New-York tribune., 1903-01-06
A PLAGUE OF DARKNESS.
LIGHT PLANT BLONS Up.
Theatre. Club, Hospital and Hotel
LamDs Ont

With a report that could be heard for block
or more and binding flash of light one of the
fuses in the main generator in the power mousse
of the United Electric Light and Power Com
pany at No 41S East Twenty-ninth-st-. blew
out last night William Smith. an electrician, OF
No 5N4 East Eighty -fourth-st. was enveloped
from, head to foot in the flash of flame. He
droDned TO the floor, where he had stood, unable
70 drag himself away from the sputtering, hiss
ing machinery Several of his fellow workmen
tried to carry him away, but as soon as they
wcuId touch him they would receive electric
sbcc.s of sufficient voltage TO cause them 10
et go.
FINALLY. one more brave than the others. sue
ceeded in dragging Smith away from the piace'
and to one side of the room where ne tore 'n7
clothing from him. hurry call was sent "
Bellevue Hospital and Dr. McDonaid reSpoluTN'
Ne said the man was burned badly all over the
bodv He was taken to the hospital "heIe -
1.as said his condition is serious
-, go bIev, out with terrific report
- - fame leaped out from the generator
trrire, off some of the insulation on the otner
wires and caused another fuse to DUN out
This cut off large portion OF the elecIIlc Uui
rant and the apartment houses. business h'u'V9
,pd institutions in that section pouiiueu oS
Erourteenth-st Forty-second-st-, on the hor'h
and south. and Thirs-ave- on the west were
without electric light
po1,a,,,a Hospital had its electric light sys-
tenn cut out. and save for gas IN part Vi 'ne
institution and candies useu III '''-0-
for about hour
We +ra lights went out DR.. Pyke was per
s,nine, an operation in one OF the wards He
had to stop work until the gas could be turned
on and lighted In some of the wards anu
rooms of the hos pitaI there were no gas nxt-
ures. and candles had to be used
In the district furnished with electric hgnt
from this power house are many large nat ana
apartuent houses. There are also many PIT
vate houses in which wealthy families i've
Besides the Willard Parker Hospital IN East
Stxteenth-st: the Lying-in Hospital in Second
ave. and other institutions are in this dis
trict
It was said at the power house that the dis
trict covered by the company's plant included
not only :hat mentioned, but along Broadway
between Twenty-third-st. and FOrty-seventh-st-
and in Fifth-ave
Lights went out in theatres big hotels. clubs,
in private houses stores and advertising signs
So many lights went out in the big signs that
there was less than half the usual light II
Broadway.
Lights went out at exactly 500 O'Clock. ana
it was total darkness for some minutes III
DaIv's WaHack's the New-York. the Criterion.
the Savoy, the CdSInO. IilS AolJoU anu 49,
rick theatres All the other theatres in that
district are supplied by the Edison company.
though both companies practically the
same
In the hotels there was no excitement ana the
darkness caused no fright among the guests
There were general laughs at the Fifth Avenue
and the Cilsey House
In the Calumet Club the billiard and other
game players were in despair after the lights
went out as the gas was poor that they
could not get any vim in their play In the
kitchens and reading rooms the Inconvenience
was considerable
Light is supplied by a private plant IN the
imperial and waldorf-Astoria, but In the
Holland House Thirtieth-st. and Fifth-ave-
the Hoffman House the Fifth Avenue and the
C;iIsev the darkness fell and gas was imme-
diateIv brought into service. The Calumet Club
IN Fifth-ave. at Twenty-ninth-st, was also
dark at this time.
In the theatres gas fixtures are always kept IN
order for any emergency such as that OF last
night but the lighting facilities were much af-
fected IN PLAYS requiring brilIiancy and special
effects II happened 10 be at a tine when the
a-s+ at was about over in most theatres. and
tho Inconvenience was not bad as II might
ba We been Gas was at once lighted. and the few
rnoroents of darkness only caused merrfment usu-
aIIv on the stage the inconvenience was nluch
greater and unusual efforts had to be made to
Get las lets and burners into position 10 get any
especially for plays in which lighting played