The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-31
CROWD SWAMPS THE SUBWAY
DOWkTOWN AND UP, 1T COULDN'T
HANDLE THE SUNDAY TRAFFIC.
Ever, body wanted to Use the New Line. hut
Many We're Clad 10 Go Back 10 the File.
Sated-Fxpressrs CraNIed Like Locals
Some HOodl,innism in the Trains.

Some HOOdluniistn In the Trains.
For at least five hours yesterday after
noon the subway could not handle, by many
thousands. the dr. that tried TO ride.
All afternoon great masses OF people were
held up at the City Hall and Bridge station
entrances and had TO form lines while the
platforms below were being cleared.
As fast as a train got away word was
passed to the policemen at the head of the
stairs and another bunch was let down.
Five or six times during the afternoon
the line four abreast, reached from down
the stairs at the ticket offices up to the
surface and back as far as Broadway.
This was at the City Hail station. Finally
the plan tried on Friday and Saturday
during the heaviest rush was put in opera
ton. Al local downtown trains were
cleared at the Bridge and ran empty from
there TO City Hall Both entrances at City
Hall were used for admission only.
This somewhat hastened the movement
Of the waiting crowds but did not diminish
them. The only thing that diminished
them was when they began to disintegrate
Of themselves After while the prospect
for the tail-enders became too gloomy.
They took to the Broadway cars or dribbed
away to the Sixth and Third avenue ele-
waited lines. The uptown Broadway sur
face cars did a better business from this
overflow than they had done during their
normally busiest hours on Friday and Sat
urday. The uptown elevated trains were
correspondingly affected
Thousands Of Bronxites and Harlemites
who had come downtown on the subway
and had fought and scuffied their way
through the Bridge jam had had all the
subway they wanted for the day. They
t,ck one look at the mob about the Bridge
and City Hall station entrances and made
a bee line for the elevated.
The Broadway cars brought up from
the Battery hundreds OF Staten Islanders
who got out at City Hall and either took
their places at the end OF the waiting
lines or strolled around waiting for up
In the rush-a let-up that didn't come until
nearly o'clock. Then the question of
dinner became factor in the situation, and
the movement toward the surface cars and
the elevated set In in good earnest. For
the first time on record. perhaps, the sur
face and the elevated lines did an uptown
evening rush hour business on iSunday.
They did rush hour downtown business
as well.
The subway congestion at 1i5th street
was even greater in proportion to the
station accommodations than it was at either
the Bridge or the City Hall. The station
platforms at l45th street are comparatively
narrow. Train after train came UP loaded
to the last inch OF standing room. At one
time FIVE express trains were in line waiting
to discharge passengers. AS fast as train
was emptied there was rush to the street
and over to the downtown side.
The police reserves from the West 1j2d
street station were called out, but all they
could do was to keep the crowd in line.
At times the line extended for the length
Of nearly two city blocks.
1t looked like Coney Island or a country
fair ground entrance. There were souvenir
sellers and takers OF various sorts, doing
rushing business, and there were hoodlum
diversions to complicate the situation all
afternoon. The sweating policemen came
other troubles. They took it all. They
had to.
1t was a more serious matter making Of
for the elevated at l4sth street than it was
at the City Hall, but thousands did 1t rather
than wait in the snail crawling line and
then go through the jam and squeeze at
trains and surface cars carried thousands
Of these stranded subway travellers.
On the whole, though. it was fairly good
natured crowd and an orderly orowd-just
an average New York Sunday afternoon
crowd with rather below than above the
average percentage Of hoodlumisnl, There
was a little rough and tumble showing.
little bean shooting at the electric lights
To- bo m Gov piIt thara WI a
no symptoms OF nobLing or rioting. Even
the objectionable advertisements, which
have already been pointed out as legitimate
molested.
Once in while the advertisements, some
OF which were ten feet high, came in for q
kick In the crowding and showing on the
platforms. They give out a resonant
tin pan clamor when kicked. They are
made OF sheet iron with the edges moulded
and daubed with yellow paint to resemble
gilt picture frames When you heard a
crash resembling stage thunder on plat
form you knew that one Of these works Of
art had come In for kick and was lifting
up Its sheet iron voice In protest.
So far as the running Of the trains was
concerned, all attempts at keeping to a
reason unknown to man 1t had been figured
out that the Sunday rush would not be
40 very heavy, 30 no express trains, except
four or five at long intervals. were run
until nearly 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
In the end, though, it all came to the same
thing. The road would have been swamped
il express trains as we'll as locals had run
at 2 minute intervals all day. The situa-
ton was that anywhere from 100000 to
100000 persons were trying to get through
hole in the ground which at best-in view
Of the delays caused by the rush-could
not let more than 325. 900 or $4,000 through.
1t was the general belief among the
trainmen yesterday that with all the
rush the figures would probably show that
no more, II as many, passengers we're carried
on Sunday as were carried on a week day.
The trains were delayed too long-some-
times as long as elk minutes--at stations.
Express trains that should have made
only three stops between Ninety-si1th
street and the Bridge were held up as many
as eight or nine times.
The express trains in fact, made little