The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-08

and then two or three trains would follow each other quickly to be suc- ceeded by an interval of none. The re- sulting jam in the stations was tremen- dous, and as the green motormen never succeeded in stopping a train at the us- ual place, much confusion resulted. But on the other hand the people were orderly. The police in plenty were on hand. The Brooklyn bridge station Is the most extensive in the subway sys- tenn, and it is there that usually the greatest crush occurs in the rush hours, both morning and evening. The two great streams of people, southbound to Brooklyn and tie ferries and northbound to the uptown region meet there, and from the number of subway officials and policemen on hand 1t was evident that trouble had been anticipated. But none occurred. There was not even an alter cation. and not a single person was roughly handled by the eager crowd. People Could Ride Free.
 At nearly all stations the ticket chop pers boxes stood unattended, and cov- cred with canvass, and every one was free to use the subway who cared to chance 1t after a warning that 1t was at his own risk. The Brooklyn bridge station was an exception. The regular ticket chopper RAOC0 eNAA unshaven man clad in dirty overalls, on whose slouch hat was a band indicating that he was an employe of the system. He locked neither to right nor left, but monotonously pumped the handle of the chopper. The tickets ran into the box and he pumped under the chaff of the spectators and the sarcasm of the strike sympathzers.
 A few minutes after the collision at Twenty third street, the danger signals were flashed along the whole tunnel, and simultaneously a fresh squad of police appeared at the Broowklyn bridge station. Under command of a captain they were stationed at all the exits and entrances. the ticket sellers windows were shut down. and the crowds who had not gain ed entrance to the train Tlatforms were turned away After a walt of a quarter of an hour, one train came in from up town. rounded the loop under City Hall square, and as it drew into the station north-bound, a man with a megaphone shouted from the gallery. Broadway local; last train up town tonight"
 Tremendous Jam on Surface.
 The police cleared the plaforms and up- stars the announcement that no more trains would be run was made to the crowds assembled at the entrance. This turned them to the ISurlace ines, ana tremendous jam resulted. Every car bound up town was filled to its capacity when it left It's terminal. Around Brook lyn bridge where nearly all the east side surface lines start, and in the open space to the south of City Hall square, people hacked the streets from curb to curb and the police and railway employees had a hard task to keep them from the tracks With changing gongs the cars fought their way slowly to the turning curves only to be made the objects of mad rush from the mob. Men fought for a foothold on step or platform as they would for a place in the last boat of a sinking ship. Women were mauled and roughly handled in the jam and hats were lost, coats were torn and bundles heedlessly dropped in the mud.
 On the elevated roads the conditions were pretty much the same. The trains were irregular, slow speed was maintain ed and they hardly served to take small ouota of their usual patronage.
 Was False Prophet.
 If was disclosed that the man with a ,,esa nhone was a false prophet, for after the tracks were cleared of the wreck at