The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-16
FLOOD, FIRE, PANIC,
WHEN MAIN BURSTS
Early Riscrs in Williamsburg
, Hear Roar, and Events Fol-
{ low Too Fast for Police.
PROPERTY DAMAGE LARGE

A thirty-six inch water main in Bush
wick avenue between Montrose and John
son avenues. Williamsburg. burst yester-
day morning. Eeary rlsers heard rum
bling sound and a roar. Every building In
the neighborhood trembled under the
shock and then n great column of water
shot into the mir. taking paving blocks
and earth with II.
Lights came flashing to the windows
OF tenement houses. There were screams
Of women and children. and here and
there the report of a revolver. When
these people looked out they saw the
water spouting from n great hole in the
street A trolley car could be seen careen-
ing toward the seething fssure. Men were
scramblng out OF the car for their lives.
In a minute tenants were rushing from
buildings on every side. some OF them
fioundering into the water. others turning
back in fear and reaching safety by way
of Are escapes and back yards. al OF
them were scantily clad. and most of
them were excited. Then a streak OF
flame shot from doorway. and the cry
Of "hre" mingled with the general con-
fusion.
Patrolmen Resented and Hoffman OF
the Stage street station were first on
the scene with aid They saw that the
hole in the street went clean TO the curb
on one side and that the people rushing
pell nell from their homes were in danger
of plungng headlong into the opening.
They stood guard there and shouted di-
rections as best they could amid all the
shouting and bowling.
Policemen Save Man.
When they saw flames shoot out OF
Che four story frame building at 253 Bush
wick avenue Hoffman jumped through
them. \ woman coming down from the
third floor had let a lamp fall as she
saw the flood outside. She turned and
fed TO the rear OF the building. Hoffman
went to the second floor and dragged
Morris Goldstein from his sick bed TO
safety.
The fremen made short work OF the
FIRE, but II was otherwise with the flood
For an hour the thirty-slx inch main
opened into the street The water ran
down a slope to McKibbn street. and
made a lake there Police reserves or
dered first floor tenants out down there.
The basemen; OF Public School li7 was
filled with water. and thousands of dol
lars of damage was done to tobacco leaf
son and Bushwick avenues
Electric light and telephone wire con-
Quits had been ripped up in the break,
and short circuits made dangerous work
for everybody. The Water Department
sent an emergency crew. and three crews
OF the Brooklyn Rapid Transit came from
the Ridgewood terminal trolley car.
the front truck Of which had been lifted
from the tracks by the force OF the water
spout, was dragged back from its dan
gerous position over the edge OF the hole.
Fourteen passengers in this car had had
q narrow escape
II was several hours before quiet was
restored. and all day fire engines were
kept pumping water out OF cellars in the
flooded area. Deputy Fire Chief Lally
took personal charge OF this work The
Water Department men have not figured
out yet just what caused the break. This
main was put down years ago, and
leaky sewer or a bad joint may have
worked the soil out from II and caused
strain.