New-York tribune., 1890-06-19
THE NEW-YORK STEAM COMPANY'S FAULT
OF PART OF ITS CHATTER

OF PAkI OF us CHANT fk
Commissioner Gilroy Of the Department Of Public
Works presented to Mayor Grant yesterday his report
In relation 10 the explosion of gas main which
occurred June Il at the Intersection Of broadway
and Futon-st After referring 10 the startling nature
Of the subject the Commissioner SAYS:
designated George W. Brdssll, chief engineer oi
the Croton Aqueduct, Horace Loomis. engineer ~
inspector Of street openings. a commission 10 eH
anime into aud report TO me the causes Of the ex
plOsIOn. The commission called before II all the
known witnesses the inspector Of the depart mcnt ana
the foreman and laborers Of the Ncw-fork steam
Company, and Of the gas ompanics whose mains were
injured. The witnesses not under oath and
their statements were sometimes conflicting but the
commission believes that each man related the cir
cumstanoes he them. From these de
serpuons Of the occurrence, the facts are believed
For the purpose of alteration and repairs is steam
ppes, the New York steam Company had opened
trench al Broadway and Fulton three four
weeks prior to the explosion and has since that tine
Ucen ensaged IN such repairs, the work being done
nmo.uy AZ night The excavation was twelve feet
eeep and necessarily disturbed the surrounding soil
Iof considerable distance each way from the cut,
continuous street trsifc. caused the settlement
ng tmng In The Immediate vicinity that above
~ Psoh Oi the excavation. This caused several
x es. IN the saS pipes and other pipes IN the vicinity
""T The sseve Wors@eS wa, strong , smell Of gas,
use OF lights and lanterns In the trench. II also
IT,, ust the connection known the drip pipe
a'n'u 70 the bottom Of the New York Mutual Ga,
pn .~,psH @ main was exposed during the excavation
anu rcIhsined 80 exposed until The explosion, being
"A
auin Mler the repairs had been made the
nii,"s i & W 'nc trench began and two men work
~ ~, ,hn nuen n tese pipes about the morning
~ . ~" y" tampng the earth In place. suddenly
~, ~ W the lace Of one Of the men and he made
Unable w. IRON ron the trench in such haste as 10 be
- ths 'y ca. s"se what was the immediate cause
st onoe 10 smother the fire hy dumping
ar, upon ~ which was partly successful but the fire
orsu I"'.s enough TO char the png and
rounuint uniDcrS ~ also appears that in dumping
eait OF ART into the trench the drip pipe above
mentioned was detached from tho main and the ex
Piosion Which wrecked the subway manhOle i'm
mcuiatcp IoiIo"eh As 10 what isnIfcd the gas none
OF inc witnesses could would saw ANYTHING. and
upon that point u - useless 10 speculate. The en-
pioyes Oh ihe New York steam Company were the
only persons present at the commencement Of the
nrc ana mao lights and lanterns but they all say
that none 0f the lights lanterns was immediately
81 the point where the fire occurred
hfter slIubg all the statements tho Commits ion
expresses the opinion that the caise of the accident
can be trafed directly TO the action Of the York
steam Heating Company whose excavation had
been open 80 long that II had caused tbe iOints Of
the gas mains To open allowing the escape OF gas IN
large quantities. and 90 the failure properly 20 support
the drip attached 70 the gas main In the first IN.
stance ana ~ ue hnal brcalng Of the same by
dumping cart load Of dir; upon H.
The Commissioner continues By calling attention 10
the steam oompanys pipes as "a constant source Of
danger In the downtown streets where almost every
foot Of spoc Is occupied by sewers. gas mains and
water pipes. lie that their system OF iointne