Water Main Break Cuts Crater in Madison Avenue, Floods Buildings

NEW YORK — A broken water main caused a major intersection in Manhattan to cave in on Monday and dumped water about 8 feet deep into the basements of stores and apartment buildings.

Steam heat to hundreds of Madison Avenue homes and businesses was shut off. Thousands of people were without telephones and running water for hours and traffic had to be detoured around the heavily traveled corner at 72nd Street. No injuries were reported.

City officials said the repairs could take a week.

Water began gushing onto the avenue between 2:30 and 3 a.m., and it was nearly 10 hours before the flow was staunched. The flood left a hole 30 to 45 feet wide and about 12 feet deep.

The intersection resembled a bomb crater ringed with jagged hunks of concrete and asphalt.

The exact cause of the break could not be determined until workmen could dig their way to the place where it occurred, said Joseph P. Conway, director of water supply.

The neighborhood contains some of the most expensive residences in the city and its commercial strip is noted for pricey shops and antiques galleries.

The water filled some basements. During the subfreezing predawn hours it turned to ice on the street, but that problem was eliminated later by Sanitation Department salt spreaders and morning sunlight.

Water was turned off to three blocks of apartment buildings and businesses but was restored by mid-afternoon via a smaller pipe, a Fire Department spokesman said.