New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-15
A FLOOD IN IMMATURE.
THREE FEET OF WATER AT ATLANTIC
AND FIFTH AYES.
CELLARS WE'RE FLOODED AND STORES INVADED

CELLARS WE'RE Flooded AND STORES INVADED
A THRILLING RESCUE"
| The operators at Police Headquarters received a
! large number of complaints last night from uiilele".
parts Of the city with reference to sewers which had
| become blocked and OVERLOADED on account VI '"'
| sudden downpour OF rain yesterday
! AT Atlantic and Fifth ayes. there was a MOOD
which assumed serious proportions This corner Is
! low and the water runs down there from every Ill
| recton. 1t had been raining only Few minutes
when the water began to rise. Slowly IL crept up
over the curb and rolled up the broad stone side-
walk which slopes up a little to the stores The
! water spread slowly down AtIantic-ave untli II
reached nearly to F1atbush-ave and it ran back In
| Fifth-ave for fifty feet AS the water drew nearer
and nearer to the stores the shopkeepers appeared
! in the doors armed with brooms and mops pre-
pared to ress. the charge. At this juncture coal
scuttles, boxes, planks and other Things on ue
| sidewalk began to grow light-headed totter, ana
then roll over and Off Most of the Nassau cars
pass this corner some running straight up At
lantc-ave. and the others turning up Fifth-ave. 10
| go to Coney Island and Greenwood. Just at the
switch the water the deepest The motormen
stopped their cars when they came to TINS spot
uncertain whether to venture into the lake. the
depth OF which was unknown. Then they would
slowly put current, and the car would 80 pluhs-
| ing and sizzling around the curve while the water
rolled up over the running boards on each SIDE
| The tenders, lying close to the ground, would al
most disappear from view, then come up again. the
refuse of the and contents of garbagebarres
clingng in the wet meshes.
The broom brigade saw that 1t was useless
to sweep the water away from the doors. and they
began 20 improvise dams. one Chinaman appeared
with "A board which he put against the door ana
then banked it in with papers. This worked well
until "A wave from the street picked up the product
of the engineering genius of the Chinaman. carried
1t on its into the middle of the room and lett II
up against the wall.
Another man more clever. He smut the DOORS
and drawing on the household apartment Tor a sup
DIV of towels used them tow and calked the
cracks with a poker and baseball bat Although
the waite. was half foot deep outside Of the
his watertght compartment a man next doop en-,
couraged by the success OF his neiShDor came our
into the cellar. He had some valuable stores N
the cellar which he was anxious about, ana ne dld
rot care for his clothes, he lay down HAT IN the
water the sidewalk ana began to ram an o,d
jute bag into the cracks. Just then wave little
higher than the swept up over him and covered
his head. With a snort Of disgust he sprang up
store A little further down the street a white
bulldog had been chained to post; lie sat on the
rom truck foy yha was pouehihg through the lake
took the dog off his feet and sent him rolling head
over heels. young gamin rushed and rescued him
At Atlantic and Fifth aves the most thrilling n!
rescue was made. Just here the water was deepest
Several minutes before the water had taken pos
session of the place, which is saloon belonging to
Patrick O'Toole. and the occupants had taken
refuge the bar. The raging water was rapidly
running in and filling up the cellars, Suddenly
p.antive 'b-a-a-a-a" was heard coming from be
low. and then it was that they remembered the
goat that customer had left in the cellar the day
before. The just closing over the goat 5
head when one Of the bartenders rushed down and
brought the poor beast out in his arms.
There feet of water in this cellar. and
the proprietor says his stock of liquors was damaged
10 the extent OF $500.
In the midst of the food Frank Dayey. plumber;
with friend ventured out into the street, and
after much effort opened up TWO Of the manhoes.
The water there three feet deep and when the
manhoe opened 1t rushed in with
Soon after the storm stopped the water subsidet
and left the place high and dry again.