New-York tribune., 1906-06-02
FIERCE FIRE In SUBWAY
EMPTY CARS DESTROYED.
Pdnicstricken CrOpds See Firemen
OUercOme IN Tunnel.

OCcfCOHCC W Il UHHtI.
While four empty cars burned underground
at 10Sth street and Broadway last evening hun
dreds of persons thronged about the subway sta
tions at l03d street and 10th street and the
airshafts between. swayed TO terror and panic
by rumors Of death and disaster For over half
an hour the police reserves from the stations
above Tooth street had hard work TO control the
crowd, until the fact that the accident had in
volved no loss Of life became known.
As all surface lines tied up in the morn
ing, so were the subway lines at the evening
rush hour. No Broadway trains could be run
above 1880 street, and the express service was
denoralized entirely. the locals outstripping the
express trains long after the accident happened
All the West Side surface lines broke down
under the stress of the avalanche of subway
passengers dumped down on them, and until the
rush hours were passed conditions were the
same as during the subway strike more than a
year ago
The of1cials Of the road have always laughed
when danger from fire has been suggested as a
menace 70 passengers in the tube but the acct
dent showed that II is a real and present peril
Two cars were destroyed completely by fire
only the warped and twisted frames remain Of
two others and two more were partly burned
From 1881 street north on the Broadway line
there are three tracks the middle one being
useo Tor storage purposes. At about 545 a
sV-ftchman named Palmer ran a fve-car 'Iav-11n''
train on 10 the middle track between I0sth street
and 1o7th street. He smashed into five cars
already laid up. A second later fash Of light
ninglike flames shot from under the motor cars
Of the '1ay-up" train followed by a report that
echoed through the subway for blocks Smoke
followed in such suffocating volume that in a
few seconds the station platform al 10th street
became untenabIe
PANIC ON PASSING TRAINS
Before the echoes from the crashing report of
the short circuit had died away a southbound
train drew UP at 10th street. On il were Rounds
man Cullum and Sergeant Coleman of Head
quarters. Lights went out the train and on
the platforms and IT was several minutes before
the motorman was able TO start the train That
was the last train TO get down past the wreck
until late az night. As il passed the burning
cars the flames beat against the windows. caus-
ing panic among the passengers. When the
train stopped at 103d street there was wild
scramble through the choking smoke for the
outer air. Cullum and Coleman sent in an alarm
at once. northbound train reached 10th street
az the same time. Both motormen pulled the
emergency levers on the platforms shutting off
all power on both tracks between the two sta
ttons.
Bicycle Patrolnlan Dunham and Patrolnan
McAdam. Of the West Tooth street station saw
the smoke pouring from the subway airshaft at
106th street and ran 10 the 10th street station
and made their way through the sitting air 10
the platform as a train reached IL. All lights
were out on platform and train. and the two
men had hard work getting the frightened pas
sengers 10 the street.
The first apparatus to reach the subway
Hook and Ladder Truck % While Lieutenant
Hagen and his men were trying 10 reach the
pIa at 11Orb nd q
men Of Engine rs got ladder down the arshaft
between 106th and 107th streets and carried in
the first line of hose They fought their way
north for block. only To he driven back by the
smoke. Getting gulp of fresh air they fought
their way back again. strewing the roadbed with
coats and rubber boots. When they reached the
cars again they had stripped to shirt and trou-
sers
Chief Croker was az the fire. for which only a
single alarm was sent in a few minutes after
the f1remen arrived. Under him were Deputy
Chief Binns and aBttalion Chiefs Crawley and
Bagen. Bagen was overcome by smoke early IN
the fight and had 10 be carried out through ule
1O6th street airhole After getting some fresh
air he went back-a habit of New York hremen
Frank Hedley general manager or the inter,
borough was summoned the first alarm ana
reached the l1Oth street station soon after
O'Clock and at once started down the tracks 10
the fire The smoke kept him from seeing any
thing but when he emerged and lad picked the
cinders out of his eyes. he said:
"Oh. there's nothing serious the matter A
car cot short circuited that's all
The police and hremen all agreed that four
cars were blazing the time. but Mr.. Hedley
said shortly
They don't know what they're talking about
There are only two cars afre."
he had nothing al all 10 say when il was
suggested that the cars were supposed 10 be
hTcproof.
Later in the evening. after he had made
thorough inspection Of the burned out cars, ne
made a statement in which he said
The FIRE caused by the train which was
being laid up jumping the tracks. The switch
man. Palmer, had just laid up one train and
the one which he smashed into the nrst
train with such force that the forward truck
was thrown off the track. Coming into contact
with the third rail. a heavy short circuit was
formed which caused the Are
After the fire Deputy Chief Binns declared
that the cars supposed to be sheathed with cop
per not sheathed a coat or copper paint
taking the place OF the sheathing. Mr. Hedley
said that this not true. and that all the cars,
with the exception OF the steel motor cars. were
sheathed with copper they should be The
damage To the property of the Interborough
about $4,000.
Traffic Vas resumed at y O'CLOCK