New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-31
What Brooklynites Endure

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Many articles are written about the
SUBWAY crush" and often we have some Of
ing the rush hours to get the atmosphere
thus created That's fair enough for Man
haitian, but why don't they go a step further
and see what is going on in the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit?
Having travelled to New York for several
in a position to state that no worse condi-
tons can exist in any civilized nation in
this modern age, where all up-to-date meth
DDS are employed in travelling by rail, than
those existing on business days at the Broad
way stations brooklyn of the Cypress Hills
express line to Chambers Street, New York,
in the morning or between $3.50 and $3.50
D. m at the Chambers Street, Canal Street
or Essex Street stations on the trains bound
for Cypress Hills.
On January 20, 1917, boarded Cypress
Hills train at the Chambers Street station at
about 80 p. m. The train was crowded to
capacity inside, so | decided TO remain out
side on the platform. The train remained
at the station for several minutes and the
platforms of the train became crowded. In
stead of having the gates shut by the guards
who are we'll able to see when there are
enough people in the car, they allow be pas
sengers to pile in until the signal il given
Then commences the awful and brutal WORK
of shutting the gates. Such a thing esnnei
be described. Well, with the hl,r q hs
extra platform men on the station, afssT 2
good deal of squeezing and pushing, the
gates were finally shut and the train pro-
ceeded to the next station, which IS Canal
Street At Canal Street few passengers
we're DESTROYS of getting of the tram, so an
attempt was made to open the gates HOW
is il possible TO open the gate OF car
after it has been forced shut vi n all tne
passengers on the platform huddled togetner
without injuring some oneg very oiten
some one is hurt or trampled upon, but this
makes no difference. The business OF the
guard, however, is to open gates wneh s'e'
ton is reached, then get them shut again
before the signal is given to proceed, wnlen
duty he performs without further thought OF
results. What is going on inside the tram
is beyond description. Here all the passen-
GERS are crowded. then pushed from side 70
side with every lurch Of the train, and wnen
o curve is reached invariably out goes pane
of glass. Broken glass is always found on
the stations, for when crowd Is pusnea anu
.brovn about such impact is bound TO oreaA
anything so fragile as glass.
These conditions have been going on lot
some time, and how long the suffering PUBIC
will submit to such treatment by the BROOK
Ivn Rapid Transit seems TO be OF vital I'M
nortanee. Is there no official body in the
City of New York that can force an I'M
provement in the way Of travelling iaeii'
ties? More cars must be added at once 70
the trains in the morning and in the even
ing, and guards should be instructed now "
handle human beings.
II dumb animals were being mistreateo :"
any way some humane society would De -.
stautly notified and such conditions rem
edied. Here are thousands of submissive nv,
man beings being mistreated every Gay A'"
&C. .on,nlaint il made. How long can
i nalS c. r. WEISS.
New York. Jan. 81, 1917.