New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-08-09
PASS BLAME FOR FLOOD.
City and Subscay Officials and Con-
tractors Point at Each Other.

The passengers Imprisoned Tuesday night In
che Interborough's free Turkish bath. and chosc
who had 90 pass through the Teek % the subway
all yesterday. viii doubtless find much comfort 81
the promise OF George S. Rice. chief engineer ef
the Rapid Transit Commission that the subway
viii be all right ''in a week So"
Everybody in any way connected with the sub
way OF It's flooding Tuesday night was IN de-
eided the-other feIler-did-it attitude yesterday.
Frank HeGley. general manager % the Infsrbor-
Ough. naturally disclaimed any responsibility for
the flood" George II. Pegram. chief engineer OF
the marlborough. assumed. OF course. that the
contractors would take all proper precautions
against the stOppaee OF traffic. That they
able 20 do 50 / believe 20 be merely another case
OF the impOssibility Of foreseeing trouble"
What blame the InteTbOFOUgh does not put upon
the contractors. the DegnOn Contracting Company.
is thrust upon the Rapid Transit Commission. The
Rapid Transit Commission, through Alfred Craven.
its deputy chief engineer tried 90 pass the blame
hack to the InterbOrOugh. saying: ut IL that
we drew the plans. but Il up 20 the IntsrboE-
ough company to that they carried cut
without stopping the service"
The block due to the food lasted until a. N
yesterday Even then II was a long time before the
kinks in the tangled schedule Strengthened
out. Not since the subway opened has ire
traffic any business morning been so light. With
the air like the steam room OF Turkish bath above
the ground. few persons excepting those most
pressed for time dared the risk OF being caught
again in the subway. The way they locked to mo
surface cars to get downtown reminiscent OF
the days OF the subway strike With the holes being
built for subway ventilation the chances Of .
repetition OF the experience OF the night before
seemed too good for most OF them.
Although the subway was comparatively dry At
the morning rush hour. passengers found many IN
cOnventenceS when they used the tube after
o'clock. Until 1ath street was reached the service
was all right. but thereafter the trains slowly,
and in a stencil so horrible that many fOrsoOs the
road there fOr the surface and elevated lines At
Canal street the Of the stencil seemed % b-
concentrated The OdOr that reached the cars was
heavy with moisture. and az the stations was redo
lent with the OdOr Of the cigar butts and other
rubbish which filters the tracks. This material.
never too savOry. was made worse than usual by
the sewer water that had washed IT 20 and fro al
night. and by the sewer gas that came with the
food and was not pumped out with The water.
Superintendent Merritt worked all night IN the
section below Canal street. where the water was
deepest. Two big electrical pumps. supplemented
by hand pumps. were a long time making any TN
preston on the underground lake. When the road
bed was uncovered IL was found that 1t was prac-
ticalIy unchanged. and by a. m the tTscknaen
had about everything in running order
The pump at White street. supposed 20 have
capacity Of some eight hundred gallons minute.
also was on strike. When finally it persuaded
20 work, q did sulkily. An attempt also vas
made 20 dam the food az Franklin street. but little
good was accomplished
When an explanation OF the food was souss~
at the offices of the InterbOrOUgh. besides C.
general desire to place the blame elsewhere there
seemed 10 be a feeling that the city was getting
about what IL deserved in making the company PUT
in ventilating devices. Frank Hedley, the general
manager. said:
Il will take about three weeks 20 finish the work
at that point but from what have gathered after
careful examination there will be repetition o.
such accident IN ordinary ratnstOrr- IN case
OF another clOudburst however. there might be an
other tie-up-
We expect 70 have the fans in soon. without fur
ther trouble. The entire system of ventiatins the
subway which devised By the Rapid Transit
Commission. will cost s.. 25AC.N. There Is question
TO who is going 20 pay that money. but IN the
mean time we following the commissions plans
and footing the bills. We merely running the
road the city built, and Sc the city makes punch
holes in the walls and they let water through ard
food us helpless. We've got 20 do what
are told. but We'll Try TO avoid another such
aavr