The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-03
CLOSE SHUTTLE
TO END MIXUP
IN NEW SUBWAY
Railway and City Officials
Act to Prevent Further
Confusion.
TO BE REOPENED LATER
Police Alone Prevent Panic as
Thousands Struggle on
Strange Ground.
TO BE REOPENED LATER

The new H" system Of the INTERIOR
ough subways worked so imperfectly
yesterday that at a conference between
members OF the Public Service Commits
sion and 1nterborough officials late last
night it was decided to discontinue rum
nirg the shuttle service between Times
Square and Grand Central until further
notice.
The suspension will be cancelled
within few days 1t IS deemed neces-
sary because some of the platforms and
other station arrangements are not yet
complete at the two shuttle terminals
and because it is thought that 1t is best
10 let tne public become familiar at FIRST
- tn the two main East and West Side
tunk lines Of the new system.
Wnile the shuttle service under Forty
;=-ond street Is closed. persona desiring
u 30 from the upper West Side to
Brooklyn will get transfers at the Rec
tor street station of the West Side line.
Ih5se transfers will be accepted at the
Wall street station ~ the old subway
and VIII be good 20 Atlantic avenue,
bI ooklyn.
transfers to the West Side line will
lv issued at Wall street to passengers
coming from Brooklyn. They will have
to walk the short distance between the
Two stations.
Disorder Unmatched In History.
The first day Of the operation Of the
new H system was marked by con-
fusion and disorder unmatched in the
History Of passenger traffic in this city.
No hour OF the twenty-four was even
comparatively tranquil in the subways.
The Interborough plans for taking care
Of the crowds proved inadequate from
tive start. The police were called in and
responded just In time to meet grave
emergency. Their first care was TO
force their way to scores of faintinS
women and carry them to safety.
No one who travelled by the subways
yesterday escaped some part of the con-
Gested and dangerous conditions which
were present from the moment of the
OPENING of the H system Thursday
night. The conditions reached Tleir
worst in the busy hours between and
10 in the morning and 6 and in the
afternoon.
Worst at Connecting Points.
1t was OF course at the Grand Central
ard Times Square stations, the points
where the direct east, and west lines
as arranged under the new system are
connected by the shuttle lines running
under Forty second street. that troubles
reached their climax. Here hundreds of
thousands of passengers were disgorged
from trains TO And themselves on plat
foIms either entirely new or SO altered
in appearance as to make them unfa-
mar.
lnder the scheme of the new system,
Passengers are expected to move steadily
and rapidly, but these people did not
know which way to go. There were
lew sign boards to guide them. but the
Signs were small. inconspicuous and
misleading. The guards and other In
terborough employees probably had been
drilled and instructed. but the station
arrangements were new to them also and
Ia the clamor and excitement they lost
Their heads and issued all sorts OF di-
rectlons.
Thousands Caught In Jam.
Thousands OF persons passed from one
~ ''INt houfs III anu hDout tnc Two main
stations without being able to work
themselves clear of the crowds which
hedged them. Thousands of others es-
'aped finally to the streets and went to
their destinations by surface cars
AS between the two main stations.
lne conditions at Grand Central were a
Hltle worse than at Times Square. There
congestion was aggravated by the fact
IL
'or the Queensborough subway. Per-
hons going from the main Grand Central
Platforms TO the shuttle trains and those
going from them to the Queensborough
'ars both had to use for 200 yards a
narrow passageway with no more than
two feet of space between the heads OF
ihe crowd and the ceiling. and as the
crowds milled and struggled in this tun-
hel-like passageway II became as hot
as furnace. Also. part of the people
we're trying to move one way and part
'ne other, and there was no rail 10 sep
arate them.
u wss In here that women dropped
ron suffocation and crowding and were
feStu ued by the police.
Police Prevent q Panic.
During the crowded hours all that
aVelted actual panic was the presence
anu resourcefulness of the police. There
we're sixty reserves at Grand Central
commanded by Inspector Morris. and
81 F|H