New-York tribune., 1921-04-24
Subway Flood
Ties Up Trains,
Starts Panic
Million Gallons Of Water
Pour Into the Lexington
Avenue Tube at Rush
Hour and Power Dies
Darkness Adds to Fright
Passengers Are Finally Led
Along Tracks TO Stations
by the Police Reserves

Traffic on the Lexington Avenue sub
way was demoralized at the rush hour
yesterday morning When a thirty six
inch water main at Lafayette Street
and Shihbone Alley burst shortly after
$3.50 o'clock. Train service was not
hack to normal for two hours after
most of the 100000 or more gallons Of
water, which poured into the subway,
had been diverted into drains by spe-
cial pumping cars.
Word Of the accident was phoned to
the Fifty ninth Street power house i'm
mediately. and the subways safety
block system brought every train be-
tween Brooklyn Bridge and Fourteenth
Street to stop. This caused consid-
es&ble excitement in the packed trains,
as the operation OF the block system
also shut the main light supply off in
all cars. Several trains were caught
between stations and passengers were
held prisoners, in some cases as long
as an hour.
1t was found impossible to discharge
passengers who were in a train which
happened to be at Blesckar Street until
subway guards waded onto the plat
form, which vas covered by four inches
Of water, and arranged planks and
benches over which the passengers
were helped to the station stairs.
For forty-one minutes the water
poured into the subway from The
broken main. At $50 O'Clock. when II
was finally shut off, the Interborough
had it's special pumping car ready for
service, as all the small emergency
pumps were found not powerful enough
TO cope with the food.
Police Quiet Excitement
Police reserves were called from the
Mercer Street station to quiet the ex-
citement, which threatened to grow
into panic among the passengers in
the train nearest to the accident. whic h
was stopped between Bleeckcr and
Spring streets. Here passengers began
to scream and great rush was made
for both center and end doors when
the lights in every car were suddenly
extinguished. A moment later the
darkness was pierced by great cleo
trical display as the water from the
broken main engulfed the third rail.
The duty of the reserves who reache ed
this train was to help passengers to the
tracks and guide them to the nearest
station. This proved to be difficult, as
many of the passengers were fearful
of walking the tracks, even after thew
had been informed that the power was
off. Two passengers in a train stalled
near Astor Place refused to leave their
seats.
Traffic on the upper end of the Lex
lhgton Avenue line was resumed at
900 o'clock. when southbound trains
at the Fourteenth Street station we're
switched back for the trip uptown. II
was another hour, however. before
shuttle service was begun in the dam
aged block
Street traffic on Lafayette Street be-
tween Bleecker Street and Shinbone
Alley, the scene Of the accident. was
matted as soon as the police reserves
reached that intersection.
Precautions Were Denied
Three years ago subway officials
said they complained to the Water
Department about the main running
under the subway platform and asked
that gate be plac ed there to stop the
how of water in event of an accident
Their request they said was denied.
According to Deputy Chief Brush
of the Water Supply Department
there is flow of $4,000, 1000 gallons Of
water a day and there is a forty
pound pressure to the square inch
According to him there was flood
of more than 100000 gallons of water
and as result many families living
IN the upper floors OF lower Manhat
tan tenements were unable to secure
water from faucets for hours.