New-York tribune., 1906-05-06

n this home OF freedom and great opportunities
gt seems strange 20 dnd the authorities busyins
themselves 20 prevent poor persons from rising in
De world Eot such Is the case IN New York. and
s,aEtioulnEly 81 that part OF the city bounded by
sth ana 69tb streets. Ninth avenue and the Hudson
River
There must De- one would thiak. some weighty
reason for such proceeding.
There Is.
The one great reason IS that the elevating IN
uence ct work IS not popular with the inhabitants
thOreabouts It is too sudden and brlsQue in Its
methods. The reaction, too. IS quick and painful
True there Is money in iE all. but little OF this
fnds its way Into the pocket OF him who hath not
the human playthng Of the aforementioned and
mysterious elevating influence. All he gets Is a
free r1do some nianhole cover as torn from his
fasteuingg By exploding gas the sewers, sails
HkyWaEd, with the prospect OF materially altering
his physical presentment as he shall touch
terra dEZna again
So many exciting episodes have taken place IN
the neighborhood in the last six weeks from this
cause the inhabitants have reached the bored"
stage This Is well illustrated by the behavior OF
Henry Postal. only recently Thursday, April
q. when an explosion took place IN the ironmOngery
EtogO conducted by him and Julius Shipman, at No
"a Ninth avenue.
Ar Postal was sitting at the shop door Ot was
about 10 g. Tn) reading account in his morning
paper OF how his neighbors IN Tenth avenue had
been worked Up into a white heat OF indignation
and alarm the eruptions In their vicinity
when he heard the muhied but unmistakable sound
which spells 'iRnother explosion
but tex little notice OF de SCUM at de time.'
said Mr.. Postal 81 used to him I voss shust
bekinnin TO wonder we're he might come from ven,
Shirnminnys and my chair voss lifted dree feet
into de air. Den knew we're d. exploshion was
In mein own cellar"
Ar. Postags FIRST thought was for the safety OF
his wife and young child for he expected-re fol-
low ana he made a dash for their living apartment
over the shop. He met one awkward obstacle en-
route, namely. the outer door IN a badly twisted
condition owing to the explosion, but this he
forced open at the expense OF severely cut wrist,
which he IS nursing to-day with no oversupply OF
patience.
Meanwhile his partner. the innocent cause OF an
the trouble, living a long life in short time
in the "zellar" under the shop
In the floor Of the small room at the rear OF the
premises IS trapdoor leading to the cellar. Mr..
Shipman had lifted this and had descended two
steps when. his usual morning CUSTOM he
struck q match 70 light him into the dark apart
ment and with which to light the gas: but immedi-
ately there was more light and sound than the
suspecting shopkeeper bargained for. Unfortunate
y, the explosion did have the effect of forcing
Air. Shipman up out Of harms way. for the next
moment he was IN heap at the bottom Of the
cellar steps, big blue tongue Of flame licking
round his face and playing havoc with such inham.
nable material mustaches are composed or
However, he had the good sense not to insist upon
his rght 70 enter Iutner into thaC beWltched place
and blundered back up the cellar steps shielding
his face with his hands
A PRISONER.
The next thing that he was conscious of was that
ne was a prisoner-the treacherous trapdoor had
closed down him. and. luck, top OF this
again had fallen small mountain OF tin trunks.
wash bowls and what not But shipman was not
10 be denied: he has a strong skull set square
shoulders and he is willing to admit that he never
a1,,, a1ae .qyaTT&a
that followed this last discovery. Needless to say
was ready for all the fresh air that part Of Ninth
avenue could supply him with.
Shipman and Postal estimate their loss at some
thing over $780, and have sent IN ;heir claim the
insurance company. They attribute the explosion
70 the same cause whatever 1t is' that is at work
IN the sewers and cellars all over the immediate
district.
The owner OF the crOckery shop at No. 77S Ninth
avenue, I Brand. has a little bill Of SIS he wants
'o send 20 some one" for damage done at the last
explosion IN the sewers before his door, He says he
has been waiting for the other shopkeepers to take
action BE So anxious have this bill settled but
is IN quandaTy 20 where to send It, the Bureau
Of Sewers having concern with such trihes. Mr..
Brand says his place looked ike two cents" after
the shaking Up It got. Broomsticks danced about
like things possessed. and TO protect himself from
the shower OF vases. plates and china ornaments
he had to rush out into the street. Even here he
was not entirely safe. for bananas, cuoumbers and
cabhages from the green grocer's hard by were
executing some high jumps of their own.
The Little Italian shoeblack who does business on