New-York tribune., 1902-12-06
ICE CRIPPLES THIRD RAIL.
ELEVATED RAILROAD TIED UP FOB
HOURS AND PASSENGERS JAM
SURFACE LINES

The system of electric traction installed by
the Manhattan Elevated Railroad Company had
its first real test yesterday, and for time u
failed to meet the requirements and it was
necessary to fall back such of the cornpany's
little locomotives as it could press into service
on short notice The railroad was more COM
Pleteiy tied up for few hours than 1t has ever
been before The little ice storm Yesterday af-
fected IT more than the blizzard of 1888 The
third rail may be possessed of the potentiality
of a furnace when it short circuits. but 10 does
not melt ice At least il did not yesterday. The
sleet and SNOW collected the third rail and
filed the narrow protecting duct in which it
lies. This prevented the shoes through which
the current is taken up from making the neces-
ssry contact with the rail. and the cars could
not be run.
For time the Second and Third ave. lines
were completely tied up. The Sixth and Ninth
ave. lines were not so badly crippled, as many
of the trains are still operated with the old
locomotives. These also were somewhat de-
Iayed by the slippery rails.
DRIVEN TO THE SURFACE CARS.
The failure of the elevated service threw the
hulk of the morning traffic the surface cars.
and these were packed surocatton- Every
available car was taken from the barns by the
Metropolitan Railway, but IL could not accom-
rnodate the traffic. The trolley cars moved at a
snaiI's pace. notwithstanding the signs put ont
by the officials of the elevated road that the
trains were running slowly. many people
climbed the stairs TO the stations, paid their
fares and stood on the platforms waiting FOR
trains which were long in coming Nesdless to
say, Their. was much grumbiing anors the
half frozen people anxious TO get downtown.
When their patience had become exhausted
MANY of them would go down to the street and
attempt to board the surface cars number or
people made the welcome discovery that they
could obtain checks good on the elevated at any
time within twenty-four hours
The greatest trouble was experienced on the
fremont section OF the Second and Ihlrd-ave-
lines. This is the most exposed part of the road.
The snow and sleet blew the tracks and
into the third rail duct About o'clock IN the
morning the trains began to get stalled on this
section, and notices saying that no trains were
running we're posted at 6 o'clock The small
wire brushes placed in front OF the shoes were
powerless TO remove the ice. and the circuit was
constantly broken when the shoe climbed up
on the brush. The breaking of the circuit was
spectacular. Tongues of flame OF dInerenl
colors burst from the rail under the shoes The
tieup prevented the delivery of the morning
papers in the upper part of The Bronx until
nearly o'clock
AS the morning advanced and the necessity
for running trains through TO and from the Ire
mont terminus increased. trains were success
fully got through and each one made the trip
easier for the that followed All the morn
ing however. difficulty experienced and
schedule time was not made.
The Third-ave. division had not been open
long. however before break occurred at one
hundred nd -twenty-ninth that inlpedad the
service again.
An electric train became stalled just as It was
,tC Cra -hr17dro twenty
rintbst and Third-ave and the motors on the
rear car burned out There were still two mo-
tors working on the front car and an attempt
was made to run the train with these AZ one
bundred-and- twenty -ffth-st-- however. large
crowd of persons boarded the train The extra
weight was too much for the remaining motors.
and they also gave way
LOCOMOTIVES TO THE RESCUE
The train behind the disabled one pushed the
dead train down to Ninety-ninth-st. where
the carsbeds are Two OF the little cast of
locomotives were then hitched TO the disabled
train and it was taken into the yards.
This caused a delay of about forty minutes.
during which the trains all the way to One
hundred a nd -forty-ninth-st- were stalled The
erst ten trains that arrived at Ninety-nintf-
6, continued TO Fifty-ninth-st- without a stop.
in order to relieve the congestion Consequent
Ix nany passengers were taken past their
destination. and much grumbling resulted
MANY of the passengers on the elevated trains.
both those run by steam and those by cleo
tricitv complained that they were not heated.
They learned again what they probably had
learned last winter. that heat is turned
in the elevated until orders given by
some official who is not the train
The officials of the Manhattan Railroad say
that they will not be caught in such 4 predica-
ment again. The trouble it said at the Of
fee of Mr. Sk:tt, the general mana ger, vas that
there had been unavoidable delay in the de-
livery of the devices which to be fitted to the
motor cars keep the contact rail clear OF seet-
They thought that the devices would be at
tached in sufficient numbers to prevent delays
before another storm They expect that this de-
vice will be so effective that the company VIII
be independent of locomotives after the system
is completely equipped with electricity The side
strips which serve TO protect people from the
live rail will not be taken OF. it was said
CENTRAL TRAINS DELAYED.
Trains arriving at the Grand Central Station
between the hours of a. and p yester-
DOUBLE CHRISTMAS NUMBER.
a. mage Pictorial Review. cover In three colors.
n