New-York tribune., 1908-06-01
PASSENGERS SET AFIRE
PANIC IN BROOKLYN CAR.
Manhole Blo7os Up Beside Open
TroHey-Two Badly Burned.

With report like bursting bomb and fol-
lowed by trail of flame. big manhole cover
blew off in 9th street, just above Fifth avenue,
Brooklyn. yesterday afternoon at o'clock, and
threw a shower of sparks the crowd of
pleasure seeks in an open Coney Island bound
trolley dozen people were set on fire.
I'D one girl might have been burned to death
h-1 Il not been for the presence of mind Of the
conductor. Michael Atkins. She and her escort
the principal victims
The explosion, it is supposed. was caused by
poor insulation on one or two of the wires in
tine conduit, resulting in the ignition of sewer
and illuminating gas. Miss Mary Bremen, OF
No. 80 Clifton Place. was sitting at the end OF
one Of the seats near the rear of the car, and
her escort, John Flynn. of No 80 Union Hill.
Jamaica, Long Island, standing on the run
ming board by her side, when the manhole cover
followed by burst Of flame, shot out in the air
by their side. Both were set fire. With a
scream that was echoed and re-echoed by the
and of the men all over the car
Miss Bremen sprang from her seat and jumped
TO the street As she ran the flames crept up her
fimsy summer clothing to her hair
Conductor Atkins started after her He
caught up to her in two seconds and succeeded
in tripping her up. Then he pulled off his coat
and wrapped it about her The flames We're soon
extine1ished but not before her legs, arms and
face had been badly scorched.
Meanwhile the passengers the car were
busy extingushing the flames in their own
clothing. Flynns clothes were nearly burned
off him, and his hands and legs were badly
scorched before he got the fire out, with the aid
of two fellow passengers.
Patrolrnan j. E CHINA, of the Fifth avenue
precinct had by this time reached the scene
He wanted to call an ambulance from Seney
HOSPITAL, few locks away, to attend to Miss
Bremen and Flynn but they would not hear TO
It. So he helped them across the street to the
office of Dr. Herbert c. Fry. No 319 9th street,
The physician attended TO them, and some Of his
family lent them clothing in which to return to
their homes
The manhole continued to eject flames from
time to time for nearly half an hour After the
panic had subsided the continued on its way,
but no other cars were able to pass the man
hole Workmen were rushed to the place, and
they worked on the wires for two hours before
they had the trouble renledied. Meanwhile.
eyerv passing car caused a small eruption and
drove the to safety.
This manhole has now blown up three times.
An hour after the first explosion another man.
hole down the street blew up with a loud report
and with flames, but it did damage. The
Coney Island & Brooklyn Railroad. which op-
crates the line has been putting its wires under
ground recently, and, it is said. has used the old
wires from the poles instead of new wires for
the conduit This it is said, together with the
delcacv of the Brooklyn Union Gas Company $
mains is responsible for the several riannoie e4-
nIosions that have occurred along the line re-
GENTLY both in 9th street and in Smith street
Heretofore the explosions have occurred when
no one was around to be injured.