The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-07
PARK ROW JAMMRD
AT THE RUSH HOUR
Vehicles Of All Kinds Used to
Transport People Across
Brooklyn Bridge.
WALKERS ARE NUMEROUS
Extra Police on Duty to I'm
tangle Traffic Blocks and
Keep Order.
WALKERS ARE NUMEROUS

At the Manhattan end of the Brook
Ign Bridge and along Park Row the con-
Eestion resulting from the Garments
strike made itself evident Just after 4
o'cicck, when the first o: the rush hour
crowd appeared. After that hour only
two trolley cars left from the loops un-'
der the main deck Of tho bridge--a spli-
tary Bergen street car at about 5 o'clock
and Putnam avenue car a half hour
later. The bridge locals, however. MAIN
tanned fairly constant service and they
were damned with homewardbound
Brooklynites who hoped to find surface
cars running at the other end.
Upstairs the entrance of passengers
to elevated platforms was regulated so
that they were not crowded beyond ca
pacity at any time, but the service was
slow and interrupted and became worse
as the afternoon wore on. No Culver
trains were operated across the struc-
ture during the afternoon.
Hundreds of trucks and drays of every
sort and size, horse drawn and motor
power, were pressed into service as pas
senger vehicles and their drivers did
thriving business at rates which varied
greatly, but were always substantially
higher than the B. r. T. nickel fare. The
usual stream Of private automobiles was
increased, too, for numerous Brooklyn
motorists who patronixe the elevated or
surface cars In normal times had come
from their homes yesterday morning In
their automobiles or had had them sent
| to Manhattan during the afternoon
The police allowed vehicles to stop to
| load passengers at almost any point
along Park Row or at the end of the
bridge, so that II was not long before
vehicular traffic. including the Second
and Third avenue surface cars. was
badly blocked along Park Row all the
way to Broadway. Extra details OF traf-
fic police were on hand and they kept
the long line of cars. motor cars and
drays moving. but progress was slow.
Occasionally a limousine bound for
| the regions beyond the East River would
stor, and the solitary occupant would
throw open the hospitality Of his con-
veyance to a group of stenographers in
| the waiting crowd. but for the most
part the homeward bound were glad to
| get the front seat of a motor truck.
Thousands rode across the bridge stand
| ing In the body Of some van or delivery
4
wagon.
The number Of pedestrians on the
bridge was greatly increased and from
8 o'clock on the promenade was crowded
| from one rail to the other. Until the
rain began at about $3.50 O'Clock more
persons crossed the structure by that
method than were transported on the
surface cars and elevated trains.
Lewis Nixon. Public Service Commits
sioner, visited the B. r. 7. terminal In
the Municipal Building at the height of
the rush hour and found considerable
congestion, but no disorder. He ex-
pressed surprise when.told that the sale
Of tickets had been ordered stopped, but
said that It was probably in line with
the intention OF Receiver Garrison that
he would shut down operation of the
lines unless the city granted police pro-
lection.
Can't Find Ohcial I'm Charge.
Mr.. Nixon tried to get in touch with
the official in charge OF the terminal but
failed to ind any one who would admit
that he was responsible for carrying out
the order. After the sale of tickets
stopped most OF the crowd left for the
East Side subway.
The extra policemen who had been or
dered to duty on the bridge platforms
had little to do in the way of maintain
ing order although they were kept busy
trying to answer the questions OF per-
soils who desired to reach their homes in
Brooklyn by various routes. Unfor-
tunately most of the policemen stationed
at the bridges were from the upper
Manhattan precincts and knew little of
Brooklyn or the possible routes thither
Even the layout of the terminal itself
and the various cars and trains which
depart from that point were beyond the
knowledge of most of the patrolmen on
duty and they were frequently obliged
to confess their ignorance.
Telephone booths had long lines await
ing each his turn to say he did not
know when he would be home. Some
made arrangements to walk some dis
lance, naming a rendezvous at which
some member of the family could call for
them and take them home.
Between z o'clock and z 80 trolley
cars were more numerous. though still
heavily laden.
There was no violence OF any sort
around the Long Island and INTERIOR
ough stations. The question on many
hips was How long will this last2" For
a day they. for the most part, did not
seem to mind the Inconvenience Excess
sively. Those who were dependent on
the Il. r. T. for transportation took their
discomforts philosophically.