New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-07
Prosecutor Near Accident.

8 o'clock, and tried TO get downtown py
way Of the subway.
Prosecutor Near Accident.
thinking it was nothing but one OF
tho usual subway tie-ups ] took sur.
face car down and was informed of
the serious nature 81 the accident on
nv arrival at my Office sad Mr.. fer-
kins.
inquiry was Mrs. Henry Russell browne
of 3O6 West 18th st., wife OF the secre-
tary Of the Sons Of the American Rev
olution. She was passing both st. on
Broadway and noticed smoke pouring
from the gratings which lead to the
subway. go
"a moment later / saw a woman with
her face blackened and her clothes torn
beinp carried out" said Mrs. browne.
"Then several more were carried up,
and | went over to see IL | could be OF
any assistance"
Mrs. browne told Mr. Perkins that
she was surprised that no men were
being taken from the subway and that
she was told by policeman that the
men were huddled at the foot OF the
ladder boosting the women up. One OF
the first men TO appear out OF the emer-
gency exit, she said was Mr.. Mar
shall. who is associated with the Ma
tional City Bank and who was incensed
because the guards of the train he was
on kept the doors closed instead Of al
lowing the people to escape from the
trains.
Mrs. browne gave over her automo-
bile for the purpose of taking those
rescued 10 their homes and to hospl-
tails. She also took the names and ad-
dresses of more than 100 persons who
were suffering from partial suffocation,
and on their pleas telephoned to their
homes and business addresses.
Traffic Policeman Thomas McFarlin
testified that he reached the scene OF
the accident at $3.50. 81 saw eight or
ten about the subway entrance when
| got there" he said. "The smoke was
rolling up in pillows. went down the
ladder, but | couldn't see anybody. !
jumped down on the tracks and put my
hands out in front of me. | touched
human face and asked who it was. "A
man. came back weak voice. There
are women behind. Pull me aside and
get them ! pulled several over 10 the
ladder and aided them up"
How many people do you estimate
we're taken from the subway up
through the gratings ?" he was asked.
Hundreds Taken from Tube.
az should judge between 200 and
$50" replied the officer
Fire Lieutenant Edwin A. Hotchkiss.
Of the engine company that responded
to the first alarm, which, he said. was
received by telephone at 9:18, testi
fed:
when we got there we put line Of
hose down, but we did not use it,"
Al this point Hotchkiss reeled and
would have fallen if those near him
had not helped him keen his feet. He
was the first fireman in the tube and
had remained there for two hours.
Frank Hedley, general manager of
the marlborough, said he reached the
scene Of the accident about 1890
o'clock, and spent some time in the sub
way with Chairman Mccall of the Pub
TIC Service Commission. In explaining
the wiring Mr.. Hedley said:
hese nigh tension alternating cur
rent wires carrying IL 900 volts come
over from the power house at seth ST. |
and North River and go into the sub !
way at the Columbus Circle station. |
They then go down TO SD ST.. where /
they come out in a manhole and 90
ooer 10 Ine transforming station in /.
ODD st. There the current is changed
from alternating to direct. and a wire I
carrying $50 volts leaves the trans /
forming station and goes back into two .
manholes at SD ST."
Mr.. Hedley said that the insulation /.
or the cables at the points where the /
snort circuits were found was entirely |
burned away by the arc flames of the |
grounded current. The gases released /
by the burning metal, he explained, |
were responsible for the suffocating |
fumes.
Mr.. Perkins called more than fifty I
other witnesses, policemen. fremen and 4
bystanders, who had observed condi- /
tons both in and out of the subway /
and who were in position to throw 4
some light on the affair. The i'm I
portant evidence will be brought out,
however, when those who were con-
fined in the trains are able TO tell their .
stories, and some idea of the condi- /
tions that prevailed before the sending
out OF the alarm can be gained. The
examination of witnesses will be con-
tinued this afternoon as soon as those
who have been subpenaed present
themselves at the Office of the District
Attorney.