New-York tribune., 1910-10-21
SUBWAY TIE-UP
BREAKS RECORDS
Train Jumps Track at Fulton
Street and Wipes Out Brook
Iyn Service.
LINE BLOCKED FOR HOURS
No Warning at Uptown Stations.
Thousands Being Held in Cars
on Trip Downtown Long
After Accident.

on Trip DoWnIoWn Long
After Accident.
The worst blockade in the history Of
the subway occurred last night when a
Brooklyn express jumped the tracks lust
above the Fulton street station. All
previous obstruction records were broken.
Hardly half an hour had elapsed after
the accident when the principal stations
were scenes Of widest disorder. The
time chosen for the mishap was. as
usual, most opportune The trouble
making train tired of keeping to its path
| on the rails at exactly FIVE minutes after
5 o'clock
At that time the thousands employed
in the big office buildings downtown
were hustling as fast as they could for
their homes. Other thousands who work
further uptown We're obIivious to every
thing excepting the idea OF reaching the
! family freside as soon as possible. and
tho thousands OF both groups steered for
the subway
| Those who descended the stairway at
/ Fulton street were at once engulfed in
! AltDb VI Ctl AE SiAA-S- kOSll1ISr pulling
! persons who, through dint of their physi-
cal stamina, had succeeded in getting out
Of the train which had left the beaten
paths. The ticket agent at first was
perfectly willing 10 dispose Of a few more
yards Of PAPER just To bring his receipts
UP, although he must have received an
inkling that delays were in store Those
who had been passengers on the train
that made the trouble turned back the
would-tc travellers, however.
| They told of a sudden crash as the
/ train left the rails. OF the shrieks of the
women as they y ere jostled against one
/ another and Of the uproar which spread
I through the whole train They related
what mad scramble it was to reach the
station platform after the guards finally
gave the word that the coast was clear.
Car Crashes Into Wall
According to their story the train left
the Brooklyn Bridge station a few min
utes before and was halted near the
Fulton street station by the block sig
/ nal The mOtOrman had just thrown on
/ the power again when he felt the front
/ trucks Of the forward car leave the
! tracks. He shut off the power instantly,
but the train had already gathered mo
rnentun1 and the front car dashed into
the wall just at the entrance to the sta
ton It was driven forward by the i'm
petus of the rear cars and then jumped
the tracks. crashing into a steel support.
The cars were plunged into darkness.
The passengers made a wild rush for
the doors and some even tried TO leap
through the windows. It was with the
greatest difficulty that the guards finally
succeeded in quieting their fears and
marched them through the cars TO the
front Of the door Of the forward car.
where they were helped to the station
platform. The turmoil soon became so
great there. however. that the reserves
were called from the John and Green
wich streets stations.
In the mean time orders had been sent
TO stop all Brooklyn trains at the Brook
lyn Bridge. The result was that from
Fulton street up TO the bridge there was
solid mass of humanity. The crowd
sxarmed around the trolley loops and
extended across 10 City Hall Park. The
surface cars were swamped and police
from the Oak street station were called
! TO uuen the disturbance.
The worst block along the line was at
the Brooklyn Bridge. Trains from up
town poured in packed 10 the doors with
sweItering passengers who had been
stalled from twenty to fifty minutes at
I ride
/ warning had been given al the uptown
stations thatsthe road was tied up, the
ticket sellers continuing to do business
! inst as though no accident had happened.
| Thousands were therefore turned out on
! the platforms 10 make their way as best
/ they could to the street above.
Manv Left Without Carfare.
/ Hundreds had paid their last nickel to
! 90 n Prooklvn. only to find themselves
! stranded at the bridge. The men in the
ticket booths were besieged with re
ouests TO mae out some sort Of trans
1 fer that would be good for the Brooklyn
trim The only satisfaction that the COM
I panv gave though was 10 hand out block
/ tickets. Those accepting them were told
that they could use them on the subway
TO-DAY. Two schoolgirls were among
/ those who didn't have the necessary
nickel TO take them across the bridge.
They. too. got block tickets, but they
had IN walk home. A good many others
walked over the bridge rather than
tempt fate on the cars already called
upon TO do double duty.
All the express stations above the
Brooklyn Bridge We're centres Of wild
disorder The platforms were thronged
with those madly endeavoring TO crowd
into the few trains which were running,
T. was not until more than two hours
ard half after the accident happened
,nat the selling of tickets was stopped
and blockade signals hung in the win
! dows Of the booths
| At o6th street some Of the southbound
,rains were switched TO the northbound
tracks. This helped to relieve the con-
! gastion further down the line somewhat
/ Of trains only