New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-26

/ Follett. also was on hand. Public Ser
vice Commissioner Hayward and Cor
oner Feinberg rounded out the group OF
investigating officials. Experts and en-
gineers from the various city and coun-
~ departments were summoned.
Fire Commissioner AdamSon said he
had been informed that Chief Engineer
Stengel Of the construction company
and Engineer Shipman. OF the Pubic
Service Commission. had made q trip
through the excavation on Friday night
and that they had reported everything
all right. Stengel told him, he SAID.
that the rock was treacherous, and that
undoubtedly this caused the cave-ln.
at is nv opinion" the Commissioner
said. that the Police Department, with
jurisdiction over this, believe, should
order closed all streets where subway
work has not progressed TO the point
where steel supports are in place.
have already taken this up with the
Police Commissioner and the District
Attorney"
In his comment on the accident, Pub
lie Service Commissioner Hayward
said:
This company was awaiting the de
livery of steel to shore up the walls
and street My investigation this even
ing discloses that there has been no
blasting here for at least a week.
Knew Rock Was Scaly.
"Mr. Shipman and other engineers
knew that the rock was scaly. This
morning Louis Pi:zer, the state Archi-
tect, and | crawled on our hands and
knees through long section Of the
Seventh Avenue excavation near the
scene of the accident, and 1t is because
Of this trip that ! am able TO note that
the timber columns here are two inchgs
thicker than in Seventh Avenue. j.
seems apparent that rock-sIlde WIS
the cause Of this"
This accident" District Attorney
Perkins said. will enable US to learn
a great deal about what was directly
responsible for the Seventh Avenue
disaster. because this was not asso-
ciated in any way with blasting opera
tions. Il seems. from the result OF IN
vestigations made by expert engineers,
that soft rock, loosencd by pressure,
gave way and knocked out the street
supports"
sisted by H. de B. Parsons, an engineer
who is investigating the Seventh Ave
nue. accident for the District Attorney
and Coroner's Offices. Mr. Parsons
made several sketches.
Mayor Looks at Cave-in.
Mayor Mitchell hurried to the scene
Of the cave-in and later held a confer
ence in the Normandie lunchroom with
Travis II. Whitney, secretary of the
Public Service Comm ssion; Alfred
Craven, Robert s. Rdgeway, two OF
the commissions engineers; Commits
sioner Hayward ard Police Commits
sioner Woods. After the conference
he said: A.,
the accident was caused by rock slide
on the west side Of Broadway. ] can
Judge Of these things only as lay
man. have no especial knowledge to
guide me, but il seems to me that
whether or not sufficient precautions
were taken TO prevent the contingency
of such a slide will be known only after
careful Investigation has been made.
"An accident of this kind, following
at so short a time another so eXcep-
tionally serious accident, indicates to
my mind that ar immediate, thorough
and careful survey should be made of
all construction work under way which
involves The temporary bridging OF
streets and that every precaution
known to human ingenuity should be
used Immediately in the light of this
experience TO prevent similar accidents.
81 shall endeavor TO find means to
/ inform myself Immediately of this mat
ter. can say that. not indicating any
/ lack of confidence on the part Of any
/ enc else, but as the Mayor Of the city,
/ il seems my duty in a matter involving
/ the lives Of the citizens, 10 take a per-
sonal. direct. official interest"
When asked what he thought Of the
rlan of excluding traffic from all
streets where similar work IS being
carried on, the Mayor said:
Extreme measures are put forward
at this time, but il is certain that some
steps must be taken to prevent further
accidents"
Late last night laborers began 10 rip
up all the planking between Thirty,
eighth and Thirty ninth streets and
about one hundred feet each side OF
those streets. II was announced that
this was done to prevent spread OF
the cave-in, il having been discovered
that the boafdS on tne east sue OF
Broadway were slowly sagglng until
the car tracks were one and one-half
inches above the planks.
For the next two or three days
Broadway will be an open cut. IL is
expected that by that time the various
Investigations into the character of the
uprights and the manner in which they
were placed will have been completed
and the work of rebuilding the roadway
will be started.
Appalling, Says Whitman.
This is appalling" said Governor
Whitman, when seen at the Hudson
Theatre and told of the accident. Com
ing so soon after the other one il
seems that there is danger along the
entire structure. Personally. as Gov
ernor, it is hardly up 10 me TO act in
view OF the fact that il is really a
matter for the local District Attorney
and grand jury Of this county.
81 have no doubt whatever that the
proper local authorities will do what
the law provides
The Governor, In answer 10 ques-
tions, declared that If the investiga-