Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-08
SUBWAY STRIKE.
Continued from Page One.)

| the crowd was large enough to fill th,
stations as early as o'clock. Now an,
| then TWO or three trains would follow
| each other quickly. to be succeeded b,
an interval of none. The resulting
jam in the stations was tremendous
and as the green motormen never sue.
ceeded in stopping train at the usua
place, much confusion resulted. Blu,
on the whole. the people were orderly
Police in plenty were on hand and the
situation in the downtown stations
Was admirably handled.
The Brooklyn bridge station is the
most extensive in the subway system
and it is there that usually the great
est crush occurs in the rush hours
both morning and evening, and from
the number of subway officials. and
policemen on hand. it was evident that
trouble was anticipated. But none oc-
CURED. Nor was the crowd as large as
had been expected. All day there had
been rumors and reports of wrecks and
injuries and probably this had much
to do with the lesSening of the crowds
At nearly all stations, the ticket-chop-
pers' boxes stood unattended and COW
cred with canvass and every one was
free to use the subway who cared tC
chance it after warning that it was
at his own risk.
A few minutes after the collision at
2Srd street, the danger signals were
flashed along the whole tunnel and SIM
ultaneously Il fresh squad of police APP
peared at the Brooklyn bridge station.
After wait of Il quarter of an hour,
one train came from uptown, rounded
the loop under City Hall square and as
1t drew into the station nOrth-bOund, a
man with Il megaphone shouted from
the gallery: "Broadway local; last
train uptown, tonight He went from
place to place shouting his warning
and there was ii wild rush for places.
The train was held until the last per-
son had been pushed and squeezed on
it and then it moved slowly off. Police
cleared the platforms and upstairs the
announcement that no more trains
would lie run was made to the crowds
assembled at the entrances. This
turned them to the surface lines and
Il tremendous jam resulted.
Every car bound uptown was filled
to it's capacity when it left its tSrmi-
nal. Men fought for a fOothOld on step
or platform as they would for a place
in the last boat from sinking ship.
Women were mauled and roughly
handled in the jam and hats were lost,
coats torn and bundles heedlessly
dropped in the mud.
On the elevated roads. the conditions
n, nre r,rnt ~ ,nnch the same The trains
were irregular, slow speed was MAIN
tanned and they barely served TO take
u small quota of their usual patronage.
And so New York went hOme-nOt
with the ease and quickness of normal
days. but by circuitous routs and with
vexing delays and light dinners We're
the order of the evening in every home
north of 23rd street.
1t WAS disclosed that the man with the
mesarhone was a false prophet, for at
ter the tracks We're cleared of the wreck
at sd street the service was again got
under way and the last homegocrs Were
able to proceed in fairly comfortable
trains. During the interim the police at
all the stations where the larger crowds
take their trains had Il busy time OF it,
Crowds finding that the subway trains
We're not running pushed To the elevated
stations. only to suffer further disappoint-
ment, as the company being unable to
handle OF control the rush of traffic re-
fused to take passengers for Il time.
AS the crowds learned that the eleNat-
ed train were not running, the tide turn
ed towards the surface cars and then fol-
lowed Il scramble for seat or sitting room
such as has never been witnessed in the
streets of New York The Grand Central
station was the scene of the most serious