The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-17
BAR FIREMEN FROM TUNNEL.
LONG ISLAND CITY FORCE HITS
SOMETHING NEW.
Creased wires start q maze In the PENN
syIVanIA Bore. Long Island Fad. N
the smoke Eaters Find n That Is
due Place where They Gan' G!S.

due Place where They an G!S.
Defective insulation Of telephone wires
started d fire in Lock No. I Of the Psnnsyl-
vania tunnel, a few feet west Of Borden
avenue, Long Island City, early yesterday
morning. The blaze spread to the heavy
beams that roof the tunnel, and by the
time it was. discovered by workInen the
fire was going pretty briskly. The men
tried to put It out with the apparatus with
which each lock IL supplied. but after 4
few minutes Il looked as il the fire was
getting away from them. and word was
sent to the engineers in charge.
An alarm was sent In from Borden AMI
Flushing avenues. Engine Company 1853,
Capt. Collins. was the first company to
reach the shaft. The iremsn stretched in
a line Of hose through the Borden avenue
gate and were making ready to descend
when q Waterman halted them.
Nobody could 60 down. he said, until a
doctor had vOuched that his lungs were
| sound.
Two more engines and a truck company
pulled up at the gate, and the firemen stood
around and waited while Capt. Collins had
IL out with the Waterman. A thin column
OF smoke curled up from the depths Of the
shaft.
Now, you see here, Mr.. Frsshie,' rosred
the captain; I'VE 90 any damBed place
where there's a fire. Wen 60 TO hell IL the
station hits from there, and what's more
we'll 20 right out to the middle OF the river
II she's burning. Let me down in that
shaft"
Cant do it, said the wstchmAn; 'it's
against the orders"
Come on, boys, stretch in beloved
Collins, and ten iremen grippod the line
OF hose and started for the entrance to
the shaft. The engineer Of 1853 had steam up,
the pipe line was connected with the engine
and the fremen we're ready to follow their
skipper.
Pretty risky business going" below
there" said Collins, turning to his men,
and / amt ordering any Of you to follow
me. II we do 20 down something is likely
to happen, and il il does well, I'D rather
have some OF you with me who haven't
got wives
All hands were right on top OF the cap
tain, eager to follow him. Get back there,
Kelly, you've got a wife and six kids. What
the hell do you want down therep You, too,
Brophy. you amt s-going with me
Skidoo."
While Collins was picking out his men an
engineer emerged from the dark recesset
and said he thought the workmen below
could handle the fire all right.
They've got Il under control now" he
said, but you had better lay around a while
for fear she gets away from them o
That didn't satisfy Collins. 1T doesn'
matter where the fire TO-" he told the en-.
Rineer, the law says its oar right to q
and fight it. IL she gets away from you
yyOu'l be wanting us damned bad
The engineer explained that there wa
an air pressure Of twenty pounds to tn
square inch in the lock and that II any
Of the firemen weren't able to stand II seri
OILS results might happen.
I'VE Amt afraid Of The bends, or anyt him
like that replied Collins. "If we ain
afraid OF smoke. water and fire, then W
amt afraid Of air. Let's get down there"
The engineer. however, like the watch
man. was Obdurste, and he ~steadfastl,
refused o allow Collins and his men to ente
the shaft. The fire captain appealed {
SerGt. Henry Breen Of the Vernon avenu
station, who was in command OF the polio
. reserves, but Breen was powerless to d
anyt hing to aid him
The Bremen waited half an hour. TIL
workmen in the tunne put out he fire an
! refused to tell the police what the damag
! was. 1t was reported that nobody va
: hurt and that hardly any men were in tn
l tunnel AT Z he time.