North End apartment did not work. And the Horan brothers, Bud and Dan, sacrificed showers.
More than 400 natural-gas customers were inconvenienced by a water main that broke early on Saturday morning, shutting down restaurants, bars, and T stations across the Financial District and North End. Thousands of gallons of water from the break poured into gas pipes, rupturing them and causing problems for businesses and residents for most of the weekend.
People took it in stride.
"It'll be a good grunge day," Dan Horan said while walking his dog in front of the Marriott Long Wharf with his brother yesterday. Horan was staying at the Oakwood Apartments on India Street, only a few blocks away from where the main broke at Devonshire and Washington streets. Part of Devonshire Street remained blocked off as crews worked to finish repairs. Mud, sand, and rocks still coated some of the street.
Nearly two dozen National Grid trucks were scattered throughout the Financial District overseeing pump trucks that collected more than 5,000 gallons of water from the gas line by 11 a.m. yesterday. By Saturday night, crews identified 13 miles of affected gas mains, which span more than 30 streets, according to a statement by National Grid.
"We're pumping water, we're making repairs, we're doing a number of things simultaneously," said Debbie Drew, a National Grid spokeswoman.
The break, which occurred about 3 a.m. Saturday, also flooded streets in the Financial District and the Blue Line platform at the State Street subway station. It did not affect subway service.
Customers in the North End were expected to have their service restored last night while those in the Financial District were not expected to have their service back until possibly today, according to the statement.
However, that was too late for Carty Sapontzis. She was visiting Boston with her husband and two children and was in search of a meal at Joe's American Bar and Grill on the waterfront when she suddenly halted after seeing a sign on the door that read in part "we will remain closed until further notice." Carty Sapontzis had eaten Joe's chowder on a previous visit to Boston and was looking forward to having another bowl.
"I'm definitely disappointed because I wanted to get some good chowder," she said, "and tonight we're on our way back to New Jersey."
While Sapontzis and her family headed toward Faneuil Hall in search of a replacement chowder, Dacey looked for a hot drink. The North End resident's gas service was cut off, rendering his stove useless.
"It's just making due without cooking and having to go to
At Faneuil Hall, restaurants and the food court were not affected and remained open during the weekend. Nate Wing, a manager at Cheers at Faneuil Hall, said the restaurant was busier than usual Saturday because many other surrounding restaurants had no hot water and were forced to close.
Like Joe's, the Hard Rock Cafe near Faneuil Hall was closed Saturday and yesterday because there was no gas to heat water to wash dishes or for employees to wash their hands. The restaurant's gift shop remained open.
"As a company we're just not going to take a chance," said Mark Frisicano, manager of the restaurant. "We'll be in here every day until it comes on. When it does, we'll open as soon as we can."
While restaurants eagerly wait to reopen for business, Brain Dallas awaits a hot shower.
Dallas, 25, a Philadelphia native who has lived at the Oakwood Apartments for the past month while on business in Boston, chose a cold shower over no shower.
"It was rough," he said. "I haven't had to take a cold shower like that in a long time. It's pretty hard to shave with cold water, too."
Despite the icy shower, Dallas said he wasn't angry.
"These things happen. What can you do?" he said.
Megan Woolhouse of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
