South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-06
PANIC IN SUBWAY
As TRAIN BURNS;
SCORES ARE HURT
Worst Accident in History of
New York Tube Causes Wild
Battle Among Hundreds of
imprisoned Passengers.

NEW YORK, Jan 6.-Scores Of
persons were overcome by smoke or
crushed in a wild panic that marked
the worst accident in the history Of
the New York subway today. Early
reports given out by the police and
firemen called TO the scene when a
stalled train took fire. from a short
circuit at seth ST and Broadway
stated that II persons were known to
be dead and that 200 bodies were be-
lieved to be i'm the burning cars.
Investigation showed that the state
ment of the police and iremen were
wholly erroneous. official records
could be found OF only one death, that
of a woman who had died in an am
bulance on her way 10 a hospital, and
it was later learned that this woman,
although seriously hurt, was not dead.
At 1880 o'clock the police depart
ment made an official announcement
that no lives had been lost in the ac-
cident, which followed complete par
alysis of the subway system owing to
the burning out OF the cable at the
main power plant
Escape Regarded as Miracle.
That scores of persons did not per
ish in the accident, however, was con-
sidered remarkable in view OF the cir
cumstances surrounding the accident.
The burning train was caught far be-
low the surface of the street and the
injured passengers had to be lifted
up by means of ropes or carried out
by firemen in a round d-abOut-way.
Between 75 and 100 persons were
injured Some we're so badly hurt
that they may die
It will be impossible, however. to
secure accurate estimate of the num-
Der of injured until full reports are
received from all the hospitals of the
city. Ambulances were called from
all the hospitals and the injured were
taken even as far as Williamsburg
and Brooklyn.
The automobile salesroOms in the
vicinity of the disaster were hastily
turned into first aid hospitals and the
desks and chairs were removed to the
Railways and the streets.
When first news Of the magnitude
of the accident was received fears
were expressed that it might be a
greater tragedy than the subway dis
aster in Paris in the summer of 1908,
when 100 persons were burned TO
death.
Smoke Fills Tube.
Dense clouds of smoke rolled up
from the burning train. filling the
tunnel with choking. suffocating
fumes. Twenty-Five firemen fighting
the flames were overcome when they
dashed into the smoke-filled tube to
rescue the imprisoned passengers.
Lying up against the burning train
was another 1G-car train, each coach
packed 10 suffOcatiOn Following the
Of Ia TrTa
sit Co., the guards at the various sta
tions had allowed every available inch
Of standing room upon the trains to
be filled and both were jammed to
capacity.
When fire broke out panic ensued
among the passengers crowded in the
darkened coaches. Men struggled TO
get TO the exist and crashing glass as
the windows were smashed mingled
with the screams of women, of whom
scores tainted. Hurry calls were sent
to all the hospitals in central Man
haitian and ambulance surgeons were
rushed TO the scene.
Long lines of ambulances were soon
standing along the streets near the
59th St station. but many OF the in
1ured were given first aid treatment
as they lay upon the sidewalks or in
the nearby buildings which had been
converted haSuly into hospitals.
Three Alarms Sounded.
Three fire alarms were turned in
quick succession. The hremen as
sisted by regular police and scores of
reserves began ripping away the
gratings above the ventilators. The
unconscious victims were lifted
through these openings with ropes.
Among the first persons rescued were
FIVE girls. all Of whom were uncon-
scious from fumes. They were Lena
Moore. Emily Steedman. Dora Fisch-
man. Julia Goidstein and Florence
Teavitt.
All were on their way TO work.