Night Vigil Fails. Water Spook Still Unexplained. Girl uses it as shower bath. Walls all found to be sound.
“Curiouser and curiouser” appears the mystery of the fountains of water gushing from the walls of a house in Bell-lane, Leicester. Today a “Leicester Evening Mail” representative interviewed the tenant of the house, Mr S Long, at his temporary home in Melton-road. He scorns all suggestions of spooks, mediums, ghosts, or any other psychic phenomena. “I am going back again as soon as the builders have left,” he said. “Why should I not? It is my home. I have nowhere else to go.”
Mr Long is a well-preserved man of 74. He told of his experiences with the vigour of a man at least ten years younger. He said that when the water first made its appearance he regarded it as nothing more than a leak in the roof. The next inrush, in the front bedroom, however, saturated the bed-clothes and flooded the floor to such an extent that Mr Long doubled up the linoleum into a trough and ran the water into a bath. He collected [60? 80? 20?] bucketfuls of water.
The next outbreak was in the back bedroom, over the landing. Hearing a hissing noise, Mr Long says he rushed in and found his adopted daughter, aged 13, enjoying a shower bath in the spray from the wall.
Water also came through the wall over the fireplace in the living-room downstairs, as well as through the wall opposite, but the most curious aspect of the mystery is the fact that water has come from a wall only 4 1/2 inches thick, a single brick wall. All the bedding in the house having been saturated, Mrs Long and the girl went out to neighbours’ houses to sleep.
“Old Spring” Theory
Mr Long and a lodger remained for three nights to deal with any fresh outbreaks, but there were no nocturnal streams from the walls or ceilings. He believes that an old spring near the house is a possible cause.
Eighteen months ago a new floor was put in the kitchen, but seen afterwards this began to flood. The sink outlet pipe was blamed, but this was quite sound. A plumber cured the flooding by means of an air brick under the floor, but stated his firm conviction that there was a spring below the house, and that his work would possibly have the effect of diverting its course.
When the “Leicester Evening Mail” representative suggested to a water engineer of the City Water Department that a spring might be the cause, and had been forcing its way up the walls to find an outlet, he pointed out that if such was the case, why was not water forced out into rooms of the adjoining houses?
Bricks have been removed from the walls and they have been found quite dry and the walls perfectly sound. Skirting boards have been removed and no damp patches found. There are no signs of water in the cellar, but the pressure of water from the flooded floors above has broken down the plaster from the cellar ceiling.
Mr Long states that the house is the driest in the road, and in his 13 years tenancy, except for the kitchen incident referred to, he has seen no signs of dampness in the walls or ceilings. He expressed his gratitude to neighbours for their help in storing his furniture until he returns, and for many other acts of kindness.
A theory to explain the water mystery is propounded by an engineer of the City Water Department. He blames the house sparrows. He suggests that the spouting of the house has possibly been blocked up by the nests of sparrows and that the rainfall, nearly half an inch, which fell during August 20 to August 22 accumulated in the roof space. This, he said, probably overflowed down the walls and finding the weakest places spurted out into the rooms.
“You can take it from me that no one knows how the water get into the walls,” said an expert in house property to a representative of the “Leicester Evening Mail.” “That theory as to water backing up in the roof space has been offered from another source as well as from the Water Engineer’s department. There is no place where it could have got in to that extent, apart from the fact that there has been no heavy rain for a long time.
Leicester Evening Mail, 1st September 1933.
Water Which Gushes From House Walls
Plumbers baffled by mystery
Water experts and plumbers are investigating a mysterious gushing of water from the roof and walls of house at Leicester, and although they scoff at the suggestion that psychic forces are responsible they are as yet unable to say where the water comes from.
Water, it is stated, suddenly bursts from a wall in a jet about the diameter of a pencil, and when it ceases the wallpaper is unmarked and undamaged. There is no tank in the loft of the house and the water is not laid on to the upper floor. There is no bath.
The house has been occupied by Mr. Samuel Long, who is 74, his wife, and a 13-years-old girl. Mr. Long said yesterday, “I am not afraid of ghosts, and as soon as the house is ready – experts in attempting to solve the mystery have pulled out bricks and rafters – I am going back.” Mr Long said that water ets were numerous last week-end. He had collected some 50 gallons of water off the floors and had taken up 30 buckets full from one of the bedrooms. One inspector who attempted to solve the mystery was joking about ghostly visitations when water cascaded from the roof and drenched him. Inhabitants of the neighbouring houses are not affected.
Halifax Evening Courier, 1st September 1933.
Spook Water in City House. “Still a mystery” to corporation official.
“So far as we are concerned,” said a member of the inspecting staff of the Leicester City Water Department, “the inrush of water at the house in Bell lane, to which you drew attention in your paper, is still a mystery.” This statement was made to a “Leicester Evening Mail” representation this afternoon. The chief inspector of the department, Mr Morris, today hurriedly returned from his holiday and visited the house.
Leicester Evening Mail, 2nd September 1933.
“Gushing Ghost” in Leicester House.
Mystery Water Jets Baffle Detectives.
Detectives were called in to investigate the mystery of jets of water which have reappeared in a house in Leicester but no solution of the problem of where the water comes from was found. Three weeks ago water suddenly spurted from the walls of the house, which is occupied by Mr Samuel Long, 74, his wife, and a 13-year-old girl. It poured from the walls in a jet the diameter of a pencil, and when it ceased the wallpaper was unmarked.
Experts examined the walls, took up the floors, and probed everywhere, but they found no trace of water or dampness. Nor could they explain the origin of nearly 50 gallons of water. Yesterday the jet reappeared, gushing through new wallpaper and leaving no trace. It gushed from walls and the ceiling at intervals, and Mrs Long was busy with a mop and floorcloth clearing away water on the floors and on beds covered with waterproof sheets.
The jet was not active when the detectives arrived. They searched the house, but, like the experts, failed to suggest a solution. The jets began again after they had left.
Nottingham Evening Post, 20th September 1933.
Lull in Water Mystery. House locked up by owners.
The water spook was quiet to-day in the home of Mr and Mrs S Long, of Bell-lane, Leicester, and but for one outbreak no water has appeared. The house was locked up by officials of the brewery which owns it in order that the outbreaks might be inspected by experts.
Mr Long told a “Leicester Evening Mail” reporter that he was at a loss to explain the water mystery. “It has been suggested that someone is throwing buckets of water over the walls,” he added, “but that is ridiculous. Nobody bears us any malice, and I am sure that no member of my family would want to break up the home. I have searched the place thoroughly and cannot find a leaking pipe or anything else to account for the mystery.”
Leicester Evening Mail, 23rd September 1933.
Leicester Water Spook Returns to Bell Lane
The “water spook” which haunts 22, Bell-lane, Leicester, is active once more. Frequent jets of water which shoot from the ceilings of the kitchen and living room of the house continue to baffle the experts who are inquiring into the mystery. When the jets of water first occurred some weeks ago, the tenants of the house, Mr and Mrs Samuel Long, moved to another house until the matter could be put right. Builders, water officials, health officials, all advanced theories to account for the influx of water. The house was locked up and bricks from a wall in the kitchen and parts of the skirting were removed. No water was found. While Mr and Mrs Long lived in another house an inspection of No. 22, Bell-lane was carried out each day. No water was found.
Mr and Mrs Long were told that the “spook” had vanished. They moved in again. All was peaceful in the kitchen. Mr Long was making some tea. Suddenly a powerful jet of water shot from the ceiling, drenching the floor, the table, the tea things, and the opposite wall. The water spook had returned.
When a “Leicester Evening Mail” representative called at No. 22 to-day he found Mr and Mrs Long standing gloomily in the kitchen. The floor was drenched with water and the table and a mirror on the wall were heavily splashed. There was a wet patch on the ceiling. “The water shot across the room from the ceiling this morning,” said Mr Long, “and we have had it frequently since we moved in again. I do not know what we can do about. The people who have been investigating the matter say that the house remained dry while we were away from it. I believe that they made an inspection each morning and they did not see any water because it always comes during the day and is dry by morning. I have been soaked to the skin by the water. Three times my wife has come home from work to find the kitchen so full of water that she could not have her dinner. The force of the water has broken four gas mantles.”
Mrs Long said that she was determined to look for another house. “We cannot go on living here,” she said. “My furniture is being damaged by the water and we cannot get a minute’s peace.”
Leicester Evening Mail, 25th October 1933.
“Water Spook” mystery unsolved.
Authorities admit they are baffled. Matter “passed out of their hands.” No reasonable explanation.
The Bell-lane “water-spook” mystery is likely to remain a mystery. It is improbable that either the Leicester Water Department or the Health Department will take any further action to trace the origin of the mysterious jets of water which are said to emerge unexpectedly from the ceilings of the rooms at No. 22, Bell-lane, where Mr and Mrs Samuel Long are the tenants.
An official of the Health Department told the “Leicester Evening Mail” to-day that there was “no reasonable explanation” for the influx of water at the house.” “Several times we have gone up to the house, ” he said. “Sometimes we have found nothing amiss, and once we found water in some linoleum which had been placed on top of a tall cupboard in the kitchen. Although the water is said to come out of the ceiling with great force, the paper on the ceiling is not broken in any way. It is improbable that we will take any further action.”
An official of the Water Department said that there was no water laid on upstairs, and that the matter had passed out of the hands of the department. “It is nothing to do with us,” he added.
In the meantime Mr and Mrs Long say that the “water spook” is as active as ever. Frequent jets of water shoot down from the ceiling at different times of the day, splashing every part of the kitchen.
Leicester Evening Mail, 26th October 1933.
Police to tackle water spook.
Outbreaks begin again in city house. Cooking in a mackintosh.
Police officers are now investigating the mysterious gushes of water which suddenly break from the walls and ceilings of No. 22, Bell-lane, Leicester, the home of Mr and Mrs Samuel Long. After 11 days of peace the outbreaks began again yesterday. Mrs Long told me she was sitting in her living room, writes a “Leicester Evening Mail” representative, when suddenly water began to pour from the ceiling. She was drenched to the skin, and the water flooded the living room and the kitchen. Water sprung in jets from the walls and ceiling, and Mrs Long was obliged to cook the Sunday dinner clad in a mackintosh and a hat.
“The water ran down the stairs on one day,” said Mr Long, “and when a man was taking the top off the wardrobe water spurted out of the wall and hit him in the face. Nearly all our furniture has been ruined, the beds have been soaked through. We have had to cover the furniture with brown paper and the beds with linoleum to protect them from the water. We lived next door for a week or two, and as soon as we return it has started again. People are saying that we have done it ourselves because we want to get a Council house, but that is not true. Why should we willfully ruin our home? We have just had part of the house redecorated, and we should not have done that if we had wanted to leave. I have tried everywhere to get another house, but I cannot find one. I wish someone could get one for us. This thing is driving us mad.”
Architects, plumbers, water engineers, policemen, and even a spiritualist, have tried to solve the mystery, but they have all failed.
Mr Long has kept a diary of the outbreaks, which on some days have occurred nearly every half an hour. “A curious thing is that they do not occur during the night,” Mr Long said.
Leicester Evening Mail, 13th November 1933.