New-York tribune., 1911-12-31
B[OCK ON ALL "L'
LINES FOR AN HOUR
Thousands Homebound Caught
in Worst Traffic Tle-Up
the City Has Known
in Years.
MAIN FEED CABLES PART
panics Are Narrowly Averted
When Subway and Surface
Cars Get Overfow-Boys
Reap Harvest Carry
ing Bundles.


ing Bundles.
ono Of the worst tie-ups of elevated
,roeic eyer seen in New York occurred
Ice, night. 7hen every elevated train in
N,rhattan and The Bronx came to a
s,endstill al the height of the rush hour
The block lasted for nearly an hour, and
- that time every other means Of trans
,or,otion was overtaxed. The greatest
confusion prevailed on subway trains and
srrface cars. and it was several hours
before the trouble was Strengthened out
and TIE regular schedule resumed.
The initial cause of the tie-up was the
,r,aking Of two huge feed cables at the
,,ain mower house Of the lnteroorough
Rarid Transit Company. at 74th stree'
nd Fast River. They we're the principal
mains supplying electricity to the entire
.,ovatad system They are far under
c,o,,nl and it took considerable time
-, .b. electricians and engineers at the
,ou4r house to learn where the rouole
really was.
The various sub stations throughout
tbe city were unable TO meet the tax put
uron them. and one by one they went
ont of business. When the cause or the
accident was found the combined force
q, the hig power house set TO work to
repair the damage, but it was nearly an
hopr before the new feeds were In place
Meanwhile the greatest excitement pre-
vailed on the roads. Word had peeh
sent to the various station agents, and
thpv hung out signs informing would
he passengers that no trains were rum
ming Nearly every station was crowded
nv this time. and the passengers clam
ored to get their fares back. Police re-
serves we're called out from many station
houses to maintain order.
Subway Soon Consested.
When the crowds finally were con-
WINGED that they would have to go home
some other way, they descended upon the
subway. and in few minutes the sta
lions nearest the IL" stations were
packed to the danger point.
At Brooklyn Bridge the combined ef-
forts of all the bridge police and of the
. Interborough specials helped to preserve
order and prevent panic and possible in
iurv TO the people. Stalwart negroes
stood on the steps Of the Third avenue
terminus and bawled NO trains run
ming: take the subway" Lines were
formed by the police, and the people
were marched in single file away from
the Il" structure to the street, where
some took the Third avenue. Madison
avenue and Lexington avenue surface
cars. while the majority went for the
subway. Subway trains were delayed
ten minutes as a consequence, and the
stations north Of the bridge were over
crowded
The feed cables parted at 6:4J o'clock,
f. was said at the power house, and five
minutes later all trains had stopped.
Traffic was resumed at $50 o'clock.
" the 14th street subway station, al
vars the scene Of much confusion even
under normal conditions. the excitement
,ersed on panic So closely were the
PEOPLE packed on the uptown platform
that many must have fallen to the
tracks but for the heavy guard rails at
the edges Of the platforms. The over
crovdng assumed such alarming pro-
portions that the police ordered the
ticket sellers to close their windows for
e short time until the platforms had
been partly cleared. At important points
along the elevated lines, such as Chat
ham Square, the Battery and similar
busy centres, the confusion was almost
as great.
Worst Jam at 149th Street
II was at the 149th street station of
the West Farms subway and the Third
avenue elevated line, in The Bronx,
that the worst congestion took place.
This is the most populous point in The
Bronx and every line of transportation
meets here. Passengers from the sub
way. wishing to transfer TO the elevated,
sWarned up the elevated railroad stairs.
and it was with difficulty that they could
he convinced that they could get no
trains.
They took to the surface cars, and
every inch Of the trolleys was covered
as they moved out. Some Of the more
reckless rode on the roofs of the cars,
and the threats Of one lone policeman,
Finncgan. of the Alexander avenue sta .
tion. 10 arrest them were met with jeers.
TWO youths sought TO ride on the front
bumper Of a car but the mOtorman re-
fused 90 start the car, saying that he
could not see the road. The youths re-
irctantly sought other perches.
one woman. with twin babies found
novel means Of getting the youngsters
home She got a newsboy, Edward
Picket II No IA East 14Sth street. TO
push In, babies in his handcart up 10
lL9th street. where the woman lived.
Another newsboy. named Mckenna, Of
No - Westchester avenue, carried "A
-four ycar-old girl TO 1G0th street. till
another Youthful news vender carried
three turkeys, large size. and bottle of
New Years fluid a mile or so north.
Nearly all The newsboys abandoned their
lapers Go take up the more remunera-
live work from men and women willing
10 Iay.
At the fremont station Of the elevated
road. where many other trolley lines
connect with the elevated great deal
Of congestion prevailed Throughout the