New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-04
FIRE IMPERILS 500 MEN.
"Sandhog" Army at McAdoo Tan
mel Terminal BraUely Rescued.

Fire destroyed n large part OF the wooden sheds.
staging and derrick structures yesterday morning
In the huge excavation for the McAdoo tunnel ter
minnl at Dey and Church streets, threatened %
suffocate more than five hundred "sandhogs' deep
down IN the foundation cassOns by cutting of their
air pressure and caused a delay OF thirty days IN
the completion OF the terminal. The last % the
underground workers was lifted from the caissons
in the buckets while the derricks carrying them TO
the air blazed above them. Several OF them when
rescued were bleeding from nose and mouth and
two were taken to the Hudson Street Hospital
bleeding internally. The actual damage TO the
work $4,000.
Shortly after o'clock yesterday morning a spark
from OF tho many tireless little engines in tho
excavation set fire 20 engine and boiler house
which stood on a great platform midway between
Dey and Cortland streets. used TO furnish low
pressure air for hoisting purposes. The house
was constructed Of pine boards. which had become
saturated with oil. A blaze on the roof gave the
alarm. and the contractors fire apparatus was
rushed TO the but II tried In vain TO 1uench
the flame. which ate rapidly into the inhammable
material. An alarm rung in and responded to
almost Immediately by Hook and Ladder Company
10. from Fulton street. little later other COM
panies and Chief Croker arrived
BY this time tho boiler house was sending up
shower OF sparks and embers, and other boiler
sheds, derricks and staging wrapped IN
threatened 70 spread 20 all of the engine houses
south of pey street and shut off the supply OF air
for the caissons the danger signal given and
the buckets began travelling up and down. bring
ing the sand hogs TO the surface. Around some
Of the deTTcks used 10 hoist and lower the buckets
the fire blaZed with fierce heat, and the men in
charge OF the donkey hosting engines were
blistesed and choked one of them a Negro was
caught running away by Oliver BeTkhameF. a fore
man, who asked him il he was going TO leave the
men underground 10 die. CANT help that boss
he replied; its too hot for me"
Berkhamer tried TO grab him, but the Negro
eluded him Berkhamer sPrang to the engine and
lowered the bucket, bringing the last five sand
hogs 20 the surface In tiine though they were an
bleeding. William DOoey, a workman. found
other deserving his donkey engine around
which bazed an inferno and without a word
grasped the lever himself and shot the bucket
uown 10 the seven in the caisson getting
them all up Uninjured.
While the nre was raging at it's height huge
compressed air pipe burst with a deafeninr re-
port. but did no injury. a twelve-inch water main
also burst and partly filed several catssOns yvth
its volume of escaping water. These will have IN
be pumped out before the work OF laying the CON
crete foundations can be resumed.
The firemen got the flames under control hefore
any OF the excavation structures north az nov
street We're injured To facilitate their work tho
power had 10 be Shut OF from both the SIKH aud
Ninth avenue elevated railways. nterrupting traffic
for hour. Several surface trolley lines Wee as
tied up 1t was noon before the last stream ~
water was cut off and the hose rolled M and
slowed '---S