The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-12

what had caused the delay. The first
theory had been, when the windows were
closed, that there had been fire nearby
and that the tunnel was smoke filled. Inc
opening Of the windows disproved this.
Finally word came that a water main
had broken somewhere, and a fnenoly
passenger who had dragged the news from
n guard walked through the train explain
ing.
The final run Of a block brought the train
to the Columbus Circle station where It
ran alongside local which the passengers
had deserted long before. The ticket
chopper contributed his stool, which was
placed between the trains as stepping
stone and one by one the passengers reached
the platform and finally the upper air
The relief ca me AT 645, nearly an hour after
the train came to its first stop.
On the surface nobody seemed to know
that anything had happened. A police
man was standing at the uptown KIOSK at
Fiftieth street when an escaped passenger
from the station above spoke to him.
Are the trains running again?' he asked.
"Say. said the cop. YOU'RE the second
Teller that's asked me that. Is anything
the matter?'
SUBWAY SHOWERS NOT APPRECIATED.
Another SUN reporter rode downtown
IN an express train that reached the Grand
Central station at $50 clock. The water
was beginning to come through the roof
of the tunnel south of he station in a good
steady downpour.
There we're six cars In this train and the
upper part of the windo WIS were open as well
as the ventilators The six cars were we'll
IF hem men
in white or gray Suddenly big greasy
drops Of wat er came through the open
window WIS in show and every one jumped
up. The men hurried to put UP the win
dows but by he time they had got them
,,p the shower was over. Then the pas
seneers took stock of the damage. The
women suffered most. Some of the dresses
were badly spotted. One man, who wore
a Panama hat had four big drops of grease
on it. A woman caught handful Of the
greasy water in her white glove. Where
ever the water struck it left stain.
WORKING THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
At 7 O'Clock Mr.. Hedley decided to try
the Water Department once more. 1t
had become habit with him. After
long wait at the wire some one in the water
Office finally responded.
What have you done to shut of the
water? 1t is still as bad as eyer2' asked Mr..
Hedley.
There is nobody here who can talk
business with you said the voice in the
water Office.
The subway at the Forty-frst street
storeroom where Mr. Hedley made his
Headquarters was like a Turkish bath.
The general manager wiped the sweat from
his face and again called his operator.
Get Commissioner Oakley, said he.
He was told that the Commissioners
wire was private. but that Police Head
quarters would send a sergeant around to
lis house 1t was later reported that the
Commissioner was out OF town.
The flood in Park avenue continued its
unc,i.turbed course.
'D',- think this ia it?- Mike Mahady
would say to his partner Michael Bambrick,
frter thew had shut OF a gate. But as the
vater kent on coursing down the slope
iiictseI snnbrick would shake his head
nd say to Mike Mahady: Il guess it amt
It GlO the center of the west side Of the
rarA avenue block, which had been steadily
sinking, raved in making "A pool about 70
icet long by t. wide. Two barrels OF tar
standing in front of the unfinished Hotel
Remontsa into the pool and disappeared.
The cracks between the paving stones just
above kept Increasing in size. The cutters
on Forty SECOND street were torrents.
The sewers were full and the trolley troughs
at the tunnel entrance. Forty-second street.
filed up completely at about 7 o'clock,
tying up the cans for about thirty minutes
AcLUsKEY THE MAN WHO KNEW.
The water might have been pouring out
of that 4s-inch main yet had it not happened
that Thomas Orimmins heard of the trouble
and wandered down to take look. AS he
crossed Forty-second street Mr.. Crimmins
met Frank McCuskey foreman of the Deg
non pipe construction department, and told
him Of the trouble and the fruitess efforts
that the few Water Department laborers
present were making to stop the leak.
McCluskey said that he knew where the
shut-off gate was and he volunteered to 60
to the rescue. A man who had watched the
geyser from the start said that it took
McCluskey just ten minutes to stop the
flow.
The Water Department laborers had been
f,issing with gate at Forty-second street
and Park avenue. They seemed quite
surprised when McCluskey pointed out
that the gate that controlled the main was
at Forty-second street and Third avenue.
The water supply of the houses in the
district around the break was not affected
by the closing of the main, according to
James O'Connell of the "lower shop" Of
the repair bureau OF the department. Com
missioner Oakley OF the Water Department
was out Of town. His secretary, Mr.. Blake,
said that the proper action when break
occurred was to notify the repair bureau
on West Thirty-seventh street where
Thomas Ryan is foreman. At the bureau
it was said that Mr.. Ryan was out and
that the bureau was responsible for brea ks
in six inch mains only. larger troubles
being up to Mr. OConnell OF the .lower
shop" Mr.. O'Connell was found at the
scene Of the deluge. He was reticent as
to the time at which notice Of the trouble
had reached him, but seemed relieved that
the gate had been shut
LONG JOB FIXING UP THE SUBWAY.
The surface water disappeared as soon
as McCluskey had operated, and in place of
the pool CAPPED a six foot hole. The street
was all hills and dales where the geysers
had played.
The main was shut off at TAO p. NJ. An
ionr later 100 men were working bet ween
Il