New-York tribune., 1905-03-08
PACKED, WEDGED TIGHT.
Surface Car Scenes Unparalleled an
This City-Rules to the Winds.

Street and surface scenes unparalleled in
the history of the city were the result yester-
day Of the strike.
Surface cars so jammed. packed and wedged
tight with humanity to the guards that pas
sengers grasped one another around the middle
and clung perilously to the narrow dashboard
or even rode perched dizzily on the roofs were
ordinary spectacles
In the usual rush hours it was a common sight
to built to accommodate from twenty
eight to thirty-four passengers actually loaded
down with two, and on occasion two and half
times that number. covering steps. railings,
dashboards and roofs alike.
Just what the carrying OF that number en-
tailed only the actual passenger and, perhaps.
the motorman and conductor could appreciate.
Hurting all regulations to the winds. tenders
were abandoned and passengers rode on the
motorman's platform. crowding him that in
many instances he had to cry for elbow room
In which to set the brake.
Had stranger been dropped into lower Lex
ington-ave. last night, he might have thought
that the city had been blockaded and was about
to capitulate that Manhattan had fallen prey
to a scourge like the old Black Death. So far
did the demand for even a foothold on the cars
outrun the supply that throughout the day long
lines of pedestrians were encountered walking
many of them grip in hand, through slush and
sleet, up down the avenues, homeward or
business bound.
CABMENs GOLDEN HARVEST.
Cabmen reaped a golden harvest, and in
stances were record where bewildered pedes-
trians. unable to pay a cabmans fare, hand
somely rewarded drivers of trucks and wag-
ons for the courtesy of lift" rather than be
crushed TO suffocation in car.
Getting downtown was indeed a problem
yesterday morning. 1t was solved in many
ways, generally in accordance with the size of
the purse and the distance of the home from the
place OF business. Almost every means of loco
motion utilized. until on every thorough
fare there bound toward the southern end
of Manhattan Island a mighty stream of cabs
and carriages OF all descriptions, trucks auto
mobiles and bicycles, to say nothing of the
streetcars. all heavily laden with human freight
HabituaI pedestrians found their number In
creased by many thousands.
Broadway presented unprecedented spec
tacle. On both sides of the street were long
lines Of vehicles. all slowly moving southwark.
The congestion so great that the police,
mounted and afoot. found themselves at their
wits end to make traffic run smoothly. In many
OF the cabs and carriages were from two to five
business men, who had dubbed together to
lessen the expense. Many of the bicycle riders
had taken their wheels from storerooms and
out of the way dusty corners Many of these.
however, did not ride down lower Broadway.
They could have done only at the peril OF
their lives. Even cabs and carriages found 1t
difficult to drive below Fulton-st., and fares
dtsmounted there and walked the remainder OF
the way
The Broadway cars. which necessarily moved
slowly, were packed to the doors So slow was
their progress that hundreds deserted them and
pursued their way afoot. AS the result the
sidewalks became crowded to the gutter with
humanity. Teamsters found many willing to
pay for the privilege of riding the trucks.
and many drivers In this way found unlocked
for cash in their pockets last night. Other
truckmen good naturediy carried free many
persons was possible.
PACKED. WEDGED TIGHT.
In the rush" hours in The Bronx last night
the surface were so jammed that in almost
every car passengers were clinging TO the rear
platform. Although more than hundred ex-