The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-23
ROADWAY
FALLS INTO SUBWAY
Unprecedented Accident in
New York.
HUNDREDS IN CHaSM
ARE RAPIDLY RESCUED
Surface Car Went Down With Tracks,
and Pit Was Indescrilable Mix-Up
OF Humanity and Broken Uprights
and Beams.

New York, Sept. 22.-Six per-
sons were killed and nearly a
hundred injured, many OF them
seriously, when the temporary
roadway over the new subway
construction In Seventh Avenue,
between Twenty fourth and TWEEN
ty-fifth Streets, crumpled beneath
them this morning and filed the
pit below with n disjOinted mass
~ heavy timbcrs and steel girders.
When the dust had lifted those who
hau rushed to the edge of the chasm
sa W hundreds of men and women max
ing frantic efforts to free themselves
from the tangle of uprights and cross
beams. AT one end of the great hole
was a surface car. II had gone down
as the tracks sank under il and lay
there crushed. Heads and arms were
thrust from the windows. and those
who looked on helplessly' could hear
the cries of those who were caught
in the wreckage. Women and girls
who caught a glimpse of what was
happening down there fell fainting or
ran away shrieking.
A Horrible situation.
From the broken ends of great
steel pipes streams OF water poured
down on those who were struggling
for their lives. s.Broken gas mains
flooded the air with sitting doors.
Here and there tongues OF fame licked
at the timbers. From the neighbor-
hood arose cries Of. distress that min
gled with those that came up from
the tumble that moment before was
a street. Then. after that first mo-
ment Of excitement. came the res
cuers
Long before the firemen had reach
ed the place-and the fremen came
very quickIy-the buildings surround
ing the cut were pouring out men and
women with ladders, ropes. pieces of
wire and anything they could lay their
hands on that might be of assistance
in getting the injured to the street
level Some Of those who had gone
down with the roadway escaped with
out injury or with slight injuries.
They turned their attention to the un-
fortunate ones Firemen and police
came with long ladders, and in a very
short time the pit was cleared of in
jured. The dead were taken up after
ward.
II Is the frst time. according to
those who have the subway in charge.
that such an accident has occurred.
For hours today the experts In that
kind OF work puzzled over the causes
of 1t. A variety OF accounts as to just
what happened before the woodwork
collapsed made their Investigations
more diflicult. and up to a late hour
no one could be found who had a
theory that ne was willing to say
would stand. 1t was established that
a dynamite blast was the primary
cause, but just how 1t acted is a mat
ter of conjecture. One theory is that
the blast hurled a huge piece of rock
against supporting timber. knocking
1t from its place and causing the whole
structure to collapse because of the
additional strain on the other sup
ports Another theory was that gas
had accumulated during the night and
that 1t was exploded by the blast, lift
ing the roadway from its supports and
leaving them to fall
Some OF the officials who began
their Investigations today were quick
to condemn the kind OF snoring that
the United States Realty and Improve
ment Company. in immediate charge
OF the work. had been using. Others
were equally emphatic in declaring
that this kind OF construction is the
safest known to engineers. Members
Of the Public Service Commission said