New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-02

The rioting Of the human flood.
damned up at the stations, is story
by itself. When IL was found that 10
train could penetrate to 12d street me
northbound expresses and locals began
10 disgorge their occupants on the plat
forms at the Grand Central station
and then switched over TO the south
bound tracks to start downtown again.
Meanwhile. Of course. the usual stream
Of people was flowing in at this point
from the shopping and hotel districts
and from the Grand Central Terminal,
bound northward.
Riot Call ut Grand Central.
The InterboroUSh estimated that AT
the height OF the congestion FIVE thou
sand persons iammed the platforms at
the Grand Central subway station.
The police Of the East jlst street sta
ton placed the figure at ten thousand.
In any case. a riot call came 10 the po-
hce station at 4:4O o'clock and Captain
Alfred w. Thor. at the head Of fifteen
men. took il on the double quick for
the seething human whirlpool.
They had to fight their way to the
platforms. At the very centre Of the
immediate riot on the northbound plat
form they found Salvatore Vaccaro, a
clerk Of nineteen. threatening Ray
mord James. another clerk. with a
glass revolver.
James. who was tight mp against
subway pillar, with Naccaro's fingers
at his throat, didn't know the revolver
was Of glass Neither did the other
would-be passengers surrounding tho
pair. The policemen arrested Naccaro
on a charge of assault after Captain
Thor had himself Knocked the revolver
from the mans grasp with his night
stick
Each entrant who sought northbound
trains at the Grand Central after the
suspension of northbound traffic re-
ceived transfer good on the elevated
lines, and In the course of time a gen
eral exodus toward the Third avenue
elevated station at the Grand Central
resulted.
This confused things so Al 42d street
and Third avenue, however, that the
5lst street police station soon received
a riot call from that point. Sergeant
Smythe, at the head OF ten men re-
cruited from the only reserves left,
and from all the patrolmen on beat
who could he reached responded.
They forced the crowding passengers
10 form into q single line. extending
back 10 Second avenue. and permitted
only a given number to reach the TICK
et Office at any one time.
Much the same condition prevailed
AT AID street and Sixth avenue, where
Sergeant Hughes and ten more men
from the East 51st street station. main
tanned order In fact, all the way from
14th 10 Goth street on the subway and
Third and Sixth avenue elevated lines
police reserves were required TO main
tain order among the congested throngs
on the station platforms
Difficulty in Leaving Cars
Persons who were in subway express
trains south of I2d street and north OF
the Grand Central station when the
lines went out OF commission were put
10 a great deal of inconvenience before
they were finally permitted to leave the
cars.
There were four ten-car trains
blocked north Of 42d street, and they
were crowded with men. women and
school children. There was very little
trouble until after I'D street was
passed. but no notice was given by the
guards that there was block further
downtown. After the passengers had
sat in darkness for a considerable time
the lights. which had been turned on
were lit again, but the electric fans
with which each train was provided,
we're not set running. and in little
while raincoats became unbearable.
Finally the fans were put in motion.
Meanwhile many persons had demand
ed that the doors should be opened and
that they should be permitted 10 walk
along the tracks TO the nearest station.
At first the conductors Of the trains
refused to let any one out, but after
awhile passengers were permitted to
walk through the trains to the rear car
of a line OF three trains that were below
ssth street. They stepped down upon
chair provided by a ticket chopper at
the station. and then climbed up to the
platform by means OF the small service
Z ladder at the end OF the station.
Sixth Avenue 81" Stops, Too.
To make matters worse for those
bound far downtown and uptown, there
. was a block on the Sixth avenue ele-
waited line. and so there were few
trains available for a time at the sta
ton at Goth street.
The lake" which accumulated in the
depression in the subway above Times
Square. completely paralyzing traffic,
A.. Was pumped to the street by power
full electric apparatus which the Inter
borough rushed there on a special car.
-Four lines OF six-inch hose were run
into the subway through grating In
the small plaza in Long Acre Square
between Broadway and Seventh ave-
nue. and 46th and 41th streets. At 5:3O
o'clock the lengths Of hose were coupled
TO the electric pump, which was run at