The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-13
THE GREAT ROOF BROKEN.
a TRLMENDOUs CRISH INSIDE THE
GRAND UNION DEPOT.
Two Hundred and I bir,y-iwo Lnrac Paues OF
Tbick GLASS Shattered-W hat Happily
WINS Not nm Appalling Disaster Yesterday.


Thick GLASS Shnttered-W Happily
WINS Not an Appalling Disaster Yesterday.
A very lucky accident occurred in the
Grand Central Depot yesterday. The great New
Years Day storm had deposited an immense
weight Of snow on its great roof. Suosequent
tbaws, ins. aud freezings, with tho occasional
addition Of y few inches more OF snow. had made
hard ice OF this enormous mass. The roof Is
divided into alternate segments OF iron and
glass, sloping at different angles. On each side
Of the peak there is, first, 10 feet OF glass roof.
slopine moderately then 20 feet Of iron roof,
sloping mt an angle of 15'. next 80 feet OF glass
with a slope OF 49, and finally 30 feet more Of
iron with a less steep slope, ending In great
stone gutter. Such Is the semi circle OF iron
and glass that has sheltered the tnany trains
that run over the Harlem and New Haven rail-
r.. dr.
The great mass Of Ice had collected on the
hrst two slopes " the roof. aud especially on
the almos horizontal iron part forming the scc-
ond slope on the east side Of the centre ridge.
Where THIS iron slope Is succe cded by the steep
glass roof there IL pcrpcndicular descent OF
eight feet Yesterday thaw lOosened the mass
Of Ice on the iron roof and water began 10
tricklc under II. suddenly. at about ll.3j a. NJ.
IL began TO slide, and gathering momentum II
plunged in body over the edge Of the iron roof,
aud. falling eight or ten feet. struck tue glass
roof below with "A force that shook the great
building like an earthquake.
The glass was half au inch thick. laid In panes
l. feet long 10y wide. aud supported ny iron
rdftors. forming squares feet by 4. When the
failing ice struck The glass II gave way WIN
crasn that sounded like tue bursting OF steam
/ hoiler. and frighicncd the railroad employees IN
the building, aud every body In the streets
! Heavy chunks OF Ice and millions OF pieces 81
! shivrred glass, some two or three feet square,
| others mol erthau aDenny, shuwercd through
! the broken roof and fell tn the pavement, rail-
| TOAD tracks, and passengers concrete platforms,
" feet below Glittering shyers Of glass re-
| houn led and fell all over the east side of the
| depot ike shower OF needles. Beneath the
/ rent part Of the roof which Is between 90 aud
| $40 feet long bN about feet wide. the floor u
! the depot Is covered with heap u broken glass
several inches deep.
| Fortunately no cars were I'm the east side OF
the depot. a train emptied its load Of passen-
gers under tue glass roof about ten minutes be-
after The roof ieil. Had the accident occurred
when a train VS. discharging Its pas
sengers many OF them ment have been
cars of the Fourth avenue line stood
with their horses alta he'd under part Of the
rent roof. The drivers and conductors were
away eating their dinner. The falling glass in
Jured tue four horses. two Of them very severely.
| choppeu on the RIOS OF one OF the horses. and
| all four were badly cut In many places. Holes
were knocked through tue roofs OF the cars
large enough Tor man to nut his arm through,
and the roofs we're studded with pieces Of
! broken glass. Had the cars been standing where
| the gre test mass Of glass fell, the cars must
have been demolished and the horses killed.
In one tlace a chunk II lee broke a hole
| through name Of glass cutting a perfect pro-
| ne of Commodore Vanderbilt TITO likeness
was recognized 10y many OF tina railroad en-
| ploye-. There were ~ OF the large panes 81
| GLASS broken. They are to he rell tced ny noon
to-day. The damage Is estimated at about
1850.
The fallen ice plunged into the great gutter
| below, Milling IL to depth Of four feet. Some
OF the chunks weigh several hundred pounds.
Another mass VI ice had collected ON the
west side Of the roof and to Insure the grea.
structure against a like accident there. sixty
men were Sc. TO WORK rcmovlgs IT IN the alter,
were stopped at the north end of the depot. and
their passengers walked out beneath the iron
roof No accident from falling Ice ever before
90 cured III the Crane Central depot The snow
heretofore has always slid of the roof while II
was soft. aud IN small quantities, 50 that no
Injury WAS done to tue heavy glass.