New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-06
FIFTH-AVE. FLOODED.
BIG WATER MAIN BURSTS.
Leak Near Waldorf Not Found for
SeUen Hours.

Hooded. At exactly ten minutes after o'clock
a 4S-inch main under 5th-ave, forty feet south
of the 34th-st. crossing. burst. and water flowed
in torrents from it until almost midnight. The
surface of 5th-ave. at that point lifted three
inches by 10 O'Clock and the management of
the big hotels in the neighborhood were seriously
talking of having some sort of sondolas for the
convenience of their patrons.
At 2 o'clock this morning employees OF the
Water Department found the leak and under
orders of Chief Engineer BirdsaH turned off
every main in the avenue, The water stopped
flowing at once, after running for seven hours.
The management of the Waldorf-Astoria, after
a hasty conference with their chief engineer
E. c. Bingham, telephoned the repair branch of
the Water Department ten minutes after the
water gushec from the main. 1t could not have
been moment later than 725 O'Clock when
this message was delivered. and it exactly
$40 when two men from the repair branch
drove up in buggy. By this time the avenue,
from 34th-st. to 29th-st., was lake. the water
creeping onto the sidewalk every moment
These men simply stared at the situation and
bade it goodby- From then until II O'Clock no
person with authority had attempted to turn off
the stream or find the cause of the break.
The lesson of Sunday, June H. when a water
main burst under Park-ave. near 41st-st, dam
aging property for blocks and tying UP traffic
apparently forgotten.
The city will have 5th-ave to dig up and re-
pair again, and probably thousands of dollars
of damage to face. The main that broke is sup
posed be of the twin 4S-inch mains put
under 5th-ave. in the Strong administration
which supply smaller mains throughout the city.
A cabman in front of the Waldorf was the first
to the water gushing out of manhole He
rushed in and moment later Mr.. Hilliard the
manager and Mr.. Bingham. the chief engineer,
came out. The lid was torn off the manhole and
from 1t gushed torrent of water that flowed
into the avenue
MANY CELLARS FLOODED.
Five minutes later the water bubbled over an
other manhole, several feet south of the first one,
and in less than half an hour the avenue was a
pool from 34th-st to 29th-st. Every moment
increased the danger to property. and early
as 3 o'clock the water was trickling down into
the wine cellar of the Waldorf-Astoria, though
the management loathe admit it. By 8
o'clock every cellar as far south 29th-st
flooded The police took hold of the traffic situa-
ton at this time, and blocked the avenue from
34th-st. to 23d-st. ordering all northbound cabs
into Broadway and the southbound into 32d-st.
the side streets above il.
Mr. Hiiard said his chief engineer tried to
find the cause of the break. but gave it UP, and
they spent the rest Of the night in venting their
spleen on the Water Department. Mr.. Hilliard
said that he had never seen such blundering in
competency and failure to meet situation. He
blamed the department first for the delay i'll
getting men there, and then for having men that
did not know their business.
Meanwhile the water had Crept up to the side
walk and was gushing into every cellar in that
part of the avenue. Near 33d-st. and 5th-ave.
is the jewelry store of Thomas kirkpatrick. In
the basement are stored valuable oil paintings,
wit
vas The water poured into the cellar, and in
five minutes time everything of value inside was
partly ruined.
on the opposite side of the street is the Knick-
erbocker Trust Company's building Its cellar
was flooded as we'll as those of several art stores
and bric-a-brac shops, large jewery store and
that of A Schmidt. the curiO dealer. In nearly
all these cellars there were valuables stored The
water flowed on down to 29th-st, running in
eddes into the side streets. There is a slight de-
preston between 33d and both sts. and the
water lay like deep muddy pool When this
depression was filled the water flowed into the
side streets to Madison-ave. and thence south in
Madison East 33d-st. was impossible.
HOTELS CUT OFF FROM AVENUE.
The Holland House and the Hotel Cambridge
were also cut off on the avenue side The cell
lars of these hostleries were damaged, though
to what extent could not be learned, as the
management was reticent about the matter.
The guests in the Waldorf found something to
while away the time for hour or s. watching
the food.
The Broadway theatre crowds heard the news
and swarrred to the scene, adding to the hun
drads already there The manager of the Wal
dorf tried for several hours TO keep the 33d-st
carriage stand clear, but gave 1t up after the
water flooded a wooden dam his employees built
About 10 o'clock the Water Department got
several men on the scene under Mr.. O'ConneI,
foreman
We're up in the air." OConnell said when
asked where the stream was coming from. we
don't know any more about it than you Ihere
ara I've mains under the avenue ut this point
Which one ot them is it? We don't know 1ne'e
arc tvo 4sinch mains and three smaller ones
II1,,1 ed the one or turn off every main on the
avenue - 81,
At11 O'Clock his men had failed to find the
ono r." The cause of the break is said 10 nave
haar blasting operations in connection win the
+,,ction of a sewer in 3th-ave 70 connect
It'll the Altman Building. being erected on the
north side of 34th-st.. just west OF the avenue
Mon from the Water Department were sent 10
q supplv station connected with the broken mann
- sbr+ off the water and others scurried in all
sso.i,e b,,t their efforts to turn off the stream
were fruitless.
SUNNY. Gas and Electricity. with Chief Engl-
raar Rfrdsau and Commissioner Woodbury., OF
+b S+raat cleaning Department, reached t-.e
scene about midnight.
..rbts is a tough proposition for man VINO
has only been on the job few days Con1nls-
sioner Ellison said. "Candidly don't know
.bi,g about this break I'll have to refer you 10
NV chief engineer"
The commissioner admitted that there was
:; IrV1Oyy