The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-20
NEW COMFY SUBWAY
FORMALLY OPENED
Brooklyn Celebrates First Use
Of 1923. 600, 900 Transit
System to Island.
COLER THERE; MAYOR NOT

The new Fourth avenue subway Of
che New York Municipal Railway Cor
porstion, costing with its connections
t2s. 200, 900. was officially opened yester-
day afternoon when. at 80 o'clock. q
special eight car train filled with city
started from Chambers street station
in the Municipal Building.
The train ran to Coney Island and
then returned to Twenty-second avenue.
Mapleton. There the party left II and
marched to twentieth venue, headed
by the b. X. T. band Of field music.
where they embarked again and rode to
Fifty-ninth street. At Bay Ridge Park
the big celebration OF the day waited
them. All Brooklyn had turned out, It
seemed. and the lawn was covered with
those who had come TO enjoy subway
Day"
The celebration began at 10 o'clock
in the morning with an athletic carnival
at the Second Naval Battalion Armory.
At the Bay Ridge Park there were 5000
school children waving American fags
as the officials took their seats, headed
by Harold and Lillian Huber costumed
ss Uncle Sam and Miss Bay Ridge.
jeremiah ]. O'Leary, president Of the
West enc Board Of Trade and chairman
OF the celebration committee. presided.
The speakers were Borough President L.
II. Pounds OF Brooklyn, Chairman Ed
ward T.. Mccall OF the Public Service
Commission and President Timothy :.
Williams Of the b. II. I. An essay by
Miss Thora Royston OF Bay Ridge High
School on the new subway was read. and
she received a gold watch. An added
feature was a foot race from the Munici-
pal Building in New York to the field.
Steven Blankenberg Of the Bronx Church
House won. The finish came just as
Mr.. Williams was speaking. The crowd
forsook him to see the race end. and
with Il laugh he stopped.
Those who had come on the special
train went 20 the Ridge Club for sup
per. Motion pictures were shown Of
work on tho subway from the signing
OF the contract between the city n the
b. X. r. to the operation OF the first
train. Commissioners George v. s.
Williams and william Hayward Of the
Public Service Commission. Commis-
sioner of Bridges Kracke and Bird s.
Coler. former Comptroller and former
Borough President OF Brooklyn. spoke.
Ful service will be tnaugurated next
Tuesday. The running time for the
twelve miles will be thirty-two minutes.
Mayor Mitchell was not one Of the
guests on the official train. Instead he
attended the launching of the Arizona
He hat he did not attend
the subway celebration because he had
been sighted In giving out the invita-
tons and had not been notified that his
presence was desired until Friday.
II received An invitation from Presi-
dent Williams to go over the route in
the official car. The invitation anne
yesterday he said. TITS too bad hat
there wasn't anybody to show the Mayor
Of the city Of New York the courtesy
to invite him In decent time. II I had
been notified In time ! would have ac-
cepted. Of course, and I deeply regret
that l can't go. I think the Mayor of
the city should b. present at an event
Of his kind. II they'd only gone to
the trouble Of asking me a few days ago
to hold this day open ] would have done
o."
Mr.. o'Leary, in charge OF the cele-
bration, denied that Mayor Mitchell had
been sighted.
II called at the Mayors office per-
sonally two weeks z and talked with
one of his secretaries. gave my card
and asked that Mayor Mitchell be booked
for the exercises. The secretary prom
Used that 1t would be done. On the same
day ] went to the offices OF Commits
sloner Mccall, Comptroller Prendergast
and President McAneny and gave them
the same invitation. Two days later l
sent a formal invitation to Mayor
Mitchell, with a request for an answer.
never received an answer"