New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-23
MANY LIVES LOST
in TUBE BUILDING
More Persons Killed in
Construction Work than
in Accidents to Trains.
TEN MEN PERISH
IN ONE CAVE-IN
Lexington Avenue Subway the
Scene of the Most Serious
MishaIs.

Subway construction In New York
mas been fraught with more accidents
in which fatalities were recorded than
the actual operation Of trains in the
completed tubes, exclusive Of persons
run down by trains. Disasters were
frequent in the building Of the Inter
borough until it was opened eleven
years ago. Since that time there has
been only one accident OF importance
that OF January 6. In which five hun
dred persons CROPPED their way in the
tunnel through gases. and in which one
life was lost This caused several
hearings before the Public Service
Commission, at which testimony was
given regarding the connection between
the accident az Broadway and Fifty
third Street and the piercing Of a cable
by drill eleven blocks downtown,
where work for the new Seventh Ave
nue. subway was going on.
Two accidents marked the building
q the Interborough. The first was in
January. 1902, when six persons were
killed by an explosion at Forty-frst
Street and Park Avenue, and the Grand
Union and Murray Hill hotels were
damaged. Two months later two
houses on Park Avenue at Thirty-ffth
Street caved IN.
On December rs, 1911, two laborers
lost their lives in a cave-in IN Fourth
Avenue, Brooklyn.
Fourteen More Killed.
Eight accidents have occurred in con-
struction work in this city within the
last three and one-half years, in which
fourteen lives were lost. The first was
on March II, 1912, when four men were
buried in Fifty-seventh Street, west of
Lexington Avenue; one Of thesC lost his
life. A small landslide occurred in the
excavation where the men were at
work and the four fell twenty-siX feet.
Two weeks later Lexington Avenue,
between Eighty-seventh and Eighty
eighth streets, collapsed from curb 10
curb. and the street surface dropped
forty feet. This followed an extra
heavy blast, and streetcar the rails
being supported by large beams mar
rowly escaped the fate Of the Seventh
Avenue trolley yesterday.
The most serious accident occurred
on June II, 1913. wher zen persons
we're killed by tons Of earth and
powders hurled upon them ia cave
n at Lexington Avenue and Fifty-sixth
Street. Another explosion at 10th
Street and Lexington Avenue followed
a few minutes later.
Perishes in a Cave-in.
One laborer died in a cave-in or Jan
uary 8, 1914, at Lexington Avenue and
Sixty-frst Street, and two others were
hurt Similar to the manner in which
il was contended that the January,
1915, accident was caused, drill mis-
hap blocked the subway last March at
Times Square. Clouds of smoke came
from the excavation, but no one was
hurt. in the same month blast shook
the windows of Broadway stores at
Thirty eighth Street, which caused
women, thinking there had been an ex-
plosion, TO run shrieking through the
streets.
Two weeks later faulty underpinning
caused the sidewalk 1T Broadway and
Twenty-eighth Street 10 sink four feet.
The police reserves were called and
found that no one had been killed, al
though several persons were shocked
by their fall. In Juno a water main
break flooded the now Seventh Avenue
excavation at Forty-third Street