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Harry, while I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, and certainly hope you have no damage: That is exactly what happened to my car last summer. Except that my water was not pouring out, more like steaming from the split heater valve.
I capped my heater ports on the engine side, and it seemed to run fine, almost. Over a couple of weeks it started drinking up lots of coolant and overheating. Long story short, the very short overheat (like yours, mine was only a mile or less from home) did damage to the head gasket and possibly the head.
While your mechanic has the car, I'd recommend that you have him do a cooling system pressure test, and a compression test on it.
Watch your car very, VERY carefully over the next few weeks. Especially watch the coolant level/condition, level/condition of the oil, and the operating temperature. Check the coolant level/condition and oil condition/level at least twice per day for the next couple of weeks. Preferably check them every time you go to start the car, and after each time you shut it off. Carry a gallon of pre-mixed coolant with you. I'm not kidding. Watch the temp gauge like a hawk.
Any, and I mean ANY, unusual symptoms are grounds for a trip to the mechanic. Even the slightest hiccup or burp from the engine, the slightest twitch from the temp gauge, the slightest hesitation that wasn't there before.
At this point, you are trying to contain and minimize any further damage. Whatever is done is done, but you don't want it to go any further if the car drinks up too much coolant and starves the head of coolant again.
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Scott Cook - 1991 745T, 1985 RX-7 GSL-SE, 1986 Toyota Tercel (Don't laugh, it is reliable, faithful AND gets 41 mpg!)
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