New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-05
BROOKLYN CROWDS JAM
NEW S13,OOO,OOO LOOP
One-Fourth of Old Bridge Traffic
Diverted at Night, but
Crush Is Terrific.
ONE MAN KILLED BY TRAIN
Unfamiliarity with Signalling
System and Girls Inability
to Make Change Principal
Causes of Delay.


Although il was estimated that not
more than one-fourth of the human traf-
nc over tho Brooklyn Bridge was diverted
10 the new Centre street subway loop I'm
its first real test in the rush hours last
night the whole movement of trains was
q long. tiresome blockade, which officials
Of tho Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company
attributed 10 lack of terminal facilities
and the rough methods Of dispatching
the trains under unfamiliar conditions
The confusion provided one long and
Jolly laugh for the thousands Of home
ward bound Brooklynites. Even when
they rushed the guards at the Bower
and Delaney street stations and wedsed
the gates so that they could not he closed
for several minutes at time Il was
more like a good humored football rush
than the scramble of tired masses, i'm
patient TO get home. Even when the in
spectors who dispatched the trains al
Chambers street got ratified and ordered
unified trains 10 pass all stations on the
Manhattan side, which meant all stations
in the new loop, the crowds laughed
louder than the underground grind. They
sent up a big American cheer when
train finally stopped 10 take them aboard.
Three cheers for the special ono
man shouted. Like going TO the circus.
Nov, what 90 you think of that?
shrilled the young women passengers.
Let me off at Brooklyn. conductor.
made merry the waiting crowds which
ipiled on twenty to thirty minutes late.
" I DO ~ n q =
for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company
in its first essay into the civic centre Of
Manhattan.
Beats the old bridge route at that
was the general comment. The only
soured ones were those who got aboard
at Brooklyn elevated stations. expecting
TO go right into Chambers street. 1t
took many Of them three-quarters OF an
hour to land in Manhattan.
After nine years of work the N3o@.no
loon got down 10 business between Z and
. o'clock Yesterday morning, with the loss
Of one life Stanley Ballou. Of No. 1915
Broadway. williamsburg, bookbinder
employed by Golfers. was among the
persons caught i'm the early morning jam
which i'm no way equalled the evening
rush In a tie-up near the entrance OF
the tube. which stalled trains for long
distance. he got through the gate and
started TO walk back to the entrance. An
c7stbornd train struck and tossed him
against the train from which he had
alichted.
Hundreds If excited passengers tried TO
Chamber from the train, and the guards
IL n
them from alighting and possibly en-
counterlng the uncovered third rail Bal
lou died later in the day at Gouverneur
Hospital.
CunCestion at the Bowery and Delaney
street stations was caused partly by the
inability II the girl ticket sellers TO make
change fast enough. Representatives Of
the company last night explained that the
Young women were not yet used 10 the
tremendous crowds at the Manhattan sta
tons. Selling tickets on the elevated sta
tons IN Brooklyn, it was said. was a
different matter from selling them in the
solid crush on this side.
These difficulties made A wide difference
in the running time Of trains throughout
the day. In ordinary traffic the run OF
six car trains from the Williamsburg
Bridge 10 Chambers street was easily
made N seven minutes. When the rushes
began II took ten and twelve minutes.
with intervals of six 70 eight minutes be
tween trains
Trainmen were under orders 10 run
slowly in trying out the new signals.
This and the method Of sending partly
flled trains past the stations at Canal
street and the Bowery, after several
trains were rushed by the crowds, con-
tributed TO the delay.
Crowded trains We're stalled along the
Broadway elevated line. particularly near
the Marcy avenue station. Some passen-
gers stepped from the cars TO the foot
path If the elevated structure and walked
TO the Marcy avenue station where they
demanded tickets TO the surface lines.
When tickets were not forthcoming the
passengers became disorderly and the
police we're called 20 keep them in check.
Transfers finally we're issued by agents
who we're quickly summoned.
Harry A. Bullock, an official Of the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit. in commenting
last night on the turnstiles used at the
stations IN the loop. said test proved
that passengers passed through the turn
stiles faster than through the ticket box
gates Of the marlborough subway. He
also said the third rail would remain un-
covered because the cars used were ele-
waited cars of wood. Later, however, steel
10 a,tLcsgfnfad