New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-31
TIE NEWS IN BROOKLYN.

the cemeteries after the Decoration lay eAeroiSo''
AS soon as an order from superintendent
Martin could be carried by policeman TO tne
Sands Street entrance, the toll takers cleared the
entrance and kept all persons off the Bridge 1or an
hour At the end of that time the way was opened
and travel was resumed. Meanwhile great throng
had gathered outside the station building eager to
hear of the accident and to learn the names of
those injured. As the news spread the throng was
augmented by those who feared that their friends
were among those hurt and who were most eager to
got In the Bridge. Many finding that they could
not come to this city in that way took the ferries.
The accident was the general subject OF
discussion last evening IN all parts OF
Brooklyn, and the mcagre accounts given In news
paper "extras were eagerly scanned. Until late
hour the streets resOunded with the cries OF news
boys who reaped harvest. Tho general feeling
was that the accident was largely
due to the inefficient and unframed
police forco on the Bridge. The matter
of the organization of the force referred by the
trustees IN April to a special committee. This COM
mittee selected First Assistant Engineer e. g.
Martin as Engineer and Superintendent OF the
Bridge and authorized him to select his assistants
and employees. A rule was made that the april
cants for positions should BIO less than
thirty-ive years of ago, and preference was to be
given to the men who had worked on the Bridge
In Difference to q request OF the veterans Oh the
Grand Army the trustees voted to suspend these
rules with reference to them. and several OF them
were employed. James Ward. formerly Sergeant
of Police In the Sixth Precinct of Brook
Ign, was made Captain of the Bridge police
on Tuesday and entered upon his duties yesterday
He had under him last night twenty-five men.
Captain Ward while in charge of the desk In the
Sixth Brooklyn Police Precinct April 10. failed
~
McManus, who was reported a. missing
from homo, although full description of him was
in the police bottcr before Sergeant Ward. Nc
Manus was a hff-witted but harmless old man
and could not tell where he lived He was sent to
| the Amshousc by Justice Nachcr. and afterward
wandered away from the institution lie was
| found nearly dead beside the roadway III
| Ma lbone-st. the following morning by milkman
| and taken to the County Hospital, where he dled
from the exposure. His friends did not learn where
| he was until after his death, although they were
well able TO for him. Sergeant Ward was
| tried on charges o; neglect OF duiy oy Iol!c PIC,
| of patrolmaD. lie thercupon resigned from tho
| force.
| and Chief Clerk of the Brooklyn Police Depart
| ment, was asked last evening by a TRIBUNE re-
| porter Superintendent Martin consulted with the
Department IN organizing the Bridge polce force
| 4" lie made some inquiries about men" Colonel
| LangfOrd replied; among them about ex Sergeant
4
| Wards record was laid before him. Before the
| opening OF the Bridge Mr.. Martin borrowed Twelve
police badges OF us. as those being maze zoe
lie lie seeued to realize that it was.
| "a work OF Importance To organize a proper ponce
force and MAINTAIN order on the Bridge. Inc BROOK
| lyn Department has stood ready To aid III every
! way. 1 know that commissioner Jourdan ieeis
that he is protecting citizens OF BROOKLYN on the
Bridge as much anyw here In the city streets, ana
| feels bound to do it. lie has been ready ~ any
time to aid the trustees and Superintendent Martin
| in keeping the crowd III order on the Bridge"
| do you think the Bridge police ioroe ade-
There ought to DC at least a hundred men prop
erly to police the structure; There Is roadway
| nearly a mile and al eighth long, and II you
| have thirty three men Oh duty az once there
| would be only TO each 100 feet-cer.
| tainly not too close together. Then they could
| keep the crowds moving aud prevent crushes linen
they should be trained men, 1T To deal with crowds
and knowing just what 10 do. Only long experience
| enables "a man to deal with "a pushing crowd cUcc-
| lively. don't know how many policemen are on
| the Bridge but the force certainly too small.
| The Iirooklyn end 0f the Bridge ~ IL the Second
| Police PrecInct. sergeant Cain was duty nj the
| Bridge entrance last evening lie said slhat
| he had four or i've men paifoIlIns
| ON the Bridge on the Brooklyn halt at the time OF
| the ACCIDENT If there had been one efficient man
| al the point where the accident occurred ali the
| cIowdAng and crushing would have been stopped
and most If not all the lives would have been saved
| :" would give go II had been there" added tine
| sergeant, as he swung his locust suggestiveiy.
| A Mrs Sammis, of Brooklyn. was III the crowd.
| She LOST her nephew, who was oscortlng her and
was pushed ana pulled about in tho throng until all
her clothing except her under wear was torn OH OF
| her She was pulled out OF the strug-
cling heap aud, after being clothed was sent
| 10 her home. She remembered little, save
the terrible struggle IN the crowd. Mrs. Turny,
| of No geo Washington-ave.. Brooklyn, was rescued
from the crowd carried in "a chair TO Fulton Ferry
and on the Brookly side she was placed IN coach
md sent home Orders were given TO the Brooklyn
police TO note carefully all persons reported missing
last night.
OPINION OF BROOKLYNs CONTROLLER.
Controller Bnnkerhof, OF Brooklyn, stood ut the
Sands-st. entrance of the Bridge last evening lie
said that the accident, so far as he could judge
was not due to any fault Of the Bridge
management Possibly with O larger and
more experienced police force it would not have
occurred 1t might be advisable to construct adj
ditional promenades but the need of them could
NOT be determined until the were In operation
and the nresent crowd of curlosity-seekers abated
Until then the only plan was to open the carriage
WAYS AZ soon as the crowd rendered 1t necessary"
"You know how IL 49," said he
ain a crowd, If q woman faints or man cries
Fire or Danger it will be sure to start panic
These people bcingmany OF them of a poor ignorant
closs ont ON a frolic were the very ones TO gel
scared and to do tho worst thing possible under
the circumstances, yell and crowd and
40 kill each other. l doubt IL anything Du
a good number of police rght on the spot couIu
have stopped it, 1t was most sad occurrence and
extra care will be taken TO prevent another sucl
one"
Alden S. Swan, Of the Bridge trustees was
at the Bridge during the day after 0 a. III. lie
watched the travel and said last
evening to TRIBUNE reporter that
il was probably not much over half that OF las'
sunday when it was over 100000. 1--WE nevei
dreamed of an accident to-day" said he aitei
passing last Sunday safely. have been here
nearly all day and eyeIythhng seemed % IC
going nicely If there had been iIfinid hauS
sb1t down awhile at the toll gates. But there was