, 1908-01-22

train ran through the marlborough Rapid
Transit Company's tunnel under the East
River, from Bowling Green Station to Be-
rough Hall, Brooklyn; between midnight and
one O'Clock this morning.
The train was a Lenox avenue express;
which started from 180th street at ten min
utes before midnight, and there was nothing
to distinguish it from any other subway train
except that it carried more passengers than
the usual southbound express ct that hour;
and nearly every passenger was congratn-
lating himself OF herself upon the privilege
of riding on the first regular train to pass
under the river to Brooklyn.
At Grand Central Station q flash of hol-
day spirit was thrown upon the event when
several theatre parties of Brooklyn residents
got aboard, 1t was a new experience to
them to be whisked under the river after
the theatre in the time usually occuplel III
getting. to the Brooklyn Bridge entrance,
and several hundred happy men and women
from the other side of the river were on
hand to enjoy the experience for the first
time.
Bro oKLYN PASSENGERS MERRY.
When the theatre parties entered the cars
they enlivened the occasion by singing and
other signs Of iubilation, ard others among
the passengers caught the spirit aud joined
in the celebration.
oWe've been waiting for this for many;
many years." said one Brooklyn woman.
"We've been dreaming and talking about
coming home from the theatre by tunnel
route; and now at last we are doing it. Let's
all sing "Glory, Glory, Halleluiah.'" And
the party did sing it with a vim.
Several happy Brooklyn men tried to
make speeches on the way to Bowling Green,
but a subway train in motion does not pro-
$500. L o-,onL,n;Er Fnc ,1n%noinnH
orators, and much of the impromptu elo-
quence was lost. One s~prightly little woman
summed up most that was important III all
of the other speeches by exclaimln3 =
"Won't it be fine to tell our grandchildren
about this =
50 far as the marlborough company was
concerned, it was the first train through the
tunnel for which tickets were sold. That
was all. None of the officials were present,
no decorations were placed on the cars on IN
the stations, and there were no ceremonial
demonstrations anywhere.
They didn't even pin bouquets on the
trajnmen,'' remarked one of the Brooklyn
delegation, with q show Of annoyance.
Officials of the company said yesterday
they saw no particular reason why there
should be any celebration
"We've got our hands full to keep
trains running said Frank Hedley, general
manager OF the company, without wasting
any time in oratory aud decoration"
Another official renarked that since New
York's transportation interests hid fallen
under the administration of the Pubic Ser
vice Commission, cheese sandwiches aud
spring water were about as far as any rail-
road company could go with public f~estiYi-
ties.
BRooKLYN CELEBRATES To-Day.
Brooklyn, however, will make up in cere-
mony today all that was omittel last night
While the first regular train through the
tunnel started from thu Bowling Green
station at eighteen minutes to one o'clock
this morning, Brooklyn will not regard the
tunnel as officially opened until half-past
eleven o'clock this forenoon, when a special
train will be run through from Manhattan
to Borough Hall bearing q large delegation
of Brooklyn officials and prominent citizens.
After speeches and other ceremonies from
Borough Hall steps, the train will return to
Manhattan, where the festivities will be con-
tinued.-Neo York Herald, 8 January.