The New York herald., 1922-07-20
Method of Reconstruction
Causes Backing Up and
Filling of Cutters.
POURS INTO GRATINGS
Plans Made to Close Some of
! Openings Until Carmine
Street Work Is Ended.

lie last night report submitted by it's
upon the sewer construction methods
employed by Borough President Miller
responsibility for the flooding of por-
tions of the Seventh avenue subway
after the severe storm of Tuesday eve
ming and the consequent interruption
of traffic from o'clock to 10:30 P. M.
The conclusion also was reached that
the flooding and traffic interruption
after the storm of July were due
to the same causes. '
Joseph l.. Hunt, assistant division
engineer, is the Transit Commissions
most experienced expert in sewer con-
struction and drainage problems. He
was assigned by Robert Ridgway, chief
engineer of the commission, to make
a thorough investigation Of the sub
way flooding.
Report OF Comm ission's Engineer.
In his report to the commission
transmitting the detailed findings of
Mr.. Hunt. Chief Engineer Ridgway,
after describing the personal observa-
tions made by himself and Gen. Lin
coin c. Andrews, chief executive Of
ficer of the commission, directly after
the suspension of traffic, wrote:
''The Borough President is recon-
structing the lgare trunk sewer in Car
mine street west of varick street, and
his contractor is engaged on this work
in the two blocks between Washing
ton and West streets and between Hud-
son and Greenwich streets. 1t appears
that in carrying on his work he has
restricted the flow between these two sec
tions of work-that is. in the block be-
tween Greenwich and Washington streets
so as to cause a backing up of the
water in the sewer east of II to a height
which would account for the failure of
the water to run off from the cutters.
II have tried to get in touch with the
chief engineer of the Borough Presi-
dents office this afternoon and in his
absence called the attention of his as
sistant to these conditions, asking him
to give Immediate attention to them.
which he said he would do.
THE engineer of maintenance of way
of the Interborough informs me that the
amount of water pumped was about
$4,000 gallons. His information is to
the effect that length Of about twenty
five feet of the gratings was submerged
last night. and he has suggested that
while work is in progress on the Car
mine street sewer these gratings. and
perhaps an additional ten feet, be closed
up temporarily with concrete to avoid
a repetition of this trouble. have In
formally authorized him to go ahead
and do this.
I'm order to pass under the trunk
sewer in Carnline street the grade of the
subway was dropped at that point. and
to take care of any accumulation oi
water at the low point a pump chamber
with pump was constructed in the west
wall of the subway In this chamber
are installed two pumps intended to take
care of the ordinary drainage of the
subway and of any ordinary flow oi
water in it. but not such flood as eli.
tered last night.
Cause Is Same in Each Flood.
THE trouble last night is a repetition
OF what occurred at the same point or
the afternoon of July /. The inspection
by Gen. Andrews and me indicated thai
the equipment was in excellent condi
tion. The pumps were working at full
capacity, and by the time we reached
the scene had lowered the water abou
six inches. / estimated that the depth
of the water was enough to cover the
third rail Of the local tracks to deptf
of about foot.
-Four local trains were stalled on the
southbound track north of the flood
and there were several stalled trains
on the express and local northbound
tracks. The motorman of the south
bound local nearest the flood stated
that when he was brought to a stop he
noticed that the pumps were working
He was then within 300 feet of the
Houston street station. but he would
not permit the passengers to walk south
along the bench to that station for fear
some of them might fall off into the
water which was charged with the elec-
trio current. the power not having been
shut off. All of the lights were burning
In the stalled trains and the fans were
going. He waited. therefore. until the
other trains came down, forming a con-
tinuous train reaching back nearly to
Christopher street. when the passengers
were permitted to walk through the
cars and then by the bench to the
Christopher street station.
Passengers on the southbound ex-
press trains were transferred across Ia
the local cars alongside and reached
Christopher street in the same way. No
one was injured and there appeared 10
have been no panic. The train crew
seemed to have behaved admira bly and
used good sense as well as tact in deal
ing with the situation"
Mr.. Hunt IN his report. commenting
upon the Carmine street sewer obstrlc-
ton. said:
THE indications are that this re
striction OF the flow in the sewer wa
the contributing cause OF the flooding
OF the subway through the ventilator
gratings. In the sewer trench between
Hudson and Greenwich streets. one
block west Of the subway there Is a
water mark IN the sheeting which in
dicates that the water du~i.g the storm
rose TO witi.ls approximately four feet
of the street surface
"As the street surface at Varick and
Carmine streets Is about four feet lower
than at Hudson street, II is quite ap-
parent that the surface water along
varick street would not drain off. and
IN consequence overflowed the curbs
asnd entered the subway through the
gratings. which on the west side are
only about fifty feet south of Carmine
street"
Borough President Miller was re-
ported as attending a convention at the
Thousand Islands and a statement from
him coHcerning the subway food could
not be obtained.
z