Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-26
For More Than 100 Feet
Street Drops to Bottom
of Excavation.
ONE WOMAN KILLED; EIGHT
OTHER PERSONS INJURED
Two Autos and Taxicab Plunge
Into Abyss, While Trolley
Car Halts on Brink.
CENTER OF THEATER DISTRICT
Appearance Of Sidewalk in Vicinity
Later Gives Fear of Further
COIlapSes.
Especial to The Times-Dispa,ch. ]


NEW YORK, September 25.-With a
roar that brought terror TO thousands
in the theatrical district, the west side
of Broadway. between Thirty eighth
and Thirty-ninth Streets, collapsed this
evening at 7:2o o'clock. For more than
100 feet the thoroughfare dropped to
tho bottom of the new subway excava-
tion, forty feet below. killing one
woman. seriously injuring at least
eight others, and imprison!ng n score
more.
This is the third serious subway ex-
cavation accident In four days.
The dead woman SO far is unidenti-
fed. She was removed from the debris
in dying condition and rushed TO
Bellevue Hospital. where she died.
Charles Nelson. John Folcr and How
ard Cross were the seriously injured.
Cross was pinioned between timbcrs
for almost two hours before being
rescued
Two automobiles and a taxicab took
the plunge into the yawninE abyss. a
thousand persons, many OF them in
evening dress. bound for the thcaters
and restaurants. were on the sidewalks
In the block at the time. wild panic
followed their desperate effort. to
escape That more were not seriously
STREET CAR HANGS
SUSPENDED on PRECIPICE
southbound street car reached
Thirty eighth Street just as the street
collapsed. The front truck started
toward the bottom. With rare pres
encc OF mind. the rnotormar, Malachi
Murphy. threw on the reverse current.
The twenty passengers were bowled
R,,t hn lie
clung fast. and their lives were saved,
the car hanging suspended on the
prccipice.
All of the west side of the street,
from crossing 10 crossing, from Thirty
eighth to Thirty-ninth. and from tho
curb line TO the southbound car track.
dropped TO the bottom OF the pit. The
sidewalk, which for several days has
been showing indications OF insecure
foundation. saggcd and sank to a vary
Ing distance OF from four inches TO
TWO feet, causing a wild stampede
among those who were on IT,
To add to the terror of the situa-
ton, the falling street tore loose from
their moorinGs the three gas pipes that
join in the main at this point. In an
instant Immense volumes OF sitting
gas spread through the neighborhood
than two hours before the pressure
was turned off.
WIDEST CONFUSION
FOLLOWS ACCIDENT
The widest confusion followed the
accident Thirty ambulances from half
n dozen hospitals, eleven pieces of fire
apparatus and the reserves from every
downtown precinct, more than 200 OF
~.
scene. Meantime. every traffic line and
hundreds OF automobiles were pouring
immense number OF curious into the
vicinity.
Police commissioner Woods. Fire
Commissioner Adamson and their aids
and Colonel William Hayward. public
commissioner were early on the scene.
They agreed that the accident differed
from the disaster on Seventh Avenue
last Wednesday, III that il was not at
tended by an explosion, but caused
rather by n rock slide, the giving away
of a vast section OF rock
Because OF the great danger from
escaping gas, all electric lights IN the
neighborhood were ordered turned off.
and that portion of brilliantly lighted
Broadway was IN darkness. Commits
sioner Woods even went far rs to
order the police to compel all men in
the vicinity to stop smoking.
a gigantic searchli:ht was summoned
from one OF the engine houses, and un-
der its rays the work of rescue began
The oxygen squad, protected by he'll
mets, was the first to enter. Protected
as the men were from tho fumes Of
gas they could remain but short
time at the bottom of the pit
Soon they signaled that they had
found victim. 4 rope was lowered
and. after temporary stretcher had
been iInprovised, the woman. who later
died. was hauled TO the surface
TWO PRIESTS GO DOWN
TO LABOR WITH INJURED
Meantime. there were requests for
priests. The Rev Father Francis
Walsh and the Rev. Father Thomas
Cotter. of the Church of the HOLY In
nocence, hurried TO the spot BY this
time the gas fumes had raised some
what, and the clerEymen were able to
descend. They found Cross mined I'M
der two enormous beams He was con-
scious. but unable to move n hand or
foot. While the workmcn were saving
at the timbers the priests administered
TO the injured men extreme JUNCTION.
The injured wcrc brought out. There
were all kinds OF rumors as to the
number OF other victims at the bottom
OF tho pit.
An enormous crowd surged around
tho police lines when iremen came to