The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-15
SEWER EXPLOSIONS
MENACE THOUSANDS
Forty Manhole Covers Send
Showers of Shrapncl on
East 42d st. Crowds.
STREET CAR SHAKEN UP
Few Persons Are Injured.
None Seriously Enough to
Go to Hospital.

Three explosions OF sewer gas at short
intervals last night hurled forty man
hole covers high Into the air along East
Forty-second street, between First and
Lexington avenues and between Forty
first and Forty-ffth streets. on Third
avenue. Although hurrying thousands
crowded the sidewalks and the streets
we're damned with traffic. very few per-
sons were injured. none seriously. Some
Of the covers, which were four inches
thick, were shattered into fragments.
which fell like showers of shrapnel.
burying themselves in the asphalt or
alighting upon the ties Of the Third ave-
nue. elevated structure.
The nightly uptown scramble Of work
ers was in full force at 90 o'clock
when, with roar which could be heard
for several blocks. one OF the sewer pipes
which runs into the main sewer on For
ty-second street. erupted on Third ave-
nue. from Forty-second street northward
to Forty-fifth. The covers Of the man
holes shot into the air as though they
were artillery projectiles. Women be-
gan screaming and darling toward door
ways for refuge. a movement which the
men on either sidewalk were not slow to
follow.
Reserves and Doctors Called.
Patrolman Martin Neary Of the East
Fifty--first street station. who was on post
at Forty-f1fth street and Third avenue.
sent in a call to Bellevue Hospital for
nv ,ht,la ~ 70 ~ Fa he
serves. Twelve men were ordered to re-
spond. But before they reached the
scene. the second and third explosions
followed In swift succession. The man
hole covers along Forty-second street.
from Fret avenue to Lexington. and on
Third avenue southwark to Fortv-first
street. were all sent hurting skyward.
The effect on the crowds in the streets
was startling for a few seconds. Men
and women fell over one another In
their haste to reach shelter. There was
only one street car within the zone OF
The first explosions It was Changing
along Forty-second street and was filled
with straphsngers. nearly all OF whom
were thrown to the car floor. Not until
an hour afterward was traffic on Forty
second street resumed. Tho flow north
and south on Third avenue also was
stopped for time.
Following the third explosion a Sec
ond call for ambulances was sent to
Bellevue Hospital. this time by Patrol
man James Eichler Of tire East Thirty
NTH street station. The ambuances took
up positions at Lexington avenue and
Forty second street ard az Third ave.
nue. and Forty-second street While the
police reserves were doing their utmost
TO qu!e: the crowds and to Jam back
the thousands who had been attracted
oy the explosions the ambulance sur
seons busted themselves in patching up
the hurts Of those who had been hit
oy fragments OF the iron manhole covers
Manhole covers as far north as Eight,
Fourth street were blown into the air,
recording TO police reports At Forty
second street and Third avenue Il frag-
ment OF one OF the covers crashed
against the weather shield on the
rear end Of n surface car, breaking
the glass and causing the passengers
20 stampede toward the forward Kit
Several women were knocked down and
tramp!ed upon. Two Of them tainted
and were carried into drug store
near by. Ambulance surgeons treated
them as well as several others OF the
passengers
List OF Injured Persons.
The seven persons whose names were
taken were:
FoGARTY JOHN. 1874 East N'nety..,rhtb
street, conductor o, the Farty.sssond d
stree: crosstown car lacerated neck.
hq PITY aS.DA AuiUsI; Tiger, Of sl5
FRANCE, MicHAEf4 iasoro TA IA. sn Bow meIS.
lac1rsted hand, neck ard ear
RANELLo, AGNES iss Eas, Forty-second
wh ,TsSt, S2;1 eSrs bruised ard GU;
avenue, shock eve f"e'
SHEA. MICHAEL. 1851 Avenue A. . New
York RAILWAYS Company inspector. con
tus!ons OF the back and leg.
CLARK. JOSEPH. hookkeeper. Manhattan
Storage and Warehouse. Company head
cut ~
All Of the injured went n their homes
after being treated. Several other per-
sons had minor hurts dressed by the
but left without giving their
The property damage was SURPRISINGLY
small. Three windows were broken In
Otto Krouse's drug store at 6b7 Third
avenue. and several pedestrians were
slightly cut by the glass
Residents OF the section s,y explosions
OF sewer gas nre not infreQuent in the
locality and that one or two manholes
blow up after almost every rainstorm.
According TO officials of the Sewer De-
part!rent the explosion was the result
Of gasolene having washed In from
nearby garages. DR. Waiter Lead OF the
Cornell Medical School, one of those who
had narrow escapes, said that probably
the eruption had heAn due to outside air
coming In contact with lethane. a highly
explosive gas which forms in sewers
whenever their flow is stopped.