New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-07
FLOOD ON THE WEST SIDE.
SEWERS INADEQUATE FOR THE HEAVY
RAINFALL.
CELLARS AND FIRST FLOORS IN THE NEIGH
soRHooD OF TENTH AND ELEVENTH AYES.
INUNDArED-AN UNPLEASANT EXPERI-
x-Ncr IA. TILE pApL-rIIr, RAINFALL.

eoRHooD OF TENTH AND ELEVENTH AYES.
INUNDArED-AN UNPLEASANT EXPERI-
ENCE IN THE PARK-THE RAINFALL
BREAKS THE SEASONS RECORD.
The rainstorm that swept down upon this city
Yesterday afternoon was by far the most severe
one of the season. So great was the quantity Of
water which fell during the length Of time that
the storm lasted that the sewers were taxed to
their utmost and in many cases proved made
ouate to the demands made upon them.
All over the city the streets were flooded with
water and the damage done was unusually
heavy On the West Side the cellars and first
floors Of many houses were inundated. West
Twenty second Twenty-third and Twenty fourth
sts between Tenth and Eleventh aves. sus-
tanned the greatest damage. The overflow in
this locality attributed to the inadequacy Of
Of the Eleventh-ave sewer. 1t is said that all
the sewers from Fifth-ave. to the river between
Seventeenth and Twenty fourth sts empty into
the Eleventh-ave. sewer. Such was the over
taxed condition OF this outlet that the manholes
were thrown many feet into the air by the force
Of the water in the sewer. The Mutual Steam
Laundry Company. No. 525 to 531 West Twenty
fourth-st.. as a result Of the food was obliged
10 shut down for several hours. The superin-
tendent said that the coalbins in the cellar had
been flooded and the fires in the engines put out
He estimated the damage done in the laundry at
$1,000
John McClave. former Police Commissioner
has planning mill at Eleventh-ave. and Twenty
second-st. which was flooded to a depth of two
or three feet 1t was necessary to put the fires
IN the engines out. and men were at work all
the afternoon pumping out the water. The cell
lar Of the Adelphia Hotel Twenty -third-st and
Tenth-ave.. was filled with water and 1t was
estimated that the damage would be consider
able. The restaurant of Frederick Thiele. No.
bO3 West Twenty-third-st. Charles s. Rohrs
saloon. Twenty second-st. and Eleventh-ave..
and the house of Mr. Wingrow No 213 Tenth
ave. all had their cellars flooded with water
and will suffe- thereby considerable damage.
In the course of the rainstorm, and Immediately
after. the restaurant Of NJ. f. Blankmeyer.
Eleventh-ave. and Twenty-third-st. was filed
with persons who unable to get out by
reason Of the flooded condition OF the street.
These were obliged to emulate the example Of
Noah and wait for the flood to subside
The Street Cleaning Department. having been
informed of the disturbance caused by the
storm In this portion of the town. sent out
extra brigade in the latter part Of the afternoon
10 clean the streets from the rubbish and mud
that had accumulated.
Park. The silt drains under the bridge near the
Arsenal and opposite East Sixty y-fifth-st be-
came clogged. About one hundred and fifty peo-
pie had gone under the bridge to escape the
ran and soon saw the water begin flowing in
from the two approaches to the bridge, and col
lecting where here is depression of about
three feet The people clambered on TO the
benches where they stood watching the rain fall
ing outside, and the water creeping up on them
Within a few moments the three-foot depres-
sion was filled. and there was great hue and
cry from men. women and children alike. The
water kept rising. and 1t looked as If 1t would be
necessary to swim for their lives
Finally Captain Collins. of the Park police,
with Sergeant Dillon. heard the outcry made
by the imprisoned persons and appeared on the
scene The Park grass cart" with horse at
tached was brought into play. The prisoners
were taken out in several loads. and deposited In
q place of safety. where vote Of thanks was
rendered to the Captain and Sergeant for their
timely arrival.
The storm Of yesterday had been gathering
since Sunday night 1t looked threatening all
yesterday morning. and finally people began
TO think II was not going to rain after all just
when this conclusion had been reached the
clouds opened and 1t came down in steady
pour
Such the unexpected severity of the rain
that many business men, hurrying around In
the lower parts of the city, were caught un-
awares and drenched to the skin before they
could reach shelter While the storm lasted the
streets were practically deserted by few
express carts carrying immmediate deliveries
Forecaster Dunn explained that the storm
not due to any unusual reason. Ihe at
mosphere had been heavy for forty-eight hours
previous The total rainfall in twenty minutes
Of yesterdays storm amounted to 81 of an inch
That is the record for the year.
The official records OF the Weather Bureau
show that the average temperature yesterday
was a. as against 20 for the corresponding day
Of last year The average temperature for the
corresponding date for the last twenty years
has been 73 The forecast for to-day fs Light
showers. stationary temperature; Wednesday
fair.