GREENFIELD — On the lower level of Wilson’s Department Store on Main Street Thursday afternoon, restoration specialists stood in a half-inch-thick layer of mud, surveying the damage caused by an apparent overnight water pipe break.
“Wow!” said one worker, rounding the corner at the bottom of the stairwell. “That’s bad.”
A few hours earlier, the entire housewares, toys and games departments floor was submerged under a foot of water. That, much to his surprise, is how owner Kevin O’Neil found them when he came in to open the store at 8 a.m., prompting him to close for the day.
“The main broke, and (the water and dirt) came in through the foundation,” O’Neil said, straddling a hose that pumped remaining water out the front door and into the street.
A few feet away, excavation crews worked to unearth the faulty 6-inch fire sprinkler service pipe that Building Inspector Mark Snow said was likely installed around 1931.
Public Works Director Don Ouellette said highway crews will be back on scene Friday to finish the repairs, but no one is without water as a result of the incident.
“The only down side is that Wilson’s doesn’t have fire service right now, but the Fire Department has installed a temporary hook-up so they’ll be all right,” he said.
O’Neil said he hopes to re-open the store Friday, but expects the lower level will remain closed for a few days. He said the store is insured for any damage.
You can reach Tom Relihan at: 413-772-0261, ext 264
or: trelihan@recorder.com
On Twitter: @RecorderTom