The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
SUBWAY NOT LIMBERED YET.
TRAINSTO 18TH STREET FORTHE
FIRST TINE.
Delays Less Than on Friday. and Travel
stendier-FiSurcs for Friday 100000
Elevated Railroad Expresses Have
Recoy cred Many OF Their "Strappers."

subway DftWttu VII
and midnight on Friday was little over
$4,000.
Y, sterday, however, the streams Of
1eople disappearing under ground into the
various subway stations were much more
uniform in size and constant In motion.
General Manager Hedley said at o'clock
Yesterday afternoon that he was confident
that the travel for the twenty-four hours
ending at midnight would exceed that Of
Friday by many tens OF thousands. he
thought that it might run up to $4,000.
Others made a guess that 1t would reach
100000
Obviously, increased travel, together with
an improvement In train service, were the
two conspicuous events in the subway
operation yesterday To be sure, very
few, IL any, OF the trains Of yesterday sue
ceeded in making their schedule time.
The express trains that did the best were
M minutes In getting from the Bridge
10 Ninety-sixth street. This Is two minutes
and a half slower than the schedules. The
local trains Also were as rule behind time
and the intervals between them more or
less uncertain.
1t will be a week yet before the subway
service is Hnbered up enough to be called
as regular and certain as is the service on
the elevated lines. There are number
Of things to occur before that can be brought
about. In the first place the freak feature
Of the tunnel must subside-the travel OF
mere sightseeers who stroll and loiter
and get in the way and who fail to move
with that quick directnees Of purpose
characteristic Of the New Yorker going reg
ularly about his business.
How do you expect the trains car mako
q good showing" said one OF the guards
yesterday whose new veneer Of pa tience
was already getting worn in spots, how
do you expect we can make our time with
all this roundup Of rubbernecks to handler
Passengers out first! Step lively, please,
step livelyl'
That was at Fourteenth street. where
for some reason there has always been
about as big crowd on the platforms as
at any OF the uptown stations. Those
who were under the delusion that forty
eight hours or 40 would break the back
OF the sightseeing rush will have to revise
their opinion and allow a week or ten days
more. There are a good many people
in New York. Apparently they all have
ma de it duty to ride through the subway.
There are million or so more people
within a radius OF fifty miles Of New York
who are likewise bound to have their ride
underground before they are many days
older. Then there are those who are wait
of the many rural districts yet to be heard
from. The subway in ten days from its
opening will oe an old story to New Workers,
but 1t will still be show place for tens OF
thousands within touch Of the metropolitan
district for many weeks to come.
Rue tho 6olQva vaaf6rdRv were not all DY
any means the fault OF the crowds. The
mechanism OF the train service Is still stth
with its newness. There were not 30 many
blockades nor .uch long blockades as there
Two or three came in the forenoon hour:
The longest lasted thirteen minutes, and
all, as was the case on Friday, were duo to
the crippling Of moi or oars.
Another cause OF delay for which the
crowds were not responsible lay In the
heavy doors of the cars and In the enclosed
car platforms. There Ia not so much elias
ITCHY to the enclosed as there is to the open
car platforms when 1t comes TO erowding
ricidly in line and their movements are
slower. AS to the car doors they are heavy
and stiff to move and the guards have not
vet got quite into the knack OF handling
them quickly and easily. 1t was reported
or pneumatic attachment to them to make
them slide easily. This is not the case
The motive power is muscle, and IN many
instances yesterday 1t was noticed that the
guards had to Put out much strength ebst iH
improve with time and practice.
K new feature In the operation of the
road was the runnir g OF trains for the first
time through to 18th street. The station
at l45th street and Broadway Is the present
weeks to come. But the tracks are all
down to 18th street The trains that
were run through yesterday were TO- ao-
commodate the crowds going TO the Yale
Columbia football match ct lest eo street let
advertised, but they were packed about as
full as they well could be. Such sight
seers as went along were turned out into the
bracing October air at l57th street with
two choices before them hen one was 70 weht
back twelve blocks to I5th street.
What the devil are we going to do
dunn ed out here for two hours3" asked
one traveller Of g lard;
WELL said the g lard. who was phil
osopher some might want to 60 to the
football game, some might think they'd
better log along on shanks mare back to
l45th street. Then again some might pre-
fer to sit here and cuss. wouldn't attempt
TO advise. Fine weather we are having;
to 18th street: One train that left the
Bridge at 81 got to 18TH street at 22o.
an actual time OF 43 minutes, but there
were delays and hold-ups on the way that
aggregated IS minutes. Coming back from
the game the majority Of the crowd made
a rush for the elevated, but there was
subway stampede likewise. and the down
trains were packed to the limit.
The elevated yesterday did not suher
so much as it had suffered the day before.
This was part icularly noticeable In the
downtown runs OF morning express trains.
So far as could be judged from appear
ancas the 'strappers' on the elevated ex-
presses went back yesterday morning to-
their straps On Friday morning and
evening there were straps and even seats
vacant on the expresses.
But on the Third avenue surface car limo
and on all the surface lines running down
into lowe Broadway there was falling on
in travel that made the cars look as though
New York mad gone out OF town on leave
Of absence, From the general drift OF
comment heard from those who rode on
the bway trains yesterday 1t was plain
that not very great number OF regular
elevated riders are going to be alienated to
The Subway local trains. The popular
verdict now seems to be that, whereas the
;bway. for its express service. Is one OF
the greatest blessings that has come upon
New York in many. a day. yet for local
trains the elevated has and will keep the
rrast;ra n, ~ tho manila will decide all