New-York tribune., 1901-11-29
EXPLOSION TIES Up CARS
qu2EE HUNDRED BLOCKADED
FOR FOUR HOURS.
,rRNINT GAS IGMTES FEED WIRES
NEAR PRODUCE EXCHANGE, AND
POWER Is LOST

,orsr house and supplying power to all the
a,.c-ric lines in the lower part of Manhattan,
= caused 4 suspension of streetcar service for
.be Greater part Of last night.
The explosion caused an immediate stalling
> ell ears on the Broadway lines below Hous-
orst on the Sixth and Eighth ave lines be-
,rr Caual-st and the Third. Madison and Sec
ord ave lines below the junction of Third and
Fourth aves at Cooper Union For hours not a
csr moved below the points named. No trans
nortation service could be given. because there
vas no way of moving the stalled cars that the
s,rsecars might be used Employees said that
~ less than three hundred cars stood stalled in
+be lower end of the city FOR over four hours.
about o'clock by using a cut of switch,
rovsr was turned into Broadway from the
Ezo,ston-st. power house. and Broadway cars
-sn down 10 Franklin-st. At the same time
-over was switched into the Third-ave- tracks
4-on The power house in Ninety-sixth-st-. ana
os-s on that line We're run as far south as
Dusne-st. Up TO an early hour this morning
.bere had been no change other lines, and
r.nal-st. and Cooper Union were the lower ter
mini Of the cars.
fyhief Engineer Frank Pierson of the Metro
haitian Street Railway Cornpany's power house
Il No Il Front-st- said last evening that II
would be impossible TO repair the damage uoiie
hr the explosion in time to have the cars run
ni,r before + or o'clock this morning. He said
-as trying have the service IN running
srari by that time If possible, in order to ac-
rommodate the early morning downtown busi-
ness crowd but he would not say positlVely lhat
ssrrice would be resumed by that time
SHEET OF FLAME LEAPS OUT.
The cause of the explosion is something Of
Mystery On one side OF the scene OF
building: on the other is the new Gus
ton, FJcrse in course OF erection. Work
men about the latter said that all day there was
a terribly strong smell Of escaping gas. The eH-
niosion was in whitehall-st., about half way be
tween Beaver and Stone ,sts. About = O'Clock
there was a tremendous explosion Inc cover
Of a rnanhoIe at Beaver-st. was blown high into
the air. and dirt and filth scattered every way
A sheet OF flame beiched UP for twenty feet
Following the first explosion there came q series
Of others less loud in detonation and sending up
sIurts Of fame all along the trolley trench De
tween Beaver and Stone SITS,
The break III the gas main let the gas pour
out and it continued to burn. The fire company
II Stone-st near by, was called, but after in
s.lectlug the scene the firenen said that en-
sl,ve of the gas company would have 10 be sent
or 70 turn of the gas. This was done. but not
fiI the flames had melted the lead casing about
HI I'VE big feed wires that run through the
-rs!.ci letting them come in contact with each
oaher and becoming fused this term sfgnifying
The burning out of the fuse in the power house
the instant the feed wires touched In three
places the wires were fused. Near Beaver-st-
the f1ve wires and the lead casing were melted
together in a solid mass. About the middle of
the block mas another fuse. and still another at
Stone-st. One Of these feed wires supplies
,vd ETjsrnrh ave line tN
CsnaI-st- another to the Broadway lines to
Eoaston-st.. q third to the Madison and Second
ave. lines TO Cooper Union. and fourth to the
Thir8-ave line TO the same point. The fifth is
an auxiliary feed wire to be used in case one is
burned out. It was valueless last night.
At Bowling Green and Whitehall-st. a switch
man Is stationed. All day this man said he
snelled escaping gas. A norrhbound car going
10 whitehall-st- sent out spark from the chan
nel raj in the trolley trench thus igniting the
gas that filed the trench
TIE explosion was felt for some distance. and,
despite the Thanksgiving holiday, big crowd
scon collected a scuthbound Broadway car was
hu few feet away from the scene Of the ex-
Eesien- Although the power was instantly
deaaen-d, the momentum of the car carried IT
grer the flames that shot up through the trolley
slot There was no one in the car.
liz Person at once put a force of fifty men at
work 10 repair tie damage. The wires TVere cut
al BeaFer-st and again at Stone-st, the burned
and damaged pieces being drawn out New
wires were inserted and spIicsd to the old ones,
5ut II was { long and tedious job- At ten O'clock
there was still half Of the cid wires remaining
n the trench
DOWNTOWN PASSENGERS SUFFER.
Those who suffered most from the blockade
ssrs those uptown who wanted to come down to
Ne Brooklyn Bridge terminal. the ferries and
@ awer part of the city. They boarded street
eRuDtcwn ignorant OF the condition of the Ser
fas The lower end of the lines. paid their
sEs, and were hauled far the power
Eaaid pull the cars and then told the car would
g Ao further.
Passengers on the Broadway line carried
% Aoustor-st. where --All out!'' the order.
hey were then told to Take the car ahead,'
ms car took them down Broadway to Franklin
s. where the conductors, after the lights were
eot IN the cars. would swing back the door and
eall out:
All auf, This car goes no further!
There was no explanation coming as to why
ne car went no further, and Guestioners got lit
'is satisfaction.
nan got on q Columbus-ave car at Sixty
nt's-so. knowing there was blockade down the
line
want to go TO South Ferry, ne SAID to con-
upctor No. 510 on car No. 229.
ms conductor looked the man over, and then
sad
don't know e L can take you down there:
the road is blocked at the lower end"
nlf ne took the mans nickel nevertheless. and
"sil' on through the car collecting and ringing
up Iares. and saying nothing
"hy don't you tell the passengers there's a
o.ock "a 9 on the road and you can't take them down
- 20 south Ferry2' asked the man OF the con-
s.Sler There was no reply.
ihs same man boarded eouthbouno Amster-
@.nl-aVe- II car, No. 1.S22, at Sixty-thtrd-st-