The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-01


New YORK, May 31.-Mr. Henry Guy Carle-
ton, who was in the crush, said:
"The lines josted each other as they passed,
that from New York moving in broad col
umn, and that from Brooklyn by single file.
At point about 100 yards from the New
York tower a man lost his hat by gust of
wind AS it sailed over the roadway, the
crowd stopped to laugh and cheer The pass
age was instantly blocked. People poured
from both sides toward the scene of excite
ment. A woman tainted. Her escort, a
baawny laborer, struck right and left to COM
pei those about to give way. The pack grew
denser. A policeman leaped to the railing
and ordered the crowd toward the New York
side Obedient, the mass pushed with one
further down men urged the mass
toward Brooklyn. The mistake was
instantly followed by shrieks and
oaths from those crushed where
the pressure concentrated. In a moment
the pack was complete, and men, women and
children fought desperately to gain the rail
ing girl threw her arms about the neck
of a man in front of her. With an oath, he
turned and struck her twice in the face. An
old man, with one arm free. belabored all the
heads he could reach with his cane. A young
mother held her babe above her head, beg
ging for some strong man to take it and save
it. A drunken Irish woman backed against
the railing, and scratched, and bit and yelled
like cat in trap. Suddenly came an over
whelming pressure from the Brooklyn side,
and the struggling mass was slowly forced
toward the staircase to an accom- paniment
of shrieks and yells to which every one con-
tributed. The first portion of the crowd
managed to descend in safety. Then wo-
man tainted and fell. Several men stopped
to pick her up; others behind were pushed
over them, and in a few seconds the last
stairs were covered four deep with men, wo-
men and children"
The Disaster Liable To Be Repeated.
New YoRK, May 31.-The universal com.
ment this morning respecting the bridge hor-
ror is, that the same accident is liable to
happen at any time no matter what the
police restrictions may be, unless the steps
are abolished, or at least divided for the two
streams of pedestrians. The superintendent
of the bridge, Mr. Martin makes the follow
ing frank statement:
The foot-path is certainly no safe place
for such crowds as pass over the bridge. 1t
was not intended to accommodate any such
travel as we are having. As to the steps, it
had been decided to put railing up and
down the middle to divide the people going
one way from those going the other The
railing would have to be carried up some
way beyond the top of the steps, of course.
Se'iiy ~ PAOOoOIyi nun
dred feet along. This was one of
the alterations we had already
determined upon, and is to be made at once
Then we are going to place the side railings
on the steps little further back. Some space
is now lost by them. Then, further back be-
tween the cables we can widen the passage
by placing the ratings further apart and
against the cables and this is to be done"
Could not the steps be dispensed withr'
well, we could build what is called
ramp an inclined plane, from tie top of
the steps to point further down the bridge,
but there would be some danger in making
the grade any sleeper, especially in wet or
icy weather."
To the superintendents statement may be
added that tine fact is now obvious that dur
ing those hours of the day when transit is
most lively, and on holidays and Sundays.
there will always be great danger of heavy
crush similar to that of yesterday, unless
means of relieving it be devised Not even
the bridge cable track for cars now nearly
completed, will prevent the crush at these
times.