The sun., 1918-08-21
II is BETTER, SAY
SUBWAY DOCTORS
Crisis Past and System Is Con-
valescent, but Has Some
Relapses.
FEWER VIOLENT SCENES
Tieup on East Leg Is Worst
Mishap Of Day, Costing
Many Extra Fares.
FEWER VIOLENT SCENES

the III system took turn for the
better yesterday.
Tho east leg OF the new ana more or
less popular III" went to sleep for
about forty minutes in midafternoon'
diverting thousands OF disguised passen-
gers to the surface lines at the cost OF
an extra nickel, but the evening rush
hour saw service closer to normal than
IL has been since. the Seventh and Lex
inRton Avenue lines were thrown into
operation.
At the Grand Central and Times
Square express stations, which for days
have been the scenes of free for alls'
at the high tides OF traffic. 1t was pos
slbIe to change cars between and
p. NJ. without resort to violence. Locals
and expresses ran with reasonable IRE
ouency and while the comforts afforded
the traveller did not approach luxury,
the Interborough's showing was remark
able in view Of past performances.
illustrating the lament OF Frank He'd
ley, vice-president and general manager
Of the company. who told the Public
Service Commission last Thursday that
one Of his great troubles lay in getting
enough men to maintain schedules, there
we're only four guards on duty at Grand
Central. where in normal times there
were ten But as conditions existed last
night the quartet was not overworked.
signals and Brakes Working.
Hedley also said delays were partly
due to the new signal systems. which for
a time were to be expected to be stin
and uncertain, and to the fact that the
new rails did not make good conductors
for the current which sets the air brakes.
Last night the signals appeared to be
giving little or no trouble and the brakes
uncomplaininely did their duty.
At Grand Central the rush hour traffic
seemed lighter than usual. which may
account for the lack of congestion.
Northbound expresses outnumbered the
locals by more than two to one, but the
locals carried few passengers. and
though there was once a gap of seven
minutes between them inconvenience was
not apparent. Also Mr.. Hedley for once
seemed to have found enough guards to
man ten car express trains.
Between 5 and 8 o'clock in the evening
seventeen northbound expresses and
twenty northbound locals made the stop
at Times Square. While the trains could
have run on more even schedule. and
there were two bad breaks in the service
when traffic seemed to be heaviest, con-
gestion all along the west leg was not SO
bad.
The worst break came after the de-
parture Of the express which lad pulled
into Times Square at 5:19. Three
damned locals had deposited about four
ffths of their passengers before the next
express came along at s "a, and there
was a good old fashioned shindig when
its doors were flung open.
southbound Traffic smooth.
Southbound trains ran regularly
through both Grand Central and Times
Square. and travellers bound for down
town points not only lid not have to
night their way aboard but almost al
ways found seats awaiting them.
The Public Service Commission has
no report as yet on the tieup in the
afternoon. oeyond the suggestion that
| the signals were at fault, the only news
that drifted downtown was a remark
made by one of the many passengers
| who waited and waited and finally, get
| ting no information from the station
| crew. started upward and outward to
| take surface cars.
| "Iumph" said he, this skins Mr..
/ Shonts's six cent fare scheme to death
Here's where he gets dime from me 80
Although evening saw all troubles
| temporarily sinoothed out, the tieup had
| not been the only mishap OF the day on
| the suhwa!. In the morning an explo-
| sion in the switch box of a northbound
Bronx express. Just pulling out OF the
tunnel between the 14sth street and
Jackson avenue stations, resulted in IN
| juries to two 1nterborough employees
| and led to a near panic among the pas
sengers. The explosion was caused by
an iron bar which had been left mad
vertently in the switch box. 1t smashed
windows through the rear car, threw
| Rocco Latello, a guard, and Anthony
| Simons. an Interborough carpenter. to
the platform with their faces, hands and
| clothing scorched. and stopped the train.
Halls Fire Department.
| Deputy Fire Chief Hayes OF The
| Bronx. who CHANGED to be among the
passengers, shouted from a window OF
| the stalled train and brought fire appa-
| ratus TO the rescue. Ladders were run
up to the tracks which here emerge into
daylight, and the injured men were car.
ried to the street. Ambulances took
| tnem 10 Lincoln Hospital.
! At the Offices of the Public Service
Commission II was announced that con-
siderable attention Is being given to the
| subway service between Brooklyn Bridge
and Atlantic avenue by the INTERIOR
| ough and that several plans for i'm
provement are being worked out From
z until 8 A. NJ. observers for the DOM.
mission counted only eleven trains leav.
ing Borough Hall for New York. In the
next hour, when traffic was lighter
twenty-seven trains came under the
| river.
| The commission calls attention 10 the
fact that whereas traffic in the Inter.
borough subways Is divided approx.
mately half and half between the cas-,
and west legs in Manhattan Brooklyn
trafflc is undivided. At least thirt,
trains an hour should cross from Brook.
lyn to Manhattan in morning and eve,
ming rush hours, the commission holds
and the marlborough had been ordered
TO correct its schedules at once accord
ingly.
A conference between Public seryic,
Commissioners and officials of the In.
terborough probably will he held to-
morrow. and then II is understood tina,
resumption OF shuttle service acros,
! Forty-second street may be announced
e. Cnrn.