The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-01-07
TWO HUNDRED PERSONS IN.
JURED IN ACCIDENT IN
NEW YORK'S SUBWAY
TRAINS STOP;
LIGHTS GO OUT
Gable Blows Out; Fumes of Burn.
ing Rubber Fills Cars; Panic
Starts in Darkness.
(py Aksnciaicl rrcssl

NEW YORK. jan 6-The worst ae-
cident In ten years history .of New
fork's subway occurred during the
morning rush lrours today when 700
passengers in two stalled trains were
stricken with panic in the darkened
tubes. by deLse smoke and acrid
fumes from q short-circuited cable.
In the struggle to escape some two
hundred persons were injured. one, a
woman, fatally. Others, overcome,
were rescued unconscious. by police
and firemen. while scores struggled
to the street unnerved. or hysterical,
their clothing torn and faces tlackcn-
ed by smoke.
The city tonight was In the throes of
transportation blockade without
parallel in its history. 1t was not un-
til late this afternoon that a wheel
laGain turned in the subway and then
only limited local service was main-
tanned. The hundreds of thousands of
passengers the subway ordinarily car
rics were diverted - eleyateii and
surface systems and when. the ilome-
bound rush began tonight neither sys-
tenn hnd adequate facilities. There
were no subway trains running to
Brooklyn and dense mass of human
iity, concentrated at the Brooklyn
bridge. prolonged the rush hour per-
iod for two hours IN q struggle to
board trains and cars.
The accident occurred between the
Fifty and Fffty-Ninth street stations
and called out virtually the entire fire
and ambulance service on Manhattan
Island. The two trains, an express
land a local. both packed, came 10 "a
stop midway between the stations ant!
the lights went out A large feed
cable had blown out in it's conduit
soine 80 yards distant and soon the
tcars were filled with the fumes OF
iburning rubber. This soon grow un-
tt.aarable> and it took little to start a
1panic in the darkness.
The demands of some of the pas
senBers that the doors be opened were
refused by the guards. IL was said.
Fights ensued and there was soon In
progress on beth trains desperate
struggle. To get out. Windows were
smashed by the score; men and women
trampled each other and tore each
others clothes i'm fear.
When the first of the panic-stricken
passengers reached the street the re-
port spread that there had been a ter
rible catastrophe In which many had
been killed.
Police and fremen quickly reached
the scene aud although IL was al
length established that the reports
were sexaggefateii a tiisy we're busy
more than three hours in the, rescue
work. They found In the two trains
many passengers, mostly women. half
Iasphyxiated. Others had collapsed on
the floor of the tube. Some were
brought up by ladders through man-
holes. some through yentilating aper-
Itures In the street. ordinarily covered
with steel grating. ,
Nearby theatres. stores and auto
mobile garages were Communicated as
Temporary hospitals. while dozens OF
ambulances carried away to hospitals
those needing skilled attention. Some
iof these were reported In a serious
conditiop tonight Miss Ella Brady, the
Ioniy person To lose her life, died In
an ainbulance.. The lives OF several
iwere undoubtedly saye;; by tie ssa 6;
| an;r.otore. physicians said
Investigation to NIX the blame oj
the accident we're At once startst. bS
District Attorney Perkins and Che
public service commission and word
came FROM Albany that the accideal
had started legislative activity to an
Investigation OF the States superb sion
Iof public Gti.ities., IS - ,fS9 t555