New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-26
SHATTERED PAVEMENTS.
THREE SUBWAY EXPLOSIONS IN FIFTH-AvE
MANHoLES BLOWN IN THE AIR WOMEN
KNOCKED DowN-FORTUNATE ESCAPES

IAplOSlOnS III SUBWAY HlaDnOhS near tfc flitn
Avenue Hotel sent cobblestoncs, dirt and big
pieces of iron flying in all directions, and
frightened many persons in the ncighborhood,
twenty minutes before noon yesterday There were
three distinct explosions, but they came so close
together that they seemed 10 make terrific
roar. To those who the upheavals, moreover,
there appeared TO be only explosion. The iron
tops of two manholcs, weighing about ton
each, at Fifth-nve. and Twcnty-thirdst., one at
the southwest corner and the other at the north
west corner, were blown off and the cover of the
latter was broken Several persons said the
dig iron covers rose at least ten feet in the air.
About each of the two manhocs the cobbe-
stones blown out of place leaving gaps
in the pavement some eight feet in diameter.
few bricks at the mouth Of each hole were
sent flying after the stones. The third explosion
was almost in front Of the main entrance to the
Fifth Avenue Hotel but the manhOle there
held fast and only dozen Cobblestoncs were
lifted up
Probably as many as 200 persons were walk
ing along Broadway Ffth-ave and Twenty
thrd-st within one hundred feet of the man
holes when the explosions occurred, and their
escape from injury seemed marvellous. Tho con-
sternation was general, and, many OF the Wit
nesses of the upheavals were women out shop
ping there was a chorus Of loud screams, which at
first caused belief that several persons had been
hurt In fact, nobody was hurt seriously,
although several persons were struck by flying
pieces of iron and stone. The report of tho
explosions was loud enough to be heard several
blocks away. In many of the ncighboring build
inGs persons who heard the mighty roar thought
that a boiler had exploded. From the Fifth
Avenue Hotel many excited persons rushed out,
who feared that the building had been damaged
by tho shock
A PoLICEMAN's NARROW ESCAPE
Policeman Waehner, of the Broadway Squad,
was near the manholc at the )rthwcSt corner OF
Twenty-third-st. and the avenue when the small
volcano there beched forth its flood of iron ana
stone. His escape from injury was SO surprising
that he declared later in the day that his life was
protected by q charm cobbesone that had
started on its sudden journey toward broadway
brushed his right leg in passing ana scraped the
skirt of his uniform coat thrcadbarc' chuhK
of iron. part Of the manhole cover, struck hm III
the back and sent him sDrawling on his hands and
lnees He got up q little dazed, but unhurt, in
time to see young woman whom ne had oeeh as
sistnr ACCESS the street like frightened deer
toward Broadway. An instant mtcr Naehher
lodged just in time to escape being run over by
team drawing an express wagon. Several wagons,
cabs and carriages were passing at the TINE OF
The explosions and the horses started 10 run away;
Luckily, the drivers kept their presence OF NINA
long enough TO subdue the frightened stecds and
prevent collisions. The carriagc of Mrs Rubin
stein. of No 30 East Seventy -tlth-st. WAS mar
the rnanhoc and the side OF The vehicle WINS spin
irrcd Mrs. Rubinsten tainted from flight, but
received no injury except to her nerves.
Several women were knocked down by me 81
plosons fell in running away, but an except 1e
esca ned without apparent injury. She was struck
on the knee by cobblestone. and was too hme
to walk away She went home in carriage with
9u, telling her name. man who fell or was
, clTed down had two three OF his fingnrs hurt,
hut he did not stop long enough TO tell who ne
was.
THE WINDOWS OF A CAR SHATTERED.
A Twenty-third-st. crosstown car had Just
passed Fifth-ave when the shower of stones scared
the passengers, but the car was not damaged
Windows of a passing Broadway car were broken,
but no one inside the car was known to be hurt
All the windows Of buildings near the manholes
escaped injury except pate-glasS window OF the
Second National Bank, under the Fifth Avenue
Hotel which was cracked Immediately after
the explosions smoke rolled up ron nc cchHr INTO %
the store OF the American Speciality Company, al;
Joining the bank in the hotel building. Men had
been at work for two or three days tapping the
electric-ght wires in the subway IN front OF me
store and connecting them with lights III the
store bv wires running through the cellar and
under the sidewalk. Men i'll the store rushed INTO
the street, thinking that fire bad followed the
explosions. ~
The subway in Ffth-ave Is for the electric
light cables and the cables Of the Brush, Cnitod
Stntes and Manhattan companies are already IN
place, but not in use. Soon after noon subway
Commissioner Hess w. IT. Hart superntendcnt
of construction, and Chief Engineer Bcc!lwith
made FIN examination OF the wrecked manholcs.
j. Elliott Smith, superintendent OF the Fire De-
partment Telegraph Bureau, was puzzled over the
explosions Mr.. Beckwith said " We can
nSs%hoI %a8hoIcs 'GT but tn the mystery IS the snitnS
of the gas. Lately there were similar explosions
at Pearl and Wall SITS, and at Nassau and
Pine stS, and we have not been able to ascertain
how the gas igntcd to cause those eNplo-
slons BY the way, there are no wires IN those
manholcs. At this place the explosions are more ,
mysterious, beca lse these manholes were opened
after a. m. to-day and were kept open nearly
an hour that the exploding gas must have
collected within few hours. At the time of the
explosions also the manhole at Twenty-fourth-st.
was still open. Wo expect to have the SubWays
ventilated by forcing compressed air through them
by steam power Explosions may he prevented
by keeping the gas from correcting Ill dangerous
quantities"
Worlmen repaired the brick walls Of the man.
holes, replaced the tops and set the disturbed
cobbleStoncs back In place in the afternoon
AN EXPLANATION OF THE EXPLOSION.
Following is the explanation given by the
members of the Board Of Electrical Control:
The explosion the result u tho leakage into the
subways Of quantities from the mains OF companies
oreranr in the neighborhood Il directly
directly brought about by underground electrical
rent inasmuch electrical passing through
,be subwnys at the OF the explosion II would have
occurred closed cellar or other receptacle into
which Ike kinds OF gas could penetrate and combine with
air and under similar circumstances. The
manhoes az which the explosion took place frequently
examined and ventilated. There are five companies
Operating near by and 1t is impossible to tell yet which
one or more should be held responsible for the leak
leaks occaslonng the explosion The following letter has
been sent by OF the Board Of Electrical Control 10
each " the gas companies:
"Your attention called 70 the tsct that owing TO
leak or ieaks from gas pipes in the vicinity three Of the
subway manhoes at Ffth.aye and Twen'y ythrd.st
exploded this morning causing serious inconvenience and
seriously endangernr lives of citizens.
Your company has mains and connections In this
neghorhood AZ we'll as elsewhere in the city You
respectfully requested take immediate steps to prevent
any further escape gas into electrical subways. such
escape comes your pipes In this or any other locality
Inasmuch as no loss OF life has resulted from this
ploson 1t is perhaps fortunate that II occurred before
the electric current had transmitted the wires
placed in the subway Of the conductors in the