New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-03-28
BLAST BUR|ES STREET
Part Of Lexington Avenue Falls
Into Subway Excavation.
SURFACE CARS CLOSE CALL
Explosion Causes Panic in Neigh
borhood and Police Are Kept
Busy-Traffic Held Up.

Lexington avenue, between sTth and sSth
streets. suddenly collapsed from curb To
curb and plunged downward forty feet into
the bedrock tunnel of the new subway yes
terday afternoon after an unusually heavy
blast had been set off by men employed by
the Bradley Contracting Company. For a
few minutes after the explosion the scene
was similar to the confusion following an
earthquake.
Dust and smoke filled the air and the
rush of water and the Kissing Of escaping
gas added to the general excitement The
report spread rapidly that many persons
had fallen to their death in the black chasm
yawninG below. Only the tracks Of the
Lexington avenue surface car line remained
standing. being supported by large beams.
Belgian blocks and the rails themselves.
Only one man, John Marizone, a laborcr,
was hurt All traffic was stopped on Lex
ington avenue from seth street 10 SSth
street for several hours
According to ,fcials Of the New York
Railways Company, they did not expect 10
repair and brace the tracks sufficiently to
permit Of cars being run over them for at
least five hours. and they did not believe
the street could be put into shape for gen
eral traffic for several days
AT the point where the Cave-in occurred
the Bradley company Is cxCavating for n
subway station. and "A shaft has been sunk
to a depth Of forty feet in the bedrock.
Preparations for the setting off II the blast
had been completed about 2 o'clock and at
that time all the workmen in the big hole
were ordered out of the danger zone. All
traffic was stopped at seth and Hsth streets
The instant the man operating the cleo
trio sparker had plunged down his lever
there arose roar and crash which could
be heard for blocks and then the whole
street was swallowed up by the hole.
a northbound surface car filled with
passengers had just been stopped on the
brink Of the chasm in time to prevent the
dumping of its load of living freight into
the excavation. The passengers lost no
time I'm getting out of the car and running
TO points Of safety.
In the mean time the entire neighborhood
was thrown into state of panic as the re-
port was given out that many persons had
been caught in the Cave-in and hurled be
meath the surface of the street. Ambulances
from the PRESBYTERIAN and Reception hos
pltdlS ADDED 10 the ltIIoI ny INC N''itht
Changing OF their bells and the police re-
serves from the East SSth street station
had a hard time dispensing the crowds and
establishing "A Gordon Of patrolmen about
the wrecked section.
Besides tearing away all the heavy sup
ports which had been holding up the street
surface, the blast smashed one of the Gro
ton water mains and cracked "A gas supply
pine. Within few minutes the excavation
began to fill with water and when men
from the Department of Water Supply. Gas
and Electricity tried to repair the water
main they were driven back by gas fumes.
1t was not until the gas company had shu'
off the gas in its main that the water leak
could be stopped
A corps of experts from the BUILDINGS
DEPARTMENT and the contracting company
made an inspection of the sidewalks and
houses on the wrecked block and reported
that they were safe.