New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-21
BIG DYNAMO BURSTS.
"GREAT WHITE WAY" DIN.
Explosion and Fire TN POzCer House
Darken Hotels and Theatres.

! A 3O-foot high tension dynamo, one of twelve
on the main floor Of the New York Edison Com
pany's six story plant, in the block from 3Sth
/ to 39th street, between First avenue and the
East River, exploded last night at $50 o'clock.
The two hundred employed in the place
ran for their lives. A shower of steel fragments
filled the great six story building in which there
are no floors. Galleries are built all around the
four walls and some of the pieces landed on the
topmost of these.
Fire followed the explosion and added $1,000
damage to the $4,000 damage resulting from
the destruction of the big generator
Electrical experts think the explosion was due
TO Overspeed. The great sheet of steel encasng
the dynamo was blown to small pieces and inn
bedded in the brick walls.
Fire spurted up from the debris. and soon the
building filled with dense clouds of sitting
smoke from burning insulation When the fire.
men began pouring in the place there was an cleo
trio display from short circuits that beat any
Fourth of July night exhibition. The eleven
other dynamos were Immediately slowed down.
The explosion wrecked windows within ra-
dius of several blocks. Pictures walls of
tenement houses near by were Ioosencd from
their fastenings and fell to the floors, and
semi-panic reigned in the neghbOrhood.
The water seemed to have the effect of oil.
The flames frightened up as it fell on the blaz-
ing wires. and finally the fremen were called
off and the fire was left to burn Itself out.
One of the assistant superintendent, at great
personal risk, bIaved the maze of live wires on
the floor surrounding the wrecked generator. and
rigged up a temporary connection between the
connecting wires of the wrecked dynamo and the
other great generators scattered about the inn
mense floor. and lights in many of the big hotels
public buildings and theatres were thus restored.
The auxiliary system Of the Edison company.
by which the other power houses are called
upon through special heavy wire connections to
aid in an emergency of this kind, was called
into use.
The lights in Bellevue Hospital. only a few
blocks away, went down and almost out In
many Of the city hospitals and institutions the
lights were partly extinguished. In some cases
gas was used.
In the heart Of the city. along Broadway in
the Tenderloin. the lights from the thousands of
lamps were dmmed. The big electric signs
along Broadway were darkened. and the Great
White Way" except for the wondering throng
in the streets assumed the atmosphere OF the
main street in Hohokus on a busy Sunday even
ing
In the theatres the greatest inconvenience was
experienced. The footlights went down so low
that the persons on the stage could not be seen.
Efforts 10 use gas in several developed the fact
that they were not equipped with It. and It is
prohibited ny the building code. Some - the big
hotels had their own generating pants. aud were
not affected.
In the streets where the Edison company sup
piled the lights partial darkness was the rule.
and the lights were dmmed about half an hour.