The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1915-01-08
TWO HUNDRED PERSONS IN.
JURED IN ACCIDENT IN
NEW YORK'S SUBWAY
TRAINS STOP;
LIGHTS GO OUT
Gable Blows Out; Fumes of Butn-
ing Rubber Fills Cars; Panic
Starts in Darkness.
tBy Associated Prcss:)


NEW YORK. Jan. 6.-The worst ac.
cident { ten years history OF New
iork's subway occurred during the
morning rush hours today when 700
passengers in two stalled trains were
stricken with panic in the darkened
tubes. by dense smoke and acrid
FUMES from 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 unnerveI, or hysterical.
their clothing torn and faces hacken
ed by smoke.
The city tonight was in the throes of
q transportatk blockade without
paraite '" ',ry. 1t was not un-
It'll Is loon that a wheel
|0gni. :. :, subway and then
only la. i service was main
tanned. The eds Of thousands OF
passengers til subway ordinarily car
rics were diverted TO elevated and
surface systems and when the home,
bound rush began tonight neither sys-
TEN had adequate facilities; There
were no subway trains running to
l,rooklyn, and uense ninss of human
ity, concentrated AT inc. az 6iUusiyIi
bridge. prolonged the rush. hour per-
iod for two hours In a stru rxle ! to
board trains and cars. Y.
.-7t The a cident-~o1carred- tietween. the,
Fifty and Fifty-Ninth street stations
and called out virtually the entire Are
and ambulance service on Manhattan
Island. The two trains, an express
and local. both packed. came To a
ln eyk., AfxSxs
the lights went out. A large feed
cable had blown out In its conduit,
some so yards distant and soon the
cars were filled with the fumes OF
burning rubber. This soon grew un-
tearablc and it took little to start n
panic in tho darkness
The demands OF some of the pas-
sengers that the doors be opened were
refused by the guards. II WAS said
Fights ensued and there was soon I'm
progress on beth trains Il desperate
struggle TO get out. Windows were
smashed by the gcore; men and women
trample.! "aci; other amt tore each
others clothes in fear.
When the first OF the panic 1t tricken
passengers reached the street tho re-
port spread that there had been ter
rtble catastrophe in which many had
been killed, 81
Police ind firenien quickly reached
the scene and although It was ct
length established that the reports
were exaggerated, they were busy
more than three hours in the rescue
work. They found In the two trains
many passengers. mostly women, half
asphyxiated. Others had collapsed on
the floor Of the tube. Some were
brought up by ladders through man
holes. some through ventilating aper-
lures 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
OF these were reported in serious
condition tonight. Miss Ella Brady, the
only person to lose her life, died In
an ambulance. The lives OF several
were undoubtedly saved by the use of
Fpulmotors, physicians said. 3
Investigation to tx the blame Of
the accident were at once started by
District Attorney Perkins and the
public service commission and word
canie from Albany that tho accident
had started legislative activity to an
investigation OF the States supervision
of public utilities. ,;.f i; 81
II. a