Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-06-09
FIRE in SUBWAY.
Lives ImperIIIsd in BOstOn's
Underground Railway.
Terrific Explosions Caused by Short
Circuitlna of Heavily Charged Elec'
trio Wlres-Hundreds OF Men ana
Women Thrown Into Panlo-Three
Persons Injured.

Boston-A dull, low roar, IKE 'h0
blast of charge of dynamite under
tons of granite, and clouds OF black
sickening smoke belching forth'
threw hundreds of men and women
into a panic and paralyzed trathc IN
the subway at the Boylston street
station at go o'clock, Wednesday al
ternoon. a...-.-..
No one knew the trouble. Elevated
road employees and officials were alike
confused, and fearful of what might
come next, as the smoke rapidly hlled
the stations at Boylston and Park
streets, and passengers wers rushed
from the cars to the surface.
Trainmen and station police at
tempted to call the fire department
and found the telephones so charged
with electricity as to be useless.
Many of the women reaching the
subway by the Boylston street cars
were overcome by the smoke, tainted,
and had to be dragged to the surface
Several became hysterlcal and were
controlled with much difficulty, the
danger being constant of someone
falling from the platforms overcome
by the smoke and becoming electro
cuted upon the deadly third rail.
Trainmaster Benjamin was the first
official to reach the Boylston street
station and to bring some sort of or
der out of the chaos. Entering the
subway along the line of the north
bound cars he made his way some 100
feet to the south of the station and
found the cause of the trouble.
The feed cables for the third rail,
running between the rails and en-
closed in four-inch wooden box con-
duits, were found grounded and
throwing off flashes of electricity,
which Illuminated the subway for
many hundreds of feet. The electri-
city had jumped to other cables run
ming parallel, and even charged the
walls of the subway. Ten powerful
cables felt the influence of the cross
and were cracking and throwing off
flames and flashes of light, threaten
ing death to any who came near.
The wooden box conduit, black and
greasy and very inflammable, was
burning rapidly. A north bound train
which had passed over the spot got
afire and was pulled back to pleasant
| street, blazing fiercely underneath.
The terrified passengers were hurried
| off at Pleasant street and the fire be.
| meath tho oar esItinguished by road
employees before serious damage was
done.
Three persons were hurt, and all OF
them were on the surface. The acci'
dents which caused their injuries were
the direct result of the trouble In the
subway. The injured were all near
| the Pleasant street entrance to the
subway and were hurt by the explo.
sions in three manholes at that point.
Trainmaster Benjamin ordered all
trains into stations, and then the cur.
rent on the third rail and feed cables
was shut off.
Chief Mullen and the fire depart,
ment had been notified before the
power was shut off and entered the
subway at the Boylston street sta,
tion, although there was great danger
for anyone, however familiar with the
subway, to enter in the dense smoke
which filled every foot OF space be.
tween the walls
| AS Chief Mullen's men touched the
walls they felt a shock at once. The
brass nozzle Of the chemical hose
they carried became charged, and with
electricity running up their arms the
men hesitated for minute for orders
from their chief
"I'll risk it," shouted Chief Null.
en-, and he dashed into the smoke.
filed subway. His men followed close
behind, their hands on the shoulders
of the men in front A few daring
newspaper men brought up the rear.
Half an hour was consumed in put.
ting out the flames which had fol.
lowed along the box conduits nearly
300 yards.
Both Chief Mullen and Assistant
Chief Brady termed 1t one Of the
most dangerous fires they were ever
called upon to handle, not from it's in.
tensity but for the dangers of electro.
| cution that surrounded them and the
thickness of the smoke