The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-17
RAINBOW SHOW ON BROADWAY
FIRE TESTS GIVE BIG CROWD 4
DUCkING AND 4 TREAT.
Two Engines Coupled 10 Standnipe Of
Times Building Throw Veil Of spray
Across broadway and Drench Nearby
ROOfs-Cars Dash Through Delugc.

Times BUILDING THROW ven OF spray
Across broadway and Drench Nearby
ROOfs-Cars Dash Through Delugc.
The Fire Department added it. little con-
tributiOn TO the variegated weather Of yes-
terday II provided an exceedingly sharp
shower Of restricted area, with beautiful
rainbows. around the junction Of Broadway
and Forty--eoond street The rGraceri
Of the hotel district, out in their ante Easter
best suddenly hoisted umbrellas, If they
had any, and scampered. II they hadn't
umbrellas they lifted dainty skirts higher
and scampered faster.
The little storm followed them yiciously
nearly a. far az Forty-frst street on Broad
way and three or four hundred feet east on
Forty--econd street. Then at a safe dis
lance they turned and watched Chief Croker
and his men doing stunts from the Times
Building.
The department made an official test Of
the standpipe Of the tall building and used
wet water in conducting IT, Beside Croker,
Deputy Chiefs Binn- and Duane, Alfred
Downe., secretary TO the Fire Commis-
sioner, and twenty-eight hremen OF Engines
? and O. participated.
First Engine > coupled up, hose was run
out Of a window on the twenty-fourth floor,
1895 feet from the ground, and stream shot
south along Broadway. Il fell IN a heavy
spray for a block. There was pressure
OF seventy -four pounds from an inch and
quarter open nozzle. Then they tried an
inch and half nozzle. The stream didn't
carry 40 far but IL fell heavier. The pressure
was thirty-four pounds.
Then came the tour de force. Both
engines were coupled up and lines Of hose
were run to windows on the Broadway side
of the building from the twenty-second,
nineteenth, eighteenth, seventeenth, if
teenth. fourteenth, ninth and eighth floors,
eight in all, one above the other. The
water was turned on and glistening sheet
snread out across Broadway and over the
buildings and sidewalk on the north side Of
Forty-second street. The strong breeze
carried some Of the spray up TO Forty-fourth
street The sunshine came out sharply
and. glancing through the mist. scattered
rainbows all around. Nearly two thousand
neopie had gathered at various vantage
points by this time and sang OH and
sAh!" at the display at If It was a fireworks
show in the daytime.
The water streamed over neighboring
roofs in concentrated volume. II washed
the dust Of roofs and stone fronts down
on show windows and the storekeepers
have a kick coming there is a rich harvest
for window cleaners there As Broadway
cars dash by. IL was hne fun Ia see the
! motorman's Disguised surprise and the
/ man with the cigar on the back platform
| duck for cover Nobody else tried to
/ traverse that territory for the time except
| deep sea Tenderloin hacks which go any
| where.
IL was officially announced that there
was fifteen pounds pressure from the nozzle
/ sending the tOpmost stream. The tests
| lasted a couple Of hours beginning at $50
| O'Clock When they were over, Chiei
| Croker said:
sThls is the highest point from which
! the department ever made test IL showed
| that buildings haven't yet reached a height
/ 10 which the department cannot pump
water