Got Em Guessing – Mystery Fountain Is Flowing at Conisbrough

August 1957

South Yorkshire August 10 1957

Got Em Guessing
A Mystery Fountain Is Flowing at Conisbrough

Water Board, N.C.B.and Conisbrough Urban Council officials have been pulled this week by water which spurted in the middle of a lawn in Glencoe cottages, Conisbrough, and which is flowing at the rate of 27,000 gallons a day.

The water is flowing away through sewers and the question concerning officials is where it is coming from. There are no burst water mains in the immediate vicinity of the cottages, and to theories have been examined. Either it is an underground stream, spring or river which has suddenly changed it course, or there is a burst water main on Denaby Crags, allowing the water to flow underground, and come up at a weak point in the ground.

Mr and Mrs James Burke of 2, Glencoe cottages, Conisbrough and their daughter, Maureen, went to Bridlington last week. Their garden was full of flowers and the lawn was green.

On Saturday they found a hole about 6 feet deep and about 10 feet square in the lawn – in fact there was very little of the lawn showing. They learned that a fountain of water had burst through the middle of lawn on Wednesday.

Mrs Edith Hayward of 4 Trent Terrace, first saw a fountain of muddy water come out of the earth. She brought Mr TJ Day off 2 Calder Terrace, Mrs Burke’s father, to the scene. He informed the Council and since the officials have tried always to trace the source. Workmen have been digging holes all round Glencoe cottages in an attempt to see if the water is coming from a broken water main. They have been unsuccessful so far.

All were Puzzled

Mr G Chadwick, Urban Council Engineer and Surveyor, told a “Times” reporter that the water was being drained away to a sewer as an emergency measure. He said all the water authorities that supplied water to the district had sent officials to inspect the site, and all had been puzzled.

In an attempt to trace the origin the water a sample has been sent away to laboratories for analysis. It is up to fine its origin bites mineral content. Last night council officials had not yet received the results of the analysis.

Comment on Mrs Burke “I hope they can stop it soon; it is making an awful mess of the garden. It is a lucky thing it didn’t come up under the house.” She said only a load of coal near an air grate in the house had stopped the water going inside the house.

South Yorkshire Times August 3, 1957

Winner of a backstroke event during the inter-schools swimming gala at Denaby Bath on Thursday, David Jones, of Conisbrough Northcliffe school shows his prizes to friends.