The sun., 1917-08-26
SUBWAY TIEUP
LAID TO MISERLY
BUYING OF COAL
/. r. T. PenuriOusness
Made Power Rely on One.
Cargo, Hayward Says.
SYSTEM DEAD TWO HOURS
Fuel Fails and Thousands Are
Turned Out Of Notion
less Trains.
SYSTEM DEAD TWO HOURS

ASoS L
Every train on the subway system Of
the Interboroush stopped yesterday from
30 O'Clock in the afternoon until 4 :05
o'clock. For two hours and fifteen min
utes not wheel moved on all the track
age between Van Cortlandt Park and
Bronx Park. In the upper Bronx. to
Atlantic avenue. in Brooklyn.
The transportation system upon which
the city places its chief reliance was
paralyzed because one cargo OF coal
failed to arrive at the West Fifty-ninth
street dock on time. The Interborough
had been running on such close margin
that when the single shipment missed its
schedule there wasn't enough fuel to
stoke the boilers which drive the giant
generators.
You might expect such thing to
happen In Bird Centre. but you would
not expect 1t In New York." was Col.
William Hayward's terse comment last
night. As acting chairman Of the Pub
lie Service Commission. ne authorized
William L. Ransom. chief counsel for
the commission, to issue subppnas for
all operating officials OF the INTERIOR
ough. hearing will be held in the
commissions chambers. l20 Broadway.
tomorrow morning at 10 O'Clock
The lone coal shipment upon which
the lnterborough depended for power
yesterday was due to arrive In the
morning. 1t aid not arrive until 3 80
p. NJ. Meanwhile the tieup had oc-
CURED. 1t was orderly enough, how
ever. and well MANAGED As soon as
lnterborouch traffic officials knew II was
Inevitable train dispatchers were noti-
fed.
Trains stopped In Time.
Trains routed through the Brooklyn
tubes were stopped first and the rest
afterward. mo one was left in cars and
therc was no panic at anv point" to
quote Frank Hedley. general manager.
hut the thousands released from down
town offices and uptown stores at the
early Saturday closing hour, being
turned away from the subway. swarmed
to the elevated lines and the surface
lines and quickly swamped them. Their
half holiday was spoiled in most in
stances, for they were greatly delayed
in reaching their homes or the destina-
tions where they had planned recrea-
ton. The theatres were hit to some ex-
tent. matinee attendance being hurt.
Rumors OF disaster flew through the air,
dissipated only when the later editions
of the afternoon newspapers announced
the reason Of the tieup
Mr.. Hedley issued an explanation Of
the affair Ordinarily. he explained, a
five day supply is stored in the bunk.
ers. The Interborough uses some 800
to 1000 tons day for the subway But
II was impossible to get deliveries for
several days. and the supply dwindled
until everything depended upon the one
cargo-which came too late.
1--WE used to keep nearly weeks
supply on hand" said Mr.. Hedley. but
since the war we haven't been able to
do so. This is due to various reasons
to railroad congestion, to decrSA sed
output OF the mines, which are hardly
averaging so or 60 per cent. of their
normal output. and so on.
I'VE now have enough for three days
and another consignment will be re-
ceived Monday"
Depend on Contracts.
According 10 Mr.. Hedley the company
Is virtually dependent upon a daily sup
ply which II il supposed to get from the
Berwind-Wh.te Coal Company and the
i,r CONTRACT, viii ,h.sa - u'ssatu-
,.n,se. da,,v d.,,,,ar,. ", "s suai
nnr,.nrotion.- JooL ,"s uansi.
,o,,'d rot no ha,na', =. ~, ,n'' II
coal olreoSv oou,u,
for but he thought such n on,iua'
unlikely.
10 Rerw,r,, ,res;do,, =, ,so D.
wind White Coal Con,nar,, ,,ta,,
n,,es soma n, tho ooai ,,saI -" sup
horo,.yh ~ uh,ct, Inoi,s, y; '"e inter
G,rentor ra.do ~ '..aN!, tn,,u, ne Is
last night from his bor,. IN pr,sna,.
ION TT. ~ ''''uee"a"'p- Id
I'VE b,ve h.sr ,,n,,,.
Ir,.rho,oua, pnu,. ~ suppis he
,o,-' ~ win tS Gus
~ 49,. s,., , oi ,oai because or
49,, ,a 'onu''1ms V,,s III our neidS IN fennsyi-
'In... anu "sn''a, Ihere mas been
so y, Ia; W. the searc''y or lahor
.% " ue - i.'poen'o'e 10 Iosu IT, FOR
e"a. Ieaso" W. eou" not supply all our
!. .ue.o,'e's' ihe i'nerporouGh Is one OF
"nhout waning TOT the formal Pub
~, ~ w. ,',i'sston nearing Col !
to ny ~u W.. umue,.ooN 1900 ',,,e investigation
III ms Nv" p1lsona' information last
ment. '''''e ''''s STATE
".rhe Investigation h,
ya,,. s,a r,,i, . ~ 'ar mace
The Interborouyh n, i,s E,t,'. 1 u. iac's !
nower house m, ,nton,s ,ih'n street
On pacity for ? uoO TONS -, co''I ,' DrlNer ,,n
coal In these bunkers. The comnanv has