The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-08-18
TRAFFIC SNARL
VERY SEVERE
When 100000 People Tried
to Get About in New
York City
INTERBOROUGH
HARD BLOW
Men Are Demanding so Per
Cent. Increase in
Wages

New York, Aug ls.-More than two
million persons, who ordinarily travel
daily over the mterborough Rapid Tran
sit company's subway and elevated lines
in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and
Queens, to-day either took slow moving
surface cars and improyised conveyances
or walked to their work as a result of
the strike of the company's $4,000 EN-
ployes for a so per cent increase in
wages. As yesterday when the strike
became effective, not wheel turned on
the company's $50 miles Of trackage.
The stoppage of the main arteries OF
travel caused the worst traffic snarl in
the history OF the city. The narrow
streets in downtown New York were
fairly congested during the early morn
ing hours. Thousands Of jitneys and
buses, operated by the city, filed beyond
capacity with workers, clogged the thor
oughfares. Thousands fought in vain for
standing room on each overloaded trolley
car. Trolleys and other vehicles moved
at snail's pace. Residents on the outer
fringe of the city We're unable to reach
their places of employment until many
hours after their usual time and conse-
quently industrial activity was crippled
The New York Central railroad oper-
ated 26 extra trains of ten cars each
between Hudson and Harlem river points
to the Grand Central station. The co.
600 extra passengers carried on these
trains, in addition to the regular traffic,
caused an unprecedented congestion at
the great terminal.
Fleets of ferries and other craft,
pressed hurriedly into service, placed the
North and East river carrying passengers
between the upper and lower ends of
Manhattan island for the first time in
many years.
More than 5000 policemen guarded the
company's property and endeavored to
control the tide of humanity sweeping
through the streets. Notwithstanding
the confusion, there was but little dis
order and the crowds, as whole, ap-
| peared TO take their inconvenience good
naturedly Rain added to the general
traffic distress.
An effort to reach an agreement be-
tween the lnterhorough officials and the
strike leaders will be made this after
noon at conference with Public Serv.
ice Commissioner Nixon. Mr.. Nixon ex-
pressed the hope that compromise
might be effected, basing his hope on
statement attributed to President Con
molly of the brotherhood that although
| the men had made demands for an in
crease of 90 per cent in wages, the strike
would not have been called had the com
pany offered raise of 20 per cent. In
1 A. sf.,1 4, 80
a 10 per cent increase was offered.
In addition to the extra trains oper-
ated by the New York Central railroad,
the New York, New Haven & Hartford
railroad operated all its suburban trains
on a l0-minute schedule during the rush
hour The only subway in operation in
Manhattan was the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit line running from 59th street
to the downtown district. Although all
available trains were used on this line,
the stations were iammed with persons
trying to reach their work and places
of business. The city operated several
| charging l0-cent fares Sorces of pri-
vate buses and automobiles charged from
25 cents to 81 a ride Taxicabs did an
enormous business.
The first disorder attending the strike
occurred this morning at the INTERIOR
ough power house at 74th street and
| the East river when two Italians leaving
the building were surrounded by 100
strikers, who demanded if they had
been working there. Police with drawn
clubs, charged the crowd and dispersed
them.
Strikers voted to-day to invite Mayor
Hyan to address them tonight at their
headquarters. The request of IN mayor
that they meet him in the Madison
Square Garden at any he lr of the day or
night was refused