The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-14
THE BRoADWAY VOLCANO.
Workmeu Busy Making Repairs - steam,
Heat MeltInE the Asphalt in w all street.

Heat Melting the Asphalt In w all Street.
special force Of policemen was kept busy
all day yesterday handling the hundreds OF
curious people who wanted to see the spot
where the big gas flame burst out OF Broad
way at the Fulton street crossing on Thursday
morning. Several troublesome blocks Of
traffic occurred in consequence OF the many
openings In both Broadway and Fulton street.
The gas companys employees. after putting
the blaze out at o'clock on Thursday night,
spent the rest of tho night trying to cool the
mains. while gangs Of workmen employed by
the steam company packed wet bags OF wool
around the stenm pipes. With daylight 1t was
discovered that gas escaped freely from six
Joints in the pipes of the two companies all
either in the Fulton street trench or In the
subway manhoe at Knox's corner. 1t was con-
jectured that the flame from tho single loose
Joint that started all tho fuss had melted the
lead soldering in the five other Joints. All these
Joints were securely soldered by 9 o'clock in
the morning. and then the gas was let In again.
, TO ACCOMPLISH this, all the rubber bags which
bad been used to plug the eight mains had to
be removed. one by ono. and the holes In the
pipes stopped w with threaded metal covers
This was done before noon. one new joint
was necessary TO connect two Of the Consoli-
da On. Company's nines, but this was quickly
company. for The steam company had already
finished tinkering with their pipes at that
point ana had begun to open gi ound further
The Subway Company has two manholes to re-
build. and 1t will take some time to DO It.
There were Is United States cables In the
exploded subway instead OF g. az was ar
noupced by the subway Company on Thursday.
All these. with the two Mount Morris Company
gables, were destroyed. An official Of the
United States Company said yesterday that
none OF the wires were in use at the time OF the
IRE. because for several months the steam
companys pipes had heated the wires beyond
the limit OF safety us specified by the Board of
Electrical Control. The telephone and tele-
graph wires in the subway on the west side OF
broadway were not injured. Chief Engineer
Birdsall was on the spot all Of yesterday. He
VIII report TO Commissioner Gilroy day.
, In q paragraph last week The SUN stated
that the hot weather had played havoc with
the new Wall street asphalt. but 1t now appears
from an examination of the street that the
leaky mains OF the steam heating company
are responsible. Their pipes are about eight
teet from the north curb and only two or three
feet below the surface. They nre of the old
fashioned sort and tho escaping steam boats
the asphalt almost to the melting point There
is bad spot In front OF the Assay ONCE and
another at Wall and William streets When
during the asst few days, tho combination Of
steam and atmospheric heat tells appreciably
On the asphalt, and heavy teams get stuck It
Is Understood that the steam company has
purchased material. which will be here next
month. and will lay new pipes which will do
away with the present bad condition Of things.