The sun., 1890-01-16
TWO MANHOLES EXPLODE.
AND AL TINE SUBWAY LIGHTS FOR
BLOCKS 60 OUT WITH A SPUITER.

Electric
subway or the EXpiodlnG Subway Put
Ont the Arc Lights, but Either Way
Sixth Avenue was Greatly Startled.
The electric light and the electric sub
way have 80 far played lone hands in the game
OF terrorizinR New York. This is probably
because so few electric lights are fed by wires
buried in subways. Last night the two joined
issues and made no small sensation for
q while in kSiXth avenue. where from Four
teenth street up. the electric light wires are
In subwaya Subway explosions occurred
at Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets
following upon an electrical exhibition
at Seventeenth street, and for a while sixth
avenue was dark for several blocks north and
south Of the scene OF disturbance. Nobody
was hurt either by electricity or the explosions.
but, as usual. this was due to good luck. 1t
was an undecided question at the scene last
night whether the subways set the electric
light to sizzling or whether the electric light
shot of the subways.
There were few people on the sidewalks be-
tween and 8 o'clock last night, and fewer
wagons in the streets. There was little knot
OF mon on the northeast corner OF Seventeenth
street, however. Samuel Frank tailor two
doors above. at 270. was the centre OF the
group. and they were standing opposite New
toms oyster house and directly beside an cleo
tric light Lole on which an East River lamp
was burning. At 7:40 p. NJ. the lamp began to
sizzle and flicker, und shortly after went out.
1t blazed up again, sizzled some more and
went out again. Then some sparks fell down
among the men and scattered them. They ran
over to Newton's doorway. where they were
Joined by Willett s. Smith and James Z. Deck
er. employees in the oyster house. Pretty soon
the lamp began free display Of fireworks.
which attracted small crowds on both sides OF
the streets. The lamp itself went out, but fire
ran up the wire above the glass globe and
within the broad tin cap or hood which protects
the light from the rain. There was another
shower Of sparks. The flame grew white and
yellow by turns. and once or twice was red.
One man suggested that 1t was the cloth insu
lation OF the upper wires that was burning.
But the fire ran up and down. and once shot
for short distance down the wet wooden pole
below the lamp.
minute later there was low, dull report
at the corner. and paving stones shot up three
or four feet into the air and fell back again.
The subway had exploded. The subway man
hole at this point lies about six feet within the
line Of Sixth avenue at the intersection OF Sew
enteenth street. and near the north curb. The
cover did not blow of the manhoe. but the
paving stones we're blown up for space Of
four feet all around the manhole.
Simultaneous with this explosion the stones
around the manhole at Sixteenth street and
Sixth avenue were loosened. This manhole is
like the one at Seventeenth street.
The stones were not blown into the air, but
were thrown out OF their bed in a half circle |
eight feet In diameter around the northern side |
of the manhole. The manhole cover was not |
blown of. There was an audible explosion |
here. too. enough to mako r. Holsten. who was |
in the barroom Of the Franklin House at the |
corner think q barrel OF spirits had |
burst in his cellar. The building shook sensi- |
bly,. At the same time. or Just before the ex- |
plosion-it could not be established WHITEHALL |
the electric lights on the circuit from Four |
teenth to Twenty-flrst streets. on both sides OF
the way went out Some of them began TO
burn again almost Immediately, while others |
did not burn for several minutes. The only |
light that needed tinkering with before 1t |
started again was the one at Seventeenth
street. which had begun the evenings pro-
gramme with fireworks.
Two policemen from Capt Reillys station
were on the scene at once. Policeman Gala
han started Off for the station house, and Po-
Iiceman John Lang warned off pedestrians and
wagons from the Seventeenth street corner
Policeman Lang swore he saw the electric
light emit great green flames. but none OF the
other witnesses agreed with him. and the cleo
ric light men, when they arrived, said the po-
ceman must have had on green glasses. Men
arrived from tho Subway Company and the
United States and Manhattan companies, and
soon started the Seventeenth street light GO
ng and erected fences around the blown-up
portions OF the street, after first unlocking
lpd opening the manholes.
Men from the Subway Company declared
hat the electric light did the mischief by set
ing fire TO gas collected in the manhole They
packed their opinion on the established fact
hat the Seventeenth street lamp showed
sparks some time before the explosion. The
electric light men, however, declared that it
vas the subway that set the electric light to
IpittinR fire. and finally put 1t out They In
tanced the statements made by Witnesses
hat no fame accompanied the explosion to
prove that the gas in the manholo had not
,een set atire by an electric spark.