Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-07-13
10000 ARE HELD
! AT CONEY ISLAND
AS POWER FAILS
Blowout Stops Traffic Until
Early This Morning-Fights
IN Throng.

NEW YORK. July IA crowd of
150,O00 persons who went to Coney
Island yesterday found themselves
practically sequestered there at 10:30
O'Clock at night, when a transformer
IN the power substation of the Brook
lyn Rapid Transit Company at
Sheepshead Bay road and Van
slcklen avenue blew out and tied up
the lines for more than two hours.
The accident could not have hap
pened at a more inconvenient time.
The last boat had just left New York
and the multitude was beginning to
throng into the waiting trains when
out went the lights, leaving the peo-
pie to struggle in darkness. In few
minutes the trains were loaded to
suffocation, the platforms we're
crowded to the last inch, and those
inside, painting for air, We're eager to
work their way out.
But the throng outside. anxious to
get back home did not know the sit
uation, and kept crowding more dense
at the entrance to the station The
arrivals hemmed the others in. The
company stopped selling tickets, but
there was no escape for those inside
through the lines of the beseigers at
the entrances.
Soon arguments began TO develop
into fights, A hundred reserves at
Coney Island under Captain Samuel
McElroy, were Immediately called
out and, reinforced by fifty more
from Sheepshead Bay and Bath
Beach, with Thomas II. Murphy, po-
lice inspector of the Coney Island dis
trict in charge. They had all they
could do to maintain a semblance of
order.
Not only the elevated, but all the
trolley lines were tied up by the blow
out. AS soon ais it was realized that
these means of transportation were
out of commission there was a rush
for taxicabs. If the cha uffeurs had
known their opportunity they might
have retired from business on the pro-
eeeds of the nights work. but they
were quickly engaged, and inside of
half an hour there was not motor
driven vehicle for rent on the island
BY ] O'Clock in the morning extrava-
CANT bids were made for any kind of
a lift back to Manhattan
Long before that hour some dis
Outraged holiday started the
weary march to Brooklyn. Others
gazed longingly at the wharf, whence
the last boat had steamed away Hun
dreds turned TO the sands of the
shore and prepared to spend the night
sleeping on the beaches. The acct
dent was a great stroke of luck for
hotels that weren't filed. but these
were few
Although the trains were beginning
10 move slowly at / o'clock this was
the most discouraging hour of all for
the great majority of wa tchful wait
CTS. The first trains took away what
seemed to be only a handful of the
army of disguised pleasure seekers
Others who had resigned themselves
- the deiay had returned to the
places of entertainment, but the |
O'Clock closing hour turned them out
Of Their temporary homes. and they
We're compelled to move again
Luna Park came to the rescue of
the thousands by throwing open its
gates free OF charge The employees
arranged benches for the persons who
entered and they were able to sit IN
some degree of comfort When il was
realized that the elevated trains, troll
fcys, taxis and boats we're all out of
reach for one reason or another there |
was a rush for the telephones to noti-
fx anxious households the cause of |
the delay. The exchange soon was
swamped and this added to the anx-
jety and righteousness of the crowd.
BY o'clock Coney Island began to
show signs of a return to normal
though many Brooklyn and Manhat-
tan residents had become reconciled
to staying all night They were more
than outvoted, however by those who
looked with cold eyes on the blaze
and tinsel of the island and resolved.
.NeNer again-till the next time"