New-York tribune., 1912-02-12
MANY IN Peril AS
BIG MAINS BREAK
Seven Persons Overcome by
Gas and Seventeen Horses
Are DroWnea by Pig
Rush OIL Water.
LARGE SECTION AFFECTED
Territory Near West End Avenue
and eth Street Without Water
or Gas for Several Hours
After the Breaks Are
Discovered.


Discovered.
BY the bursting of water ana gas
mains near West End avenue and 9'tn
street early yesterday morning seVerai
nersons were overcome by gas ana
seventeen horses were drowned IN their
stalls. In addition, probably nifty ram
;l;es IN the neighborhood of the breaks
were affected by the leakage OF gas
which was plainly noticeable for more
Than two hours after the trouble was
first discovered.
The bursting Of two water mains so
lowered the pressure on the upper west
side that water could not be had ana al
the persons affected had to go withoul
cooked food until after noon, because the
gas company would not permit the usirs
of gas, acting under orders from inc
Fire Department
Gangs of men from the Department OF
Water Supply, Gas and ELECTRICITY ana
from the gas company were hustled TO
the snoi where il was thought the breaks
had occurred and began 10 rip up the
streets in an effort to find the leaks on
account of the frozen condition OF inc
ground this work was necessarily SLOW
The following persons were overcoms
by the escaping gas:
Monroe Dedrick, No. Io2 west Fno
avenue: found in basement Of building.
Timothy Clancy, janitor Of 20. 1aS
West End avenue; found UNCONSCIOUS IN
basement apartments.
Thomas Murray, assistant tanitor Al
No. 75S West End avenue.
Thomas Simpkins. negro hallooy.
Mrs. 2. 3. Wilbur. owner Of an apart
ment hotel at No. 762 West End avenue
found unconscious in, basement OF build
ing.
Minister Overcome in Bath.
The only person who was 80 seriously
affected by the escaping gas as 10 re-
ouire hospital treatment was the rev.
p. Elwood Erickson, assistant pastor OF
the Fourth Presbyterian Church, at9lst
street and West End avenue. he mao
coma into the bathroom at No. 762 West
End avenue, where he lives. ana "hlle
taking bath became unconscious he
was treated by an ambulance surgeon
from the ]. Hood Wright Hospital ana
was afterward taken TO the home OF Ut.
p.rrv F. Hale, at No. 10 West End
avenue.
II was found last night that many
other persons in the neighoorhood han
baAn affected by the gas. Walter Coyne.
butler for John c. Freund, owner OF
Musical America" who lives at No.
75o West End avenue, was awakened
by the smell Of gas. He went to the
room of Julia Curtin, Mrs. treuno
maid. and Julia McClinsky. the nurse IN
the Freund household, and found them
nartlv. overcome. He managed to re
vive them and they went to the rooms.
NJ the Freunds. Mrs. Freund and her
two daughters, Annette, seventeen years
old. and Marjorie. eight, were overcome
with the aid of Mr.. Freund, his wife
ord Annette were resuscitated. but tho
Younger girl could Tot be revived
Provide Coffee for Laborers.
The family physician, DR.. Edward
Miller Of No. $50 West 9th street, was
summoned, and after some time he was
abIA IN bring Marjorie around. Tns
whole household was suffering IRON
headaches last night. but Mrs treuno
instructed her servants to dlstrlputs
coffee TO the workmen who were tear
ING I'm the street. This was kept up
throughout the night and proved boon
to the laborers.
Tho trouble was first discovered soon
after 8 o'clock in the morning, when AL
bert De Forest, night manager oil me
Tbedford garage and coal pockets, at
No 315 West 96th street, told Patrol
man Bross, of the West Tooth street sta
tion that water was percolating through
the wall into the basement OF the stable
The leakage then was not alarming, ana
Bross reported the matter to his station
and word was sent to the Water Do
partment
About an hour. later the night stable
man went TO feed the horses, and While
thus engaged the entire east side OF the
wall began to spout water. he rushed
out and gave the alarm, and Patrolmen
Rross, Swain and Weidig ran to the
stable.
Even before they reached the place the
stable was filled with several feet OF
water. which was now running through
the wall like a freshet. The horses, tied
in their stalls, tugged frantically at the
ropes and whinnied and neighed In
piteous manner. Weidg and his fellow
patrolmen plunged into the icy water.
and with great difficulty managed to
loosen seven of the halters and run tho
horses into the yard.
The stable stands in the rear OF Duiid-
ings at 9th street and West End ave-
nue.. and when the men from the water
Department arrived the pavement at
this corn.r had bulged almost three feet
Every main along the street was shut
off The mains which had broken wers
36-inch pipes.
Flood Weskess Gas Main.
The pressure Of the escaping torrents
OF water so weakened the gas main ad-
iacent that II burst also, but this was
not known until almost o'clock, when
a milkman entered the basement OF the
anartment house at No. T5S West End
avenue. He was almost overcome by