New-York tribune., 1905-06-12

The utter helplessness Of the Department of
Water Supply, Gas and Electricity in an emer-
gency was demonstrated again yesterday after
noon when for a second time within six months
water from broken street main howed INTO
the subway in such volume as practlceHy 10 stop
traffic there for several hours. Apparently the
officials of the department had learned nothing
from the accident at Broadway and S6th-st few
months ago, when it took hours TO shut or the
water after it began to pour into the subway
at that point for the deluge Of yesterday, at
Park-ave. and 41st-st. was allowed to continue
for about five hours before outsider told some
of the departments men where to shut off the
water.
1t was about 24J p. m when a small FOUNTAIN
appeared in the pavement on the west side of
Park-ave about twenty feet north of 41st-st.
At first it sent up a stream no thicker than
mans wrist for a few feet, but it grew in size
and force rapidly. Soon after o'clock the
fountain had become a torrent of muddy water
gushing UP with such force as to undermine the
navement for space of % by 10 feet, oval
shaped AS the earth was washed out and the
waving blocks fell in there was formed a small
lake in the depression. from the centre of which
the water boiled up with increasing force.
The water all came from a break in forty
eignt-inch main of the city's high pressure ser
vic running from 0U-aVe through f-p-1I''
Park-ave and 41st-st. to 5th-ave.. and the con-
trolling gate Of the main was at 3d-ave. and
42a-st. a fact which nobody seemed to know
for hours.
PART OF PARK-AVE LIKE RAPIDS
That part of Park-ave. west Of the streetcar
cut from point near 41st-st TO 42d-st, re-
sembled the rapids below waterfall The pave
ment on the down grade there was covered with
swiftly running, muddy, frothing water to a
den+b of five or six inches The heavy grade
carried the stream around into 42d-st and east
along that street to 3d-ave. Much water poured
down into the conduits of the electric surface
lines in 42d-st, the tracks of the Madison-ave,
cars as they turned into the Park-ave. cut being
covered by the flood. but to the surprise of many
nersons the cars continued to as if nothing
was the matter
The alarm had been carried to the police at
the Grand Central Station at 3:14 p m by a
watchman at the Belmont Hotel, at the corner.
,ybo noticed that water was coming into the
subcellar The sergeant at the police station
began to try to call up officials of the Water
Danartment on the telephone. Policemen ran
from the station to find 42d-st. covered to
depth of two inches by q strong current
MANY pedestrians in Park-ave and loiterers
near the Grand Central Station and Grand Union
t5o+el ran in every direction from what threat
aned 70 be a serious flood. Several were caught
bv the waters and in their fight slipped and
fau Policemen hauled to their feet persons who
had fallen and piloted them to safety. The
no1ice then formed the usua! lines, which the
Invading waters forced back from time to time.
uoOD IN BELMONT HOTEL CELLAR.
with the sinking of the street and the lessen
,,s of the resistance Of the water the geyser-
1,ke effect of the torrent subsidized and instead
there appeared a rapid stream three or four
inches deep, which overtaxed the sewers and
snread over the surface more and more east
ward and rose in the surface car tunnel. II
noured into the seven story basement OF the
Belmont Hotel. and cascaded from subcellar 10
eubcellar to the lowest level Quick to realize
the peril to the foundations OF THIS enormous
str,cf,1re the engineer on duty put on heavy