New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-25
BLOW FORTHREE PLATOONS
PARTRIDGE MOBILIZES THREE HUN
DRIED AND FORTY WEIGHT RESERVES
IN NINETY MINUTES.
UNDER SYSTEM PATROIMEN WANT IT TOOK
SEVERAL HOURS TO GET ONE HUN
DRED AND NINETY-ONE TO
PARK-AVE.
TOMAS ESTRADA PALMA.
President of Cuba

The order Send reserves to the Grand Central
Palace" went over the police wires to twenty
six police stations in Manhattan at 800 D. m.
yesterday. 1t surprised the police at all the sta
tions. from Leonard-st. to Northumberland
twenty-sixth-st. 1t had been sent out by Police
Commissioner Partridge at the suggestion of
Deputy Commissioner Piper. and when the bells
were being rung for turning out the reserves
the two officials with Inspector Cortright
walked into the Grand Central Palace at Forty
fourth-st. and Lexinston-ave.
About four minutes later squad of police.
headed by a roundsman arrived at the palace
on a dead run. They had come from the sta
ton in East Fifty-frst-st, and they were
tonished when they told to march upstairs
TO the big hall and wait there. Next came
squad from East Thirty-flfth-st.. then one from
West Thirtieth-st.. then from West Forty
seventh-st.. and then one from East SiXty-sev-
enth-st. Later the reserves from stations
further uptown and further downtown arrived.
Some came in patrol wagons, some by trolley
cars and some by the elevated trains. Some had
roundsmen and some had not. Two Of the
squads were headed by sergeants. The only
captain to appear was Captain Lantry, Of East
Fifty-hrst st, who arrived an hour later than
the squad from his station. 1t was about 40
p m. when the squad from West hundred
and twenty-ffth-st arrived
The mobilization created surprise which was
not restricted to the bluecoats great crowd
gathered and asked questions. What can be
the natter" was the tongues of thousands
Expectations Of a raid Canfeld's were rife
Some thought wholesale raids on poorooms had
been planned. Thoughts of disaster
troubled many The arriving police thought
something dreadful had happened when they
reached Forty fourth-st and the crowds,
but they mystifed when they got the word
TO enter the hall and wait further orders.
When the reserves were lined up in the hall
for inspection and told to return to their sta
tions they had been summoned merely to
ascertain how many men could be got together
a: short notice, 1t dawned most of them that
they had helped to demonstrate the superiority
of the two platoon system the three platoon
system which they had clamored for, and
which had been tried in Commissioner Murphys
time. Many of them looked extremely crest
fallen they left the building They had
counted noses in the hall and had found that
34S men had answered the call in an hour and
thirty minutes. They remembered that under
the three platoon system it had taken several
hours to get 191 policemen to the Murray Hill
Hotel when it partly wrecked by a dyna-
mite explosion in Park-ave at Forty -frst-st.
Commissioner Partridge abolished the three
platoon system because he was convinced that
it was robbing the city of efficient patrol ser
vice at night. That fact had been demonstrated
in several ways. He of the opinion, also
that the three platoon system had not provided
proper reserves. Yesterdays trial, which
made partly to enable Captain Piper to take
observations and make plans for increasing the
speed of calling out police. reserves was made
also to enable the Commissioner to compare the
numbers OF the police responding 10 the call
with the numbers that responded to the disas-
ter in Park-ave. at Forty-first-st. Late in the
afternoon the Commissioner said.
ordered the mobilization Of the reserves of
twenty-siX precincts this afternoon. to gain in
formation as their efficiency. | wanted TO see
what portion of the reserves would respond to an
emergency call. and how many would not respond
why. II Is understood. II
that portion of the reserve is sick. in
or absent leave, and it is also understood that
two will always be retained the
tion for house duty.
I selected the Fifth. Sixth Seventh, Eighth
Ninth. Tenth. Eleventh. Twelfth, Thirteenth. Four
teenth Fifteenth. Sixteenth, Seventeenth Eigh-
teenth. Nineteenth, Twentieth Twenty-first, Twen-
ty-second, Twenty-fOurth. Twenty fifth Twenty
sixth, Twenty-eghth, Twenty-ninth, Thrtieth
mobilization. because these the precincts
whose reserves were called t. the subway explosion
ct Forty-first-st. and Park-ave. January 81
and | desired TO compare the results obtained in
those attained to-day. under the two platoon sys-
TEN. The calls sent out without any previous
warning the precincts I designated the Grand
Central Palace the rendezvous, that the
CURED.
On January q 8 sergeants. 16 roundsmen and 1s9
OF INTEREST TO WOMEN.