New-York tribune., 1902-08-19
ca Elm BREAKS GASP1PES
FOUl ODOR CAUSES MANY PEOPLE TO
LEAVE HOMES
ALL LIGHT IN WEST FORTY-THIRD-sT
NEAR BROADWAY. EXTINGUISHED FOR
FEAR OF EXPLOSION.


FEAR or EXPLOSION.
To the intense disgust and annoyance of the
residents Of West Forty-third and Forty-fourth
SITS. between Broadway and Sixth-ave.. and 10
the terror of many. 5;6-foot timber bridge over
the sidewalk in front Of the excavation. for
twelve story hotel at Nos. 127 to 135 West
Forty thiri-st.. caved in 80 n m. yesterday.
breaking 6-lnch water main and a 4-inch gas
main. letting loose enough water to fill the
cavation and enough gas TO make many Of the
inhabitants of the neiShborhood i'll. Gas
escaped so il could he smelled for blocks. and
the police would allow with even
lighted cigar or cigarette near the scene and all
the gas lamps We're put out. Then part Of the
street caved in. and inhabitants scurried away
and left their homes 10 seek more secure quar-
ters Late in the night No. 131. brownstone
front boarding house. was in danger. it said.
and the inha abitants were in state of great
excitement over the condition cf the street and
their homes
The bridge was built hy Canavan Brothers.
contractors, for pedestrians To cross their ex-
cavation for the new hotel II is believed by the
police that the joists and Jacks for holding up
the timber bridge. f1ftv-fve feet long. were
loosened by the vibration Of wagons passing
through the street. and the climax reached
with some heavy traffic Of last night. There
no on the bridge the time. Many
persons use the street that time. usually.
but no one was hurt in the accident
The accident startled the people in the
reighborhood that they rushed out Of their
homes into the street 70 see what had caused
the loud report they had heard Policeman
Murtha, Of the West Forty-seventh-st- station.
had run 10 the station house and had been sent
back with the reserves. and q dozen policemen
took charge The residents were standing about
slit -ba-,
and II was discovered that the main leading
into the excavation had been broken The gas
spread about rapidly, and in little time could
be smeled all over Long Acre Square
While people were standing on the edge Of the
trench the water had been loosening the earth
under the street, and big part Of the street
pavement gave way and sank with a loud crash
into the water. This caused much excitement
Women fed in terror and men disappeared al
most as quickly.
With the diffusion Of gas bout the district
which made some people i'll. came the exodus
from the houses Many persons we're observed
leaving the block with grips AMI dress suit
cases and with the evident determination rot
TO come back for the night. They cast aI'>icus
glances at the new lake and AZ the st-eet as
il they expected the latter 70 fall in. IN front
OF the boarding house of Mrs r F Richard
son. at No. 137. the sidewalk was soon OBJ
served 10 De going QONnWATQ, ana Z lad sunk
some feet by a late hour. This Is the first
house beside the excavation and ITS occupants
became anxious for their immediate future
In hour the odor Of gas was so foul and
il had permeated the atmosphere fot Sc C"eat
radius tha' il got TO be dangerous TO Rave lights
anywhere "a the neighborhood. he police lad
secured railroad lanterns and nut them about
one hundred feet apart along the block in
which the eave-in occurred. bur they soon rut
these out. They also extinguished he gas street
lamps. Then they sent for more ,.olice and
these strung along Broadway rear Fcrty-
thrd-st., and along Sixth-ave. near the same
street No persons smoking cigar or cigarette
were permitted 10 GO down the Fortv-.hird- st
block. This made the people in The houses
nervous and explosions We're expected with the
increasing volume of gas and the delay in
shutting il off.
After time men from the Water Department
shut off the water at the ard of the block This
left the inhabitants without water The Hotel
Cadillac, at the northeast corner of Forty
thrd-st. and Broadway, was also without any.
Some of the men living on the block persisted
in remaining outside their homes and, while
some were standing near the remains of the
bridge at 9 o'clock more of Il gave way and
crashed into the water with a loud report Some
who heard the crashes thought the gas had at
last exploded, and there much excitement
for a time about the neighborhood.
BY 10 o'clock the gas had been disseminated
by the wind so much that it was not annoying
except near the excavation and il was found
in the mud and gas escaped slowly. Men from
the gas company appeared and began to dig TO
shut off the gas. They intended putting caps
on the main in front of the excavation and |
said only few houses would probably be with |
out gas They had to work in the dark, as
lights were dangerous. The street closed |
and blocked wagon traffic by the police At |
1O3o o'clock ii said there was no further |
danger from any source.