New-York tribune., 1908-01-09
BATTERY SUBWAY OPEN
TRAINS GO TO BROOKLYN.
Beginning of Nezc Service Marked
by Celebration To-day.

Brooklyn has subway of its at last.
1t really is only an extension of the road
through the long hole in the ground of the bor-
ough in New York County, but Brooklyn claims
it as all It's own and is proud of it, although it
goes only as far as the Borough Hall. Still it is
called the Brooklyn extension. and it means
lot to persons who want quick access to the
chief borough of the greater city
Trains have been running regularly under the
Battery and under the East River since Mon
day, but they have been try-outs, so to speak.
Only Inotormen who being broken into
their jobs and others directly interested in the
operation of the trains under the first SUBJ
riparian or submarine tunnel, if the not over
wide Harlem Is counted out. were permitted
aboard.
Brooklynites of the ordinary bridge crushing
and ferry-wending fk got their chance this
morning however to push and crowd into the
Bowling Green station in Manhattan and pay
their nickel for chance to get aboard the first
train put on for the general accommodation of
At least it scheduled to- but the Brooklyn
the public. 1t left at II: 45 o'clock this morning
ties who thronged the station and wanted to he
the first train made it imperative for the
guards to shout the usual step lively" many
times before the doors could finally be wedged
shut in the vindictfve faces of the disappointed
Of course, everybody for once wanted to be
in the first car, despite all the superstitions or
traditions that may prevail as to the undesira-
bity of being so far up front Also, although
a man had been burned to death and train
stalled in the darkness in the same tunnel
scarcely more than twenty-four hours before,
most of the persons who tried to get aboard
wanted to get the first glimpse at the roadbed
and the walls.
OF course, there were few Manhattanese and
Bronxites aboard, but most of them haven't IAN
awful crush on being crushed into a tightly
packed mass of straphangers, only to be landed
in front of the building where 3. s. Coier has
his Office at 40 o'clock on a clear and frosty
morning. The train due to leave for the
lights of Manhattan and the wilds of the Zoo at
l. 81 o'clock but, as the train was a little be-
hind time in starting and it took some time to
empty the Brooklynites, who were bent on
telling one another what they thought of the
tunnel it was considerably after that time when
the train pulled out for the west shore.
The first train which made the tri-borough
run left West Farms at 11:j0 o'clock. 1t was
made up of eight cars, with G. n. Morrison's s
hand at the controller. Mr.. Morrison, who is
the motor inspector of the Interborough Rapid
Transit Company, besides having the distinction
of being the first man to pilot trainload of or
binary passengers under the East River. had the
prior 1dme OF running the real HISt lidIH
through the Brooklyn extension Before that
he handled the controller the first train that
made the trip through the Manhattan Bronx
subway.
The officials of the company. in expectation OF
the crowd of sightseers had anadditional train
of eight cars waiting in the Bowling Green sta
ton. This precaution served in measure to re-
Ifeve the crush but everybody wanted to be
on the real first train. Inspector Burfeind, of
the first inspection district, and Captain Hogan.
of the Church street station, We're at Bowling
Green fully hour before the time scheduied
for the starting of the train and directed the
movements of the extra force Of policemen
Among the officials of the Interborough who
ACCOMPANIED Mr.. Morrison were AL Merritt
superintendent of the Brooklyn extension; w
I. Lockwood engineer; 0. Hayes. trainmaster,
and w w Waldron, signal engineer, all at
tached to the same division.
The formal opening of the extension will be
loudly celebrated to-day, when two hundred
members of the Brooklyn League. under the lead
of Borough President Coler and accompanied
by a hundred more guests, will come over TO
the City Hall. At noon the party will board a
speciaI train in the City Hall station and make
the run to Borough Hall, where the I'D Regl-
ment Band will be stationed on the steps and
sneeches will be made A parade up Fulton
blowing. band and other music and noise, as
BROOKLYN is set on getting lighted up over the
great occasion.
Flags were flying all over the borough Fester-
dav and will fly to-day to mark the event, and
there is a lavish display of bunting everywhere
The following are expected to make speeches al
Borough Hall this noon Mayor Mcclellan, Bor-
ough President Coler, Alexander E Orr, CHAIR
man of the old Rapid Transit Commission; 81
Clair McKelway William Berri. Frank Hedley
sunerintendent of the Interborough; the ReV
DIR Nehemiah Boynton and the Rev Dr ,
prbos Caduan After the speeches the pas
seugers on the official train celebrating me
oroDipg of the tube will have luncheon at the
Hamilton Club.
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company an
nounced new surface line schedules yesterday
TO be put in operation to-day TO relieve the con-
gestion on lines passing the Borough nan Sta-
tion which is expected to follow the opening OF
1 ,I0xt-1y