The sun., 1901-12-11

was slow III stemnitnx the Tide III Ost
OF CITY Damage Suits In Prospect
Madison avenue, from Fffty-fourth street
N Fifty-ninth was a river from foot to
three feet deep. according 10 locality
beiween $50 o'clock and midnight, last
tight. A food, pouring from a burst
water main az the Fifty-ffth street corner
rHn up and down the avenue, brimming
over the sidewalks. filing the areaways
and Easements OF dozens of houses, pouring
down the side streets 10 the east. and by
direct canal through Fifty-fourth street
rushing down 70 Park avenue and turning
torrent into the New York Centrals
tunnel
To get Ia and out Of the houses folks
travelled 10y soap box stepping stools and
usually got very wet in transit. The cars
were stalled in the water, at the first rush
Of the food and no other vehicles braved
the torrent, so tho district was practically
isolated. A fire alarm was rung, but the
frenen naturally were not equipped for
fighting water. and there was every prospect
for time that the tenants might have TO
take TO the roofs.
Tie break in the main occurred at the
northeast corner Of Fifty-ffth street and
Madison avenue at 035 o'clock. With a
rush the water lifted up the Pavement and
started geyser DR.. Samuel II Tucker Of
81 Fast Fifty-ffth street was passing.
Not knowing what else TO do, he ran to
the nearest fre-aarm box and sent in an
alarm. Two minutes later Engine 8, from
Fas, rifty-frst street, in charge Of Capt.
Freel dashed up the avenue.
Freel at once assumed command of af-
fairs he sent his men in every direction
20 open up the sewer manholes BY this
time the water had opened up big hole
in the street and the water was rushing
out in torrents. IL ran cast through Fifty
fifth street toward Park avenue in food
fully three feet high and spread up Madison
avenue In lower, but steady stream. IL
flowed through the side streets above
toward the east, but didn't cover the side
walks there. In Fifty-fifth street there
was a roaring torrent.
The food didn't by any means suhside
when the manholes were opaned, 80 Capt
Frcll telephoned TO the Water Depart
ment 10 send men TO shut on the water
Tha, was before 10 o'clock At midnight
the water had not heen shut on and the
food was as high as ever Madison ave-
nue.. with its feet IN the water and the pros
pects of being drowned in bed before Il
raged at the Water Department, but In vain
Policemen soon went to help the fremen
ana tIlpV turned tttlT dttcDtlOn 10 naiT
dozen or more electric cars which at the
hrst rush OF water had been stalled In Nadi-
son avenue from Fifty-scventh street down
70 Fifty-second The water had come on
the cars 50 suddenly that they were stalled
as completely as II they had run into a
strcam Of thick molasses, and as the water
rose the paSaengers In them, especially the
women. began TO shout that they wanted
10 get out.
Capt. Frecl ordered the fire engine ten
ders into rescue service The tenders were
backed up TO the cars and people were
carried In them to dry places. which al
readv were at some distance then. The
street railroad people sent an automobile le
To help out In the work Of emptying the
cars, but still the vehicles mustered wen.
too few TO suit some Of the women Then
the big fremen in their rubber boots turned
In To speed the work They waded through
the food to the cars and carried on the
female marooned on their backs IN the
old 'pggy-back" fashion From afar
irreverent persons gave advice 10 the fer
ned women as 10 the height Ia which
they should lift their skirts Some Of the
more gallant Of the women's escorts pre-
ferred to get wet and do the carrying rather
han let the fremen do IT,
The cars were finally emptied and after
half an hour or ~ were drawn out Of the
food by horses. The northbound cars
Nere stopped at Forty-second street and
switched bark downtown. Passengers on
them being transferred to the Lexington
avenue line. Above Fifty-uinth street
the car service was crippled becausc Of
the lack Of switches
Within the food zone whore Ihs depth
of water wa not great. Vatclmen and
policemen meanShile improvised Temporary
bridges across the CUTTERS with DOIOs and
hcayy planks and Ia this way managed 20
maze isslriy easy for pedest rials TO grt
around 1bos" who didn't h'lOng in The
hood district were kept out by tho Is,lior.
Who early M the trOubl" stretched rOTss
across the sipsats
Capt frs'i Naitsi a. patirntlv a. might
~. fof the Water Depart mrut fnru lie
Waited until ~ o. l. h more than au hour
aiior tns break occurred fh"y cano
tNrn tWo strong lu slusIr wagon from
upair station ~" upn-uor-, Wagon
fdut ratti" up very ralhil, tap' frrd
-."u"i hrhli"n'ly g. tno i~o mru -
tIIN up and DO homriIius
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