The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-09
New York Skyscrapers
Rocked, and Streets
Torn to Pieces.
BREAK IN MAINS
CAUSES TURMOIL
Plate Glass Falls in Showers. and
Paving Blocks Are Hurled in
All Observation-Disclosures and
Other Buildings in Danger
Zone Quickly Empticd
of Occupants.
Especial 10 The Times-D.spatch. ]

Especial TO The Times -D!spatch.l
New York, March S.-Twenty per
sons were injured this afternoon when
Twenty-third street crosstown street
car. in which they were passengers,
was tossed several feet into the air by
the explosion OF a gas main at Firth
Avenue
The explosion and n series OF other
blasts. which followed III quick sue
cession, rocked the neighborhood.
broke glass In Office buildings for a
block In all directions. ana caused n
sheet of fame to shoot high into tho
air for hours
FIRE Chief kcnton and two of his
men. speeding to the fire. were caught
by the heaviest explosion of the series,
and ths front OF their automobile was
lifted from the ground as they crossed
Iwenty-third Street. 4 shower OF.
shattered asphalt, lumber and paving
blocks fell into the automobile
BrOkcn Mains Cnusc Flood.
There had been flood In Twenty
third street, caused by the breaking
OF two big water mains early IN the
day. This had washed away the sup
porting soil between the gas main and
the roof Of a connecting branch OF the
ton. The strain brought leak it, the
mains. and Il spark caused by the
starting OF the street car which had
halted at Fifth Avenue, brought abuu,
the explosion.
NJ this point is the new subway ex-
cavation. rooted in by heavy two inch
planks. Fifteen feet below the sur
face are the big gas and water mains
About fvc hours before the gas cx-
.plosion-- a twelve-iuch water mais
burst, and this was followed soon after
by the bursting of a twenty inch
main.I The water Hooded the neigh
borhood, pouring over the Sidewalks
half way to Sixth Avenue and to the
west and past Twcnty-second Street
TO the south. 1T burst down into the
subway excavation and flooded il
thirty feet deep. The water supply for
blocks was cut of by the bursting
main.
As 1T tore its way through the earth
into the subway excavation. il left
forty-eight-inch gas main unsupport-
ed, ms u washed away the soil The
main cracked, and great quantities OF
gas began 10 seep up through the
earth. 1t is supposed large pocke,
formed In the trolley conduit.
Crash OF Falling Glnsa.
The first jar of the explosion and
the roar OF the flames was punctuatcd
by the crash OF glass falling from the
windows of the iifteen-s story Fifth Av-
enuc building on the northwest corner,
and from the siN-story building on the
opposite corner, on tho ground iioor
OF which is the jcwclry storo OF lie
Bolt a. Company The policemen had
barely cleared the street of it's burden
OF injured when there came a second
explosion, more powerful than the
first The plate glass windows of the
Garfield National Bank, In the Fifth
Avenue building, were blown out, and
the sidewalks in Fifth Avenue and
Broadway We're Uttered with shattered
glass from the Flatiron Building.
The fire alarm was sent In. and the
police reserves OF the West Seven
teenth Street Station were called out.
The policemen had scarcely arrived
va began driving the great throng
back to a safer place, when there was
Il ru,nbling noise, and n series of shakp
explosions followed. which tore UP the
street I'm some places. raising il two
and three feet above Its normal level.
The flames from the great volume of
ignited gas shot high IN the air and
wavered about. flaring first 70 one
side of the street and then to the
other. Thousands were watching it.
although the nearest they could get
was sixth Avenue on one side. Fourth
Avenue on the other. and two blocks
distant on the north and south. For
nearly half an hour there were only
Il few scattered explosions, and the.
there came a mighty roar, which set
windows rattllng for couple of
dozen blocks.
Thirty feet OF the gutter west of
Fifth Avenue rose three feet iN
air, and fell back, with the pavement
torn and gashed. and flames swirling
out Of the interstices. There was an
other yush of flame 4 second later, rs
Il succeeding explosion wrcnchcd loose
Continued on Ninth Page)