New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-08
ROAD BLOCKED ALL DAY.
NEW L. I. SWITCHES B4LK.
Croscds of Angry Commuters Wat
for Trains -Four Hours Late.


system Of eectro-pneumatic switching In Its
yards at Long Island City and yesterday 1t
tied I'D the yard. AS a result the whole road
was blocked as effectively as if all the railroad
brotherhoods had gone on concerted strike
Trains were more than three hours late, ana
stations were crowded with angry commuters.
Unless things are absolutely they should be,
the signals go to danger and everything stops
until they are right again.
while the system was being installed the
company had lO3 men employed in the yards
throwing switches. on Sunday the new system
was put into service, and there were few
trains and the men in the towers had plenty OF
time things worked pretty smoothly.
Yesterday morning some one did something
he Should not and from o'clock until late
last night trains appeared to move more by
good fortune than anything else. Sometimes
train would leave with everything apparently
clear before it. and when half way through
something would go wrong, and the red arm
would hold the engineer.
In the morning when the thrush began, the
road was tied up so that long string OF trains
spread out over the many arms Of the road
The officials OF the road when they saw what
was happening tried 10 get back the sWtchmeh
that had been in their employ bUt the meA de-
olined 10 work and left the road and the new
tower operators to work oct the tangie
NH
the trouble at Jamaica alighted there. and by
means Of the Brooklyn Karid Transit and the
Long Island Railroads branch TO Bushwick-
ave. MANAGED to get to Manhattan in decent
time Those who We're stuck between Jamaica
end Tocdside had 10 walk 10 trolley lines and
take chances. Some walked miles before get
ting cars. In the middle Of the day things were
IN slightly better shape. but not much, Those
trains which were inside the yards had mostly
- STAY there. Those out the road had to do
double duty between Jamaica and eastern
points The Greenport train, due to leave Long
Island city before o'clock. was two hours late
in getting started, and, having to run slowly
through the yards was still further behind time
reaching Jamaica. From there it made up
little time ID Greenport. Arriving there the
crew should have had a three hour lay-over, but
instead switched the engine from one end TO the
other Of the train and started back. 1t was on
time II Jamaica last night. and was ready to
start back on an extra trip, but had to be held
ct Jamaica until passengers stalled at Long
Island City could be transported TO Jamaica
for 4.
Passengers on the s:51 a. m. train from Flat
bush-ave. which connects with the Oyster Bay
and Wading River trains leaving Long Island
CITY few minutes after O'Clock, were kept
waiting at Jamaica for exactly two hours and
much criticism was INDUCED in by patrons Of
the road on account of the cold and narrow
piano. box accommodation provided for them
at that station. In the afternoon there was
10 train TO pass Mineola at 2:40 2:59 or $40, as
the schedule calls for. Then however, train
came along al 40 from Port Jefferson, and
by a manipulation of its cars a train was sent
20 Oyster Bay and a part on TO Jamaica A
train which went out in the morning three
hours behind for Ronkonkoma was only two and
q half hours l-te getting back TO Jamaica, and.
like the Green port train, had to wait there.
It was when the rush home began last night
that things were said. From O'Clock until
last evening ferryboat after ferryboat dumped
thousands on The piers At Long Island City. and
it was only by the utmost effort that the crowd
was finally got away. The New-York and
Queens County trolley company pressed all its
men into service and ran special service TO
Jamaica and to Flushing and other points where
trolley cars could be had. one party of resi-
dents Of Rockville Centre. under leadership Of
H 4. Henderson, after an hours wait for
train. organized for the trip home by trolley
Their route was .rounda bout. They had to go
fy one trolley line to Jamaica by another to
Queens then around over sides of a triangle
TO their home town They travelled about thirty
miles and consumed three hours or more where
usually forty minutes for an eighteen mile trip
were all that was required. Many telegraphed
home and had automobiles sent for them.
Al 40 an announcer entered the waiting
,co,,, r,,.n crowded with a swetering mass and
announced that a train for Babylon and inter
mediate points was ready. This was greeted
,.itb cheers and the several sections sent out a
savv minutes later were crowded. The Babylon
train which pulled out was due to leave at 300.
cr,. the route was open nothing was allowed
IN oorrplicate it again until all who wanted to
reach Jamaica on their way home, had been
sem OFT With the bulk of the rush OF It's
hands the working force set about getting the
smaller routes working.
In the crush in the evening lines OF h1y
waited to get TO the telephones in the waiting
room to send word home Of the delay. Inc
Western Union ordered its Offices all along the
line 10 remain open until the block was raised
The operators at Long Island Chy were
sxarlped with messages
In Long Island Cry during the jam sand
witches sold for 90 cents and coffee for 10 cents.
The Young Mems Christian Association restau-
rant. near the depot was soon sold out. and
after that Others took advantage Of the fam
inc.
Troleys from Long Island City and Brook
lzn and the local train service Of the railroad
dumped thousands in Jamaica. who were held
there for hours. The residents Of Rockaway
Beach and points between went home from
Jamaica by trolley. The others from far out on
the island were stalled at Jamaica. and the en-
fire poIice force was sent out 10 handle the
crowd.
BY 10 O'Clock the worst Of the crush had been
relieved AT Jamaica Those who hurried there
from New-York by way of Brooklyn gained
nothing as they had TO wait until train could
go through to Jamaica from Long Island City.
In the crush pickpockets We're active. John