The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-03
FLAMING GAS JET CUTS OUT THIRD OF TELEPHONE SERVICE BURNS WORKMEN
 AND SERIOUSLY INTERRUPTS TRAFFIC

Three Inch Gas Main
 Breaks and Gas Ignites in
 Tunnel at Main Street and
 Fairfield Avenue in
 Which Five Men Were
 Employed Excavating for
 Water Main.
 Fire Department for An
 Hour Poured Water Into
 Hole Without Result
 Column of Fire Shot Into
 Air Until Pipe Was Cut
 and Wooden Plugs Insert
 ed = Business District
 Largely Deprived of Com
 munication-Trolley Ser
 vice Impeded and Traffic
 by Team Sent Through
 Other Streets = Electric
 Wires Unharmed.
 Five workmen employed on the night gang of the Bridgeport Hydrau- lie Company, laying a water pipe through Main street, narrowly escap- ed death in the tunnel they had bur rowed beneath the street at it's juno ton with Fairfield avenue, when, at 4 o'clock this morning, a three inch gas pipe broke, and tongue of flame shot out of the mouth of the tunnel and many feet into the air.
 Three escaped practically unhurt, but John Lynch of Dewey street was badly burned about the face and his hair and eyebrows were burned off, while Antonio Piccicella, 46 N. Wash ington avenue, was burned about the face and right arm. Their condition is not serious unless blood-po1son1ng should intervene.
 The injury to traffic and telephone communication, was however, very serious. Because the Bridgeport Gas Light Company had no shut oil near the point the burning jet could not be deprived for more than an hour of it's supply of gas and melted away 750 double telephone wires, cutting off the service from many homes, factories also burned away the ties from be meath the costly special work of the Co.,, until the main was cut at Q place distant from the blaze and plugged with wooden plugs
 This, despite the fact that for more than an hour the fire department pour ed water into the tunnel. The jet was under pressure and water had no eff feet upon it.
 The telephone company immediately began the work of reconnecting the wires It will be late tonight or ear ly tomorrow before the damage will be repaired. Business telephones are more largely affected than private telephones. Many houses in the busi- ness district are without service.
 Under the Direction of Superinten- lent Chapman the work of snoring up the tracks was begun. The temporary work will remain until the new pave ment is laid on Main street and then the damage will be permanently re- paired.
 It is probable that the trolley com oany and the telephone company will send bills to the gas company for the damage done. Whether the gas com pany in turn will make a claim upon the Water company remains to be seen.
 There is some uncertainty as to the way in which the accident happened. | that the gas main was not properly ;hored up, to statements that it was struck by a pick wielded by a work man and that heavy cables fell on it. Is to how the gas ignited, various theories are that it was fired by con .act with electric wires; that a spark vas struck from a pick, LOT that a torch m the hands of a workman did it.
 The injured workmen were cared for by Dr. Gordon L. Leverty of the hospital staff,
 The public services of the city could scarcely be struck in a more vital pot At this place many telephone wires are taken into the office of the company a few rods above, on Fair field avenue The many electric fight wires are also assembled in the ,onduits here. These fortunately es- ,aped, the flames taking another di- 'ection. To-day traffic by teams was ent around by other streets. Traffic | f1cers being stationed at appropriate corners above and below, for this purpose. The movement of trolley | .ars is greatly inconvenienced. The york of laying the water main cannot | continue until the repairs on telephone | wires are completed. Hr ~ 70 AT0rNN DAv