New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-02
Train Dispatcher Dies on Third
Rail in Underground River
While Trying to End
Tie -Up-Thousands
Walk the Tracks.
SHOCK KILLS POLICEMAN
Lightning Knocks Man from Liner,
Strikes Many Buildings and
Causes Terror, but Kills Only
Dog-Trains Delayed on
Many Railroad Lines.

York yesterday. 1t drove pedestrians
to cover, choked the sewers, flooded the
subway and thousands Of cellars, un-
dermined the Sixth avenue elevated
railway and in general swabbed down
the metropolis as 1t hasn't been
swabbed since the days OF Noah.
AT the height of the storm, when il
seemed as If all ordinary buildings
would become submerged. there was a
poitan. Woolworth and Singer towers
in the hope that the rising tide might
be cheated of enough Of its victims to
perpetuate the race after the waters
subsided.
Unfortunately the full extent OF this
movement could not be learned, by
reason OF the almost complete tie-up OF
traffic. The majority OF those who
sought these pinnacles OF safety were
forced to turn back from subway, SIR
face car and elevated and pass long
and chilly hours OF suspense in the
flats from which they once fed.
At late hour last night. however.
il was said on good authority that the
main danger from which they suffered
was wet feet. Before midnight the
drainage system Of the five boroughs
resumed its function and life was again
fairly safe in the highways.
Jovian Bolt Strikes Terror.
A sharp electrical disturbance added
to the general animation. Flashes OF
lightning. accompanied almost immedi-
ately by deafening crashes Of thunder.
punctuated the drumming OF the down.
pour. The lightning struck in several
places about the city and caused dam
age to property. but no loss ef life.
Altogether, more rain fell and more
untoward circumstances befell than on
any other October day within the men,
cry Of the Weather Bureau.
Manhattan caught the full force OF
the storm across its middle. For once
she suffered the water cure, and at q
point where usually the excess Of
champagne ia peculiarly noticeable.
Between the Grand Central Station and
I2d street the subway had 10 suspend
operations from little before 4 o'clock
in the afternoon until almost 7:3O
o'clock in the evening. In this interval
the stairwsys from the street became
waterfalls. and every ventilation graft
ing became a sieve for the floods in the
streets above.
This condition led 10 the only fatal
ity OF the day which was directly
traceable TO the weather Thomas II.
Walsh, train dispatcher ordinarily
employed at the gdth street station OF
the subway. was sent TO JOth street
to superintend crew Of men at work
pumping out the water there.
The men were vainly trying 90 re-
duce the volume Of water pouring from
a sewer leak at 46th street Walsh
descended to the track from the 10Th
street station platform and proceeded
about one hundred feet southwark
through the svirling water. when he
slipped. tripped and fell on his right
side across the third rail.
\ blue flame shot forth and envel-
oped the dspatcher's body. The work.
men found his body rigid. They car
ried him to the JOth street station,
where Dr Pollay. summoned In AN
ambulance from the Polytechnic Hos
pital. said he was killed instantly.
Walsh, who was thirty-thrcc years old.
lived at No. so lsham street. The
Bronx.
Patrolman CLARK. of the Jersey City
Police Department. was shocked 20
death at a telephone box while turn
ing in call
subway Blocked for Hours.
only q few minutes after the sus-
pension ~ traffic between the Grand
Central station and ia street by fea-
son of the food at 10th street. the sub
way began 90 hll just north of I'D
street. So that no trains could be rnn
between that station and 9jth street.
So one-half II the gour-track mileage
Of the subway through the very hsart
of the city was useless for almost three
and half hours
The interborough company warned
by the food at Joth street two weeks
ago. had constructed "A car equipped
with an enormous pump. THIS toe
company rushed TO the scene Of the
trouble yesterday hefore the trains had
stopped running. The pump was put
Immediately 10 work. and had done
such good scrvice by 30 o'clock hat
the first southbound train was able 70
reach the Grand Central station. hai-