The evening world., 1904-02-19
Big Main Bursts at Ninety-sec-
ond Street, Water Fills Base
ments to the Ceiling and
Rushes Through Streets.
RESIDENTS RESCUED BY
FIREMEN WITH LADDERS.
West End Avenue Mansions
Flooded to Street Level
MiIkmen Act as Ferrymen and
Garry Many to Safety.

A thi~rty-six-inch water main, carry
ing a heavy pressure. broke before day
light to-day at Broadway and Ninety
second street, flooded the neighborhood,
nearly drowned a number OF sleeping
and drove the occupants OF the
exclusive apartment-houses In
that vicinity from their beds to the cold
streets in meagre attire.
The food also did thousands of dol
lars damage to property in the neigh
borhood.
The main let go with an explosion like
a battle-ship gun. The water spouted
up from the fissure in the frozen pave
ment like a geyser n first found the
Ninety-nrst street station Of the sub
way, which It filed.
The break occurred in front of No.
246S Broadway. and Immediately the
water ran into a vacant lot next door.
From there 1t rounded into Ninety-sec-
ond street. and was Of such volume that
It flooded the Easements of all the
observation-disclosures on the south side of
the street.
Some one turned in a fire alarm, and
the residents. aroused by the noise OF
the explosion. soon poured out into the
snow-covered street.
Beds Floating Around.
When ]. M. Bourcy. janitor OF the
Annette Apartments. No. 2i West
West Ninety-second street. his wife,
her mother and their daughter .awoke
their beds were floating around in the
water. Each moment the water rose
higher, until It was UP to within a
foot of the top Of the front windows
OF the basement. The fremen from n
hook and ladder truck dived down
through the icy water on a ladder ana
brought the distressed family to the
street, all of them wet and freezing
and zone of them wearing more h a
night robe.
In a room on the first oor OF the
Annette was Miss Cordelia N. Bachus,
who was sick in bed. The water rose
until it covered the DOR of her apart
ments and she screamed for help.
Paul Sake and Abram Friedland.
Columbia University students. who live
upstairs, broke into her room and car
ried her through the water down u n
street. There they waded In the ruSh-
ing torrent down to West n avenue
carrying Miss Bachus between tneH'
The flood turned with a swish into
West Emo avenue. and in incidentally
flooding the homes of various million
aires 1t carried the two rescuers from
Their feet and precipitated them and the
invalid Into the stream.
MiIkman Acts as Ferryman.
A milkman, seeing their predicament.
drove his wagon through the flood and
helped them all aboard and ans
ferred them In safety to the house at
No. 3O5 West Ninety-third street.
Mrs. Waterman. occupying an apart
ment In the Annette. became hystericaI
at the sight of the deluge and emitted
a series of screams from her window.
Several men carried her down and to
a house out of the flood zone.
John Froelich, Alexander Baker IND a
boy called Eddie. all employees OF the
same apartment house. escaped In their
under clothing and were thoroughly
soaked before they reached a place OF
safety.
The water, after filling all the base
ments between Broadway and West
End avenue, turned north into West
End avenue. down the hill to Ninety
sixth street and then to the river.
But on its way It stopped long enough
to fill the Easements OF numerous
homes and apartments.
Several milkmen who had been In the
neighborhood on their usual rounds
opened a ferry line and did a profitable
business carrying passengers across
West Enc avenue. The water was so
deep and OF such a swift current that
persons attempting to ford II would be
taken from their feet. but the water
was so cold hat few tried that ex-
pertinent.
Mansion Basement Flooded.
The basement OF the magnificent home
of w. Luttgen. No. $50 West End ave-
nue., was flooded nearly to the ceiling.
as were the homes OF S. s. Carvalho,
C. Houghton. Philip Jacobs, Frederick
b. Roemer. Mrs. Marguerite C. Sloane.
J.. s. N. Crane. Charles and Otto Kran-
ich, all OF which are classed as the most
magnificent in that section OF homes.
All efforts to stop the Cow OF water
failed for several hours. At 9 o'clock
Il had been running for six hours with
out dlmunition. The Water Department
men said they a been unable 70 find
the gates where 1t could be turned or.
sidewalks commenced to tumble in and
the foundations OF the buildings them
selves were threatened, The police re-
serves were ordered out to war; pedes-
TRANS and teams away from the dan
gerous spots. while a great crowd suth-
cred to watch the geyser and the Hood
1t caused.
Water Spells the Gas.
The shattered main spouted its great
fountain of water for nearly three
hours before 1t was turned Oh. The
flood was so deep by that time that
many residents feared that the founda-
lions OF their homes would be inun-
dated.
In nearly every house the water
poured into, the gas meters were put
out of commission. so that cooking had