The sun., 1908-05-08
Rain SLOWS SUBWAY TRAINS
SIGNAL WIRES SHORT CIRCUITED
ALL ACROSS THE RIVER.

All signals Set at Danger Until q Force
Could He Raised TO sentinel the Tracks
and DO the Work OF the WIres-Re.
suits, Much Delay and Many Wet Citizens
Rainwater which found its way down
the wire shaft Of the subway in Brooklyn
at o'clock last night put the entire signal
system from the Brooklyn Bridge station
TO the Atlantic avenue terminus out Of busi-
ness and made some thousands Of people
spend the better part Of an hour getting
through the tunnel TO Brooklyn
The wire shaft where the trouble oc-
CURED is at Willow street at the point
where the subway running under Joralemon
street enters the river, The water leaking
down the shaft short circuted the A c
wires, as the wires controlling the signals
are called, and from Atlantic avenue tc
the Brooklyn Bridge every signal stopped
working The wires we're slashed at the
shaft and an effort was made to supply
the A G power from sub-station II at the
Brooklyn Bridge, but the transformer
| there went out Of business. Then the
subway people gave 1t up and set every one
Of the useless signals at danger
When they set all signals at danger the
trainmen also put up all the automatic
trips which stop train peremptorily and
| with a lurch. Such switches as could be
operated by hand were worked that way.
The rest were run by push buttons.
1t was raining cats and dogs when the
signals broke down and the usual rush
hour crowd was increased II anything.
On a wet night the tube appeals to a good
many people as dryer than the Brooklyn
Bridge.
Trains bound for Brooklyn moved very
slowly Every few minutes they came to a
stop, while a conductor got out and held
down the automatic trip until the train
had pulled past it.
The trouble was worse in the tube than
anywhere else. II took some trains thirty
FIVE minutes to run from Bowling Green 10
Borough Hall stopping at every trip and
signal In the long delay under the river
the air in the trains grew very bad and
several women we're slightly overcome.
A mob Of people who we're indisposed 20
give each other breathing room assembled
at Borough Hall. OF the thousands who
nightly take the subway to Borough Hall,
there changing to surface cars, large
number wished to stay under cover in the
station and on the stairways until their cars
came along This disposition did not tend
TO relieve the congestion. The passengers
on some Of the snail trains set up a cheer
mingled with anthems Of praise on arriy-
ing at the first Brooklyn station. Then
most Of them struggled to the street to
get fresh air
The streets converging at the Borough
Hall we're filled with wet citizens. The
Brooklyn Rapid TrauEit didn't have nearly
enough cars TO take the crowds away.
As soon as possible workmen were sent
along the subway tracks from the bridge
TO Bowling Green and from Borough Hall
TO Atlantic avenue to hold down the trips
and act as signsls for the trains Later
more men we're sent into the river tubes
10 do the same trick The despatchers at
the Brooklyn Bridge, Fourteenth street
and Ninety-siXt street hit upon the scheme
! Of emptying some OF the downtown trains
at those stations and switching them TO the
uptown tracks This increased the head
way between ttains under the river and
reduced the chshces Of accident. As was,
in spite Of oSerfrequent stops and crawl
ing trains, there was not single accident
and at no time was there real block
The arrangement below reacted to some
extent upon the subway uptown, so that 1t
took a longer time than usual to ket from
| Ninety-siTth street down to the bridge.
At o'clock, when the evening crowds be-
gan to dwindle, the trains began to run
more regularly Meanwhile an effort was
made TO get A { power for the signals from
sone other sub-station Power was finally
obtained from Ninety-siXth street, the
signals aided by workmen began TO fash
again and by o clock the trouble was prao-
tically over.
General Manager Hedley said last night
AT SIS the signal system broke down
between Brooklyn Bridge and Atlantic
avenue on both tracks Water leaking to
the wires in the Willow street shaft caused
a short circuit that put the signals awry
All signals were set at danger and the auto
matio trips put up 20 that each train had to
feel It's way along This caused delay, and
from $40 to 7;42 the trains were kept run
ming on both tracks, though irregularly
The B C power, or third rail, was at no time
interfered with
The trouble in the subway brought back
to the Brooklyn Bridge the old rush houI
crowds. In the midst Of the damp crush
an open Court street car bound for Man
haitian caught fire by short circuiting when
half way over the bridge, The passengers
were allowed TO get into the car behind
and the burning car was switched on the
dead track at Park row, There IL made
no end Of smoke until the fire was put out
with e1tinguisheB.
! NFW YORK THE HETTEST PLACE