New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-31
WHAT THE FIRENFN DID.

1--WE had already had one alarm from the BrooK-
Ign Bridge during the afternoon" said Captain
Francis Mahedy, commander of the Second Bat
talon at the fire station at Chambers
and Centre SITS. THAT was about l:lo
D. Ill., and when we got down there we
found there was small fire down at the end of tho
pier, where the caisson was sunk, and we soon got
back Then it was at 4:35 that still alarm was
glven--an alarm that is, which means either fire or
accidcnt-so / jumped into the wagon and told
them to follow with the hook and ladder at once and
off we went. Such short time had elapsed since
tho giving of the alarm that l do not believe the
man at the gate ut this end so much as knew that
anything had happened, ut all events he was
standing there taking tolls and passing wagons In
Just as usual, and when we dashed up no was
completely taken aback. However, we hurried
Oh and there found the crowd. WeH
we remen are used to such scenes, and there III all
was-the crush. and the cries and the runningapou
without, apparently head among the lot of them
The first thing, and the worst thing, was 10 driVe
the crowd back. There wero few policemen there
and some ef the 10Th Regiment Company Al. and
as soon anybody appeared to take control OF them
they drove the people back we'll enough. 1t was an
urgent matter, and the people had to be forced
back anyhow and by main force. Then we set to
work to extrcate the dead and help the injured 10
places of safety as quickly rs we could. then toid
nv men to catch on to any vehicle that was passing
from Brooklyn this way and we used them all as
ambulances-carts, carriages, wagons ana anything
we could get hold of we put the dead ana the III
jurod into those vehicles rapidly and as carefully
rs we could and sent them all off to the Chambers
Street Hospital, as you know.
''But the worst of it is that it is thing which
might have been avoided. The real facts rs to who
caused the alarm and why he caused 1t are these:
1t came from thieves. party OF GermahS-
man. wife and children-were coming along
when a pickpocket stole tho mans watch. Inc
wife saw HIM do it aud shreked out; then The nus
band caught hold of the thief and struggle Ioi-
lowed. In the uproar somebody-ether the thief
or ono Of his accomp.Ices-crcd out that the Dilugo
WAS giving way, and the panic came. Now the
Bridge has been swarming with thieves ever since IL
WAS opened. We here at this station see them
NJ their work-thesc bnnko-men and what nOt-and
If we were policemen could pick out hall dozen
of them All day long crowds OIL vlsltOTs ironi tnc
country arc standing Just outSiue mere anu slainS
the Bridge and we see these rascals come ;3 ilu
make their acquaintance. We are quite lahlIlai
with them aud their faces, and III tne cIo"u
around the heap of the hurt on the Dflogc' saw
a lot that | knew and was glad enough 10 DE aUle
to tell my men to shove them back as roughS as
they liked. Another very serious piece Oh Hcgni-
peuce-or what seems SO to me-ls that tDcIe Is no
telcgraphic communication from one emu OF tno
bridge to the other. From Brooklyn there ought To
be communication to this station ana 10 tne POM,
Now to-day when / wanted 10 STOP tno
traffic across the Bridge and to tell them at the
Brooklyn end what had happened ! h9d 10 seua
one of my men OF 10 the Twenty -siXth Precinct
station and he had 10 run from there 10 the ionce
Superintendent In Brooklyn To ask INN To sehu
down and stop the traffic ~ his end. Inc cohse-
uueuce was the stream OF vehicles went
IN and the crowd kept getting thicker
long after 1t ought to have been stopped. IL seems
TO me a very grave omission not 70 nave uIIc0.
commune Ion. and it is to DO hoped this Will be
/ lesson