New-York tribune., 1903-07-31

wagon broke down at the height Of the storm.
The accident held up traffic on the surface car
lines for fifteen or twenty minutes. in which
time people in open cars got a thorough wet,
ting Many of the passengers left the cars and
made run for the elevated station, getting
soaked with rain in transit.
One result of the storm the breaking or
the big six-inch sewer which runs down Lenox-
ave The break occurred at -hundred-and-
sixteenth-st- and Lenox-ave.. where one of the
smaller tributaries of the sewer flows in Just
at the connection the piping gave way and a
big hole opened out through which sewage
poured At the rate of hundreds OF galions a
minute into the excavation for the rapid transit
tunnel. The sewer runs along the western SIDE
Of the tunnel, just below the surface or the
street. When the accident happened a score or
more laborers We're at work in the excavation,
and they made mad rush for the ladders ana
escaped TO the street For several hours the
sewage continued 10 flow into the tunnel, until;
between One-hundred-a -siXteenth-st ana
ne-hundred-and-twenty- -third-st-, IL was hled
to depth Of four feet or more J. I. rodgers,
Of the firm OF J. c. Rodgers & Son. who nave
the contract for this section of the tunnel, was
sent for. and he set a gang OF men TO WORK
with pumps TO get the sewage out OF the eX-
cavation. He said the job would take perhaps
TWO days. during which time the regular WORK
on the tunnel would be held up.
Al Convent-ave where One-hundred-and-
forty-third-st intersects it, the rain caused a
portion of the roadway about ten feet square
10 sink The police of the West One-hunoreo-
and-twenty- -ffth-st. station were communicated
with, and barrels and plenking used TO MI up
the hole. Danger lights were placed AROUND 1t
10 warn drivers Of the obstruction.
While those who were in open cars suHereo'
passengers on the elevated roads We're little
better off The combination of wind and rain
rendered IL necessary that all windows ana
doors be shut. AS the storm occurred at the
rush time OF the evening. the cars were packed
with people. The consequence was tnat seFer&I
women tainted on the Third-ave. line and had
10 be removed from the cars at One-hundred-
and thirty-eighth-st. and One-hundred-and-
forty-thiTd-st. stations. Many of the men were
in little better condition.
In Harlem wind rain and lightning were par
aer6f forS
as Seventh-ave- quickly were covered with water
from curb TO curb The same storm seemed TO
have circled completely around Harlem. for, al
ter the violence had subsided and WINDOWS had
been opened TO a view Of clear sky, black
ness descended suddenly and again the elements
ragged
The wind and lightning wrought havoc among
young trees in The Bronx and Crotona Park, de-
nuding many OF their branches. A baseball
game was being played on the grounds at One
hundred seventy -seventh-st. and ThirdaYe
3n the rear of the Municipal Building. The game
was stopped after six inches of water covered
the diamond A of young men went to
their homes. donned bathing suits and disported
themselves I'm four feet of water on the ball field
for an hour,
None had the temerity to stand against this
outburst, and downtown doorways were packed
with homegoers caught without protecting para
phernala II would have been of little use had
they had it.
The lightning caused an entire tieup of the
Union Railway. in The Bronx. which lasted for
over an hour. bolt struck feed wire soon
after 3 O'Clock, spreading the insulators and
making IT necessary to shut off the power of
The whole system. This left in the lurch thou
sands Of working people who were the way
home
The weather forecast for to-day promises
fhunderstorms and cooler weather with high
winds
When the storm hit the city the Thermometer
registered IS degrees. One hour later it had
fallen TO 70. The humidity, however had risen
93 per cent. This. however Mr.. Emery said,
only temporary: the humidity would be
much less after the storm had entirely passed
away The rainfall at o'clock had been
a. -10fths Of an inch.