The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-10-20
BREEZY BUNCH OF
GOSSIP FROM
GOTHAM Il
GASOLINE VAPOR IN SEWERS
CAUSES MANY DANGEROUS
EXPLOSIONS.
OUR MODE WITH CUBA
A Mater of Concern to New Workers
American Auto to Race in Eu
rope--Dr. Parkhursts New
Church-NeWs Notes.

New York, Oct 19-The great in
crease in popularity of the automobile
and the growing number of automobil,
garages in the heart of Mania tan Is
! land. have brought with them a prob
lem which already il one of the mos
serious that the city has to face Tha
is the gasoline problem and the per
centage OF danger to buildings and citi
zens which accompanies its wholesale
sand gallons of the fluid are used pei
day by the largest of the several hun
dred garages an dthe total amount
usey by all reaches enormous figures
but ii is necessary for purposes Of
cleaning also, and the drippings and
wastage of gasoline pervading the sew
ers now form a serious menace to
health and property. The danger prob
ably would have gone und scovered
but for an investigation following q
series of explosions, accompanied by
loss of life and the serious injury or
a number of persons, early last spring.
The first explosions occurred within
the zone occupied by the great mum
ber of automobile garages on or ada
cent to Longacre Square. Almost i'm
mediately followed a similar series of
accidents in cellars of tenement anil
bushes houses at a distance of two
or three thousand feet from Longacre
Square. AT the outset the accident
We're attributed to the leakage of IL
Illuminating gases. The city authori-
lies set about an Investigation and afs
expert was retained by the city 10
find the character and source of tho
gases. The result OF his work came
as note of alarm to the public when
he announced that the amount OF
waste gasoline and the vapor from It
existing in the Tewers and cellars
was enough to blow up half the dis
trct considerable portion of the
residents of that part of the city awall-
encd to the fact that they had been
over vertiable mine for
months. The sewer, fire. police. health
and tenement house departments es
tablished emergency offices in the
ne ghborhood of Longacre Square. Ex-
perts found it necessary to remove
nanholes over the entire area within
three thousand feet of the north
south, east and west of the center Of
danger and substitute for the old
covers others containing ventilating
pipes permitting the escape of gasO-
inc vapor, owing TO the fact that no
care was exercised by the employees of
he garages in diaposlng of the was. 9
gasoline and that great quantities Of
he fluid were habitually permitted to
run to the sewers through sink and
waste pipes and only the prompt ae
ion of the autohdities prevented
wholesale explosions with greater
lamagc This subject will be taken
Ip by the Board of Aldermen when Il
'onvencs for its winter session
The troubles In Cuba, now subsld
ne as The result of Intervention by The
United States government, are recog
lizcd in this city 10 involve interests |
If far more importance than the poll |
les Of the island From the New |
York point of view, the accession Of /
1uba by the United States is perhaps !
'nly a question of time; and as New /
FORK is and will remain, the center /
# Cuban trade and commerce. the in
,ortance of affairs upon the island /
ire of double Significance. II has re |
emily become known that attempts /
ave been made in Cuba. more than
nee since the accc sion 10 power OF
ormor President Palma. to foment =
evolution sufficiently serious TO var
ant permanent occupation of Cuba BY
he American forces, with view %
and that former Minister
iquircs upon at least one occasion.
y his personal efforts, prevented al
prising which then promised 10 he
ven more serious than the revolution
ow ended Whatever the result f
he efforts Of the revolutionary party
lsy be. American enterpr Sc is surely
rawing Cuba closer 10 the CONNER |
ial and financial centers Of this coun
-y.
Henry NJ Flagler's sea-going rail !
-ad. which is 10 connect Florida
roper with Key West. by trestlcs
nd embankments acro-s the Keys
iii bring Havana within about two
avs of New York. as well as Chicago
nd the Middle West. by ferry from
he Cuban capital 10 Florida and
hence by rail. Fast fre' 'ght from New
.ork to Havana by this route will
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