New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-03-22

| did not far back under the houses, so only
NO FURTHER CAvE-IN FEARED.
The lateral pressure from the buildings at either
SIDE act as support TO thSfe damage6 a SO there e
! at present The tunnel work at this point will be
| seriously impeded for few days until the debris
The whole affair Is unfortunate. but it is one Of
| those things which could not be helped and which
experience could not guard against
! CONTRACTORS NOT HELD RESPONSIBLE.
William Barclay Parsons gave out an official
| statement last evening generating from blame
the subway contractors. Mr.. Parsons said that
nobody was responsible for the accident and
that it was unavoidable He said that there
would be no delay in the tunnel work because of
the snoring up of the houses in Park-aVe., ana
that even though that work should take TWO
weeks it would not interfere with progress IN
the subway. He did not care to give an estl-
mate Of the damage done to property. AT Mr..
Parsonss suggestion a gang of men was set 10
work dumping stones and earth into the cavity
where the areaways and stoops of the houses
had been and also in the hole in the street. This
was done, he explained, TO reduce the outward
pressure of the earth Immediately under the
front Of the buildings. BY o'clock the gap In
the street had been filled, though the avenue be-
tween Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth SITS was
still roped off and guarded by rows OF police
Superintendent of Buildings Stewart was &C
tive in keeping the houses clear of their owners
and their families. He said that any one who
entered their premises for the purpose of carry
ing away vaIuables did at his own risk Ten
inspectors of the Building Department acted as
assistants and carried out his SUGGESTIONS
Soon after portions of the fronts of the puluhsS
fell he ordered that other portions be torn down.
to relieve the strain on the foundations. Several
| inspectors remained all night watching the
| settling of the buildings Immediately adjoining
| those wrecked.
| MR. DRESSER NOT WORRIED.
| D. lie Roy Dresser, who lives at No. ol PARK
! ave, speaking Of the disaster. said:
| when returned at . o'clock this morning from
| bicycle ride l bit surprised to see what
h 6 P b h s1s B beo G9ds Murphy and Mr.
Mccullough were minus stoops ana areawayS mae
| educated an engineer, although ! never prac-
saw that i had no reason to feel alarmed The
falling mass OF rock moved in such direction that
a point under No 81 northwest so that escaped
END to 5u thS 6the on wednesday evening knew
h a h fSe ar 64 o nv had house Rss Was 4s m
as the earth had given way TO such an extent that
9Th did Sfe not Of ee aamed beca9se
3e was r6 gg OF ge gssb up 59e
SLIPPING OF solid rock is rarely met with in eng-
H b must EXPECT to encounter at least once in
last night; although we knew something unusual
was on. We had been so shaken up by blasts that
Mr.. Dresses had a small travelling bag under
his When asked If he was going to one Of
the Park-ave. hotels for the night, he replied:
Not l. I planning to sleep on the upper
West Side"
SAW THE PANICSTRICKEN FLEE.
John ]. Murphy, Of No. 81 Park-ave., was not
in such good humor as Mr. Dresser. He said
that he had heard the cracking OF the walls the
night before the disaster. He estimated the
damage TO his paintings and furniture at several
thousands Of dollars. He said:
My family at the Murray Hill Hotel There
have had for good many nights The blasting
As as heard Mr. McCuoug MSS s oT crash
dlsappcarlng over the fence at the rear of their
property. We remained in our house until II
leave About 80 O'clock my stoop fell Then M.
Devoe's areaway and stoop went down into the
Dressers house, then heard the water main had
The whole trouble is from the heavy blasting
They have been extremely heavy. Yesterday I
the condition Of affairs to him. / explained that
more dynamite seemed be used in every sue
ought to be- called a S jerome hGe9 ba 4a
might take steps TO bring criminal proceedings II
don't know what Mr.. shaler intends to do about
Mr. Devoes partner yesterday called on Mr.
shaler and made q formal protest against the
heavy blasting.
A navy officer from Boston. who refused to
give his name, standing at Thirty-eighth-
st. and Parh-ave. When recognized by a re-
porter. he said:
was calling on friend across the way here
when the crash sounded. My friends were badly |
frightened. Why in the name Of common sense
do these good people put up with such danger |
Gus proceedings here under their very noses? |
1t seems TO me that New Workers are too COM
placent in these matters.