New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-04
CITY WADES TO CHURCH
RAINFALL OF 3.53 INCHES
Storm Keeps Visitors Ont of Nan
haitian and Residents In.

body waded to church 1t rained for seventeen
hours. Luckily it was Sunday morning, and
New-Yorlzers could stay at home. The heaviest
of the rainfall was from o'clock until 10
The Weather Bureau records the storm
starting at $50 p. m on Saturday evening, and
continuing until II a Sunday morning. Dur
Ing that time the record for summer rainfall
this year was broken nearly twice over. In the
seventeen hours of rain 8 53 inches of water fell.
Up to yesterday this years record 1.S1
inches, which fell in the storm of August Is
and 16
In this one storm more than one-ffth of the
summer rainfall exceeded the rainfall in
1865 for the summer months being officially
corded as 1912 inches. The city awakened to
find that the gentle downpour that started on
Saturday night had developed into almost
deluge. Jupiter Pluvius was doing his best
drown NewYork out. and wind from the
northeast blowing at the rate of thirty-six
miles an hour
The result that the streets were converted
into rivers. The rain came too fast for the
sewers to carry the water away. and for hours
streets with inclines became swrling miniature
rapids. while those in depression on the
Level converted into lakes Everywhere
crossings were submerged and pedestrians were
obliged to for6 from curb to curb.
CAR TRAFFIC HINDERED.
Manhattan's streetcar traffic felt severely the
effects of the storm. While there were no Sc
rious tie-ups. yet large number of cars were
put out of commission by the floods of water.
From O'Clock until 10 in the morning tons OF
water poured down the channel rail slots. This
resulted in burning out the motors of many cars
all over the system.
Luckily the traffic was light The severity of
the storm kept the travellers indoors and the
disabled cars pushed or towed back to the
car barns. In some instances mostly on the
6th-ave. line as many two disabled cars
we're brought in by one car that had safely made
the trip. Had it been a weekday, with the usual
morning rush serious tie-up would have re-
suited AS II vas, the Sunday morning sched-
ule badly upset on all divisions ana there
we're long gaps between cars. The officials OF
the conpany said that outside of few cars
being disa bed by short circuits and the burn
ing out of few channel rails in places where
the floods were heaviest. the storm had not af-
fected them at all
The streets in lower Manhattan treated
to a generous flushing out and ran curb-deep
with water. Broadway acted as watershed
from the Battery to City Hall. and as result
the water poured down the side streets both
east and west and converted both South and
West sts into huge lakes. The result was
general flooding CT cellars and the imprsoning Of
passengers in the ferryhouses.
so1TTH-sT. FLOODED.
The water in south-st. not measured, but
surely climbed the foot mark. At the cor
ner of Fulton and South SITS. it covered the side
walk several inches and crept up to the doors
of Fulton Market. At the Fulton ferryhouse the
water from the street. finding no other Quiet
ran down both runways into the East River lhlS
made wet walking for the few hardy passengers
who braved the storm
,rbe cellars of a great many buildings in South
ST from Rrooklyn Bridge to Whitehall-st' were
flooded After the storm over a large num-
har o+ eronIoves opened cellars ana endeavored
70 oct rid Of the water This was especially true
ar Fulton Market which seemed to have the
deepest water.
Although the sewers we're not clogged. their ca
nacitv was far too small to carry off the cataract
of water that engulfed the street 80 SEVERE
WAS the food that the water boiled up through
the manholes in the street several iudiilioie'
were forced out of position by the water.
Many messengers who came in a 7:30 o'clock
In the morning on the steamer Richard PECK OF
the Nev-Haven Line We're held on the boat by
tho storm south-st at that time only pass
ohio nv wadine ankle deep Most of the pas
sA,oers MANY of whom women, had come
70 New-York to spend the day, intending 10 re-
turn at night The sight of the South-st- noou
discouraged them, and fifty of them returned
on the boat when she left the city at 3:oo d III.
A faw men passengers braved wet feet, and
crossed South-st The same was true OF the
ma asseneers who arrived on the Hartford poat'
How much damage has been done TO the mer-
chandise in cellars will not be known until To-
day.
WEST-ST. SUBMERGED.
IN wast-st. the conditions were similar. The
water poured down from the side streets ana
snread over the street, forming whirlpools at
cnIverts and manhoes. and rising above the
curb In many places
To cross the street with dry feet was only
,oss,b,a with rubber boots. as the water was
over ankle deep Rather than suffer this dis
comfort Messengers who arrived from Jersey
oy.- tho Erie Jersey Central, Lackawana and
PENNSYLVANIA ferries stayed In the waiting
roor,s until the water subsided. Passengers
1pbo were bound out of Manhattan over these
farries took look at the food and waited for
trains From O'Clock until 10 o'clock the
waiting rooms were crowded
rrnIoves of the ferries said that the storm
v.s the severest Of the season. and that the
dantb Of the water in West-st. was unusual
ca,1ars IN West-st suffered from the flood In
MANY Instances, but not so baoly as those III
cu,bs, AS on the latter street the sewers
were unable to carry off the water ana o"ihs
to the unusually heavy rainfall In sucn Shoi'
ror,od II accumulated rapidly. Several man
holes in West-st. we're also lorceu oUt "a p'
,ion by the force of the water
THE subway service was not ahected oy the
Trains were run on schedule, ana save
Co.. tbe water fnding its way down the stairs
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