New-York tribune., 1908-01-28
RECORD JAN ON BRIDGE
FRICTION IN NEH SERTICE
Special Police To Be Put to U0rh,
on Platforms I'0-daa.


soon after = O'Clock last evening. and when this
was somewhat altaved for over an hour and
half there continuous crush OF type far
more severe than anything ever heretofore ex-
rerienced upon the structure at this end. Ac-
companying the packing OF passengers on the
platforms the approaches on the mezzanine and
OF the lower or street level, there was steady
wall from the women which again and again
rose to shrieks as some We're more than ordi-
narily jamTned.
Two women were reported injured. but many
had their garments torn; others We're borne ii''
cars in a fainting condition, and others agall
were hystericai The injured were Miss Anna
Callahan No l19 Richmond street hissiS
broken. and Miss IlaiIra Weinberg OF f<ai
Park. y J.. bruised
The men were in the main good h"'"leu' a. a.
frequently cheered. especially upon me 'I'i
OF 2 train which would permit The crown ~ O.
vance 2 few inches. But complaints "tie yy &C.
.,5 hitter The RrookIvn trains were Few anu
were quickly occupied. Persons were No''-f :.
70 wait from forty-five minutes 10 an Iou. De
S.. .-.-.;np aboard There was STEADY s'oiih
- .,r,-lai,,t from those who We're delayed anu
r,- insisted that the Brooklyn Rapid Ii@hsi'
o45-.als did not wish the new system 10 -
,,,fcl, of course the officers OF the loau u'''-'1
Indignantly
srop,, OF PROTEST FROM PASSENGERS
--, -.,-oa7 officials. Bridge Department en-
4,,-se and the Public Service COMMISSION 1iisi
-. oor5 of trains came in for a steady
-, ~ questions ana invective from the
...- ,,oesangars When the crush was al 4ts
s--s-as- rhe windows in Lexington avenue
rain we're stor1ned and many We're broken 30
-s5- left mis- end % the bridge without crush
-~azyd Messengers hanging over the falllisS o''
,,,. r3srforl?s and crowding The front PLATFORM
,,-,r.-11inG The motorman 10 protest ana hoio
-. --i,,s ,,rtil his field Of vision was cleared
Trains were DELAYED from two 10 ten minutes
t- starting. This was said TO be due to the
.,,.afli-r ~ the guards TO clear the doors and
- vas said that to-day force of police similar
- that employed in the suhways would be put
On and that the relief would be marked
DESPITE all the turmoil the stress and crush
TIE Brooklyn Rapid Transit officials were hope
ful thar the new system would ultimately be q
slrcezs The bridge commissioner Mr. Steven
son. was sure that il would work out saustac-
,o-iIr and Sc was his engineer, .. II. IngersoL
Edward NJ Rassatt the only Public Service
Commissioner present. would not express an
orin.on He occupied an aerie well up near the
roof with railroad officials. whence the mis-
working Of the system could be observed 10
great advantage-
SCHEDULE KNOCKED OUT
i was expected that at least 'sixty-four trains
en hour would be handled in the rush hours last
evening. Instead. forty-nve was the limit At
one time or The rlezzanine floor stairway lead
tlg 20 the platform the police held the crowd |
n check because there was no ticket chopping
box there, and il was not until guard had |
placed the ticket receiver in position that the /
passengers We're allowed to filter through. It |
was short time before this that Miss Callahan /
was injured She was being catapglted at a !
car gate by the crowd behind her when the /
conductor decided 10 cIose il Her fingers We're |
caught in the gate and crushed. her hat was |
hurled from her head and the hat and her ruf |
f. u the tracks she was pulled back by men /
near Dy just ss she VAS about to be brushed |
or the platform by the last OF the rapidly |
moving train.
The next train il, Lexington avenue, WAS |
bed uu by the passengers They would not |
allow TIE gates TO be closed, being determined !
EeT Il. ard IN the great crush and excitement
thsc eneued windows were broken and several
p.rsons IL The cars were slightly cut The plat
form officials after this bent all their energies
toward clearing the doors and 10 degree sue
oeeled in preventing serious hold-ups-
SPECIAL POLICE TO HELP.
" : Ninden. the assistant traffic manager.
sad Jn- causes Of the mitch ia the new system
ability Il tho guards 10 keep the passengers
away from the gates. More police would be
1eoessaEy- he said. and to-day would see an
irlprovefsselt He was certain that the system
would ultimately be successful II was pointed
out t-at before the great crash began, 5:l5
CLOCK. the six car trains were easily run under !
one minute headu-ay and that this headway |
coIsd 0e maintained when The wheels C the |
system were well creased. The great conges-
ton q Ihts end II the bridge was relieved at :
c.och and thenceforward there were no delays
Passengers from Brooklyn IL Park Row had
ci-ieult time getting out Of the trains when
tno crush was a. its greatest. but none was re-
ported injured
~ ,he Office q the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
19n.rany il said later ia the evening that
n failure - the new system 10 work smoothly
= the rush hours WAS due 20 two causes-First.
10 gTeeUness Of 1h= rnotornen. causing them 10
80 slowly Tor fear Of accident. and. second. 10
ne difficulty u keering persons away from the
gate when ine cars were full The special |
policemen were expected TO keep order to-day.
Bridge Commissioner Stevenson admitted that
- Eas disappointed but he was optimistic Of
he ultimate success Of his plan. He said that
, 10 more guards on the platforms and greater
familiarity Of The part of the public with the
feN schedule ne advantages of the system !
would ar once be apparent and the bridge crush
Dc 'hlng Of the past
TROUBLE N MORNING.
D. IRE morning yesterday everything was :
-''7aiHs smoothly up to the time a fuse blew :
III ou Bay Ridge train. The delay was Z
'hiE .en minutes. but K occurred in the height
q TIE rush A0gT and trains were thrown out {
q schedule Jirae They did not recover until