The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-12
CONFUSIONAFTER MAINBREAKS
CELLARS FLOODED. TRAINS DE-
LAYED AND PHONES Cut OFF.
water spOuts 81 Feet In the Air In fulton
street, Br~o0klyn-The Flood Weak PM
the Elevated structure. Hampers Sur
face Traffic and Does Much Damage.

A cap on the twenty inch water main at
the intersection Of Fulton. Willoughby
n Adams streets. Brooklyn, was blown
out at $50 o'clock yesterday morning and
as a result business in the immediate neigh
borhood was handicapped for many hours,
The cap was at the end Of what is termed
a dead main, it being fastened there in order
TO facilitate the construction of the sub
way which runs along Fulton street at
that point. Passersby saw two streams
OF water spouting thirty-five feet into the
air. The police we're notified Immediately
and the Water Bureau soon had the emer-
gency crew at work at the break.
The force of the waterspouts tore up the
pavements in the immediate vicinity, and
the water. rushing in every direction. was
soon pouring into the cellers of business
houses as well as those Of the Hall of Records,
Kings County Court House. the Kings
County Trust Company and the National
City Bank.
The elevated railroad pillars. which are
numerous at that point, have had to have
many extra Imports during the building
of the subway and IL was feared that they
would be weakened. General Superin-
tendent William G. Menden of the B. X. r..
Company looked the situation over and
gave orders that trains should not be run
over the structure until il was found TO be
safe. The company's crews
were ordered TO the scene and a large num-
Der of men worked hard in supporting the
pillars in order that traffic might be re-
sumed.
II was also ascertained that traffic on the
surface roads would be dangerous under
the circumstances and the cars were di-
verified from Fulton street through Gold
street, Concord street and other thorough
fares to the bridge. The cars that usually
are operated through Atlantic avenue
and Boerum place TO Adams street were
also diverted and ran down Court street
to Fulton. This caused considerable delay.
Ii was q o'clock before the emergency
crews had fixed the streets so that the cars
could run on regular schedule time over the
regular routes. although many cars were
kept of Fulton street all morning. The
delay on the elevated structure was for
about two hours.
into the subway, but that will nor cause any
great inconvenience, as the water was
pumped out into the sewer.
When business men opened their places
they learned that the telephone system was
out Of order. Inquiries revealed that about
one thousand wires had been put out of use
temporarily by the water soaking through
into the conduits. In many places the
inuslation on the wires had been broken
in the course of the building of the subway,
and the water, which is a conductor.
brought these wires into contact so thar it
was Impossible 10 get any service. Work
men were busy until late last night making
the necessary repairs.
An illustration Of the Inconvenience
caused by the telephone troubles is the
experience Of the National CRY Bank. Al
opening time yesterday morning il was
found that one of the doors of the big money
vault would not open. The cashier has
tened TO the phone 70 get a safe expert 10
open the door, but the telephones wouldn't
work. Something had TO he lone quickly.
One Of the clerks ran 20 the Kings County
Trust Company's Office adjoining and ex-
planned the situation. A check was drawn
for the amount Of money necessary for the
DAYS work and the National City Bank
began business for the first time with its
great vaults closed. Soon after moo the
expert arrived and opened the doors.