The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-23
FREAK SUNDAY on TIE BRIDGE
LOCAL CARS RAN ONCE EVERY
HALF HOUR OR so

UntI a p. M.-No Notice Given to Victims
That They Would Have TO Walt Long
Enough TO Walk Across the Brldge-But
II Vas q Beautiful Day for watkins.
At midnight yesterday morning all Brook
Ign surface cars crossing Brooklyn Bridge
stopped because Of the renewal OF the rails
on both the east and west bound tracks
across the bridge. They have q way OF
stopping Saturday night for that reason.
From that hour on TO afternoon yesterday
there was trouble on both ends Of the bridge,
particularly at the Brooklyn terminal OF
the recently installed surface bridge local.
There people who we're willing to pay 8
cents TO get across the bridge on an ele-
waited train stopping at the Sands street
station were forced to pay two and a half
cents for tho privilege Of waiting for a
semi hourly trip Of the bridge local.
The suspension Of service on the sur
face cars after midnight threw a heavy
crowd OF the late Saturday nighters into
the cars Of the elevated at the Manhattan
terminal Of the bridge lines. At Sands street
transfers we're given 10 surface lines and
there we're long waits while cars which
should have crossed the bridge switched
and backed over the frogs about the sides
Of the station there.
After daylight yesterday morning a
feeble attempt was made TO run the bridge
local OF the surface line across on h south
track Of the bridge and backlagain by the
40. Nra1k That ma uuhaf afaFfnA NTOnhla
at the Sands street terminal,
People from Columbia Heights and lower
Washington street who went 10 the Sands
street station to get across the bridge
bought tickets, two for 5 cents, and we're
directed Though the newly installed wicket
TO the bridge local car, which stood south
Of the station instead Of on the Washington
street side. There was no sign waiting
Car on this local, such as hangs from a
sidetracked car at the Manhattan terminal
late on cold nights, but a waiting car IL
was.
Only two Of the local cars were operated.
As soon as one leaving Manhattan reached
Brooklyn the one waiting at Brooklyn
made a start for Manhattan. The inter-
walls between trips ranged from twenty 20
thirty minutes. This latter fact could be
a~scertained only by waiting with your
watch out. There was nothing said about
a delay by the gateman who took up tickets
| or by the conductor who called out the
changed location Of his car,
All the time that the local car was doing
on the spur track waiting for a clear single
track across the bridge passengers from
every Brooklyn surface line that crosses
the bridge we're getting transfers 10 the
elevated trains at sands street station.
They got on the surface cars there, passed
through the same gate as those who had
dropped in their tickets for the local and
went on I'D the stairs 70 the elevated lines.
All elevated trains made stops 10 take
on these transferred passengers,
At various times when the patience Of
those on the local had snapped delegations
Of them we're sent 70 the gateman 10 know
why they couldn't go on upstairs with the
rest of the citizens. The gateman's reply
was short, They couldn't
IF put another two and a half cent
ticket in the box can | 60 up there and
take the elevated?' asked one man who
had waited twenty-five minutes, timing
himself by his watch.
you can't ride on the elevated on local
tickets no matter how many you put in
the box replied the B. R. T, representa-
tive. you've paid a local fare and you'll
get a local ride II you wait for It.
Although there was a ticket office for
the sale Of tickets to the elevated lines
which had been in use before the ~newfangled
local bridge car was installed that was
closed. If one wanted 70 get to New York
in a hurry he had only to walk a block or
two away from the Sands street station,
board a surface car, ride back again on
that and then with his transfer walk through
the little gate where he had before gone
through as a local passenger and on up
the stairs 10 the elevated trains.
Between land 3o'clock there was a crowd
Of over a hundred people about the place
where the delayed bridge local stood and
there was a near approach 10 a general
feht more than once. At 8 o'clock the
north track across the bridge was opened
and more locals we're put into service.
That relieved the stress 10 some extent.
II was a fine day for walking anyhow,