The New York herald., 1921-09-06
LABOR DAY TRAVEL
Is PUT AT A MILLION
Home Coming New Workers
Simply Swamp Trains,
Ships and Stations.
BEATS JULY A RECORD
Terminals Still Jammed
Early To-day = Baggage
MiXups Staggering.
COAST RESORTS EMPTIED
Long Island and Jersey Sum-
mer Sojourners Return in
Hosts to Metropolis.
COAST RESORTS EMPTIED

A considerable part OF the popula-
tion of New York city. which had
spent the Labor holiday out of the
city, began coming home yesterday
afternoon, and it was still coming
early this morning, with all of the
railroads and steamship lines running
extra trains and ships, and with every
train and every ship jammed with
passengers and piled high with tons
Of baggage. At midnight last night
she rush at the transit stations and
terminals appeared to be almost as
great as earlier in the evening. and
there was no likelihood that traffic
would be reduced to normal proper
tions until some time this afternoon.
No railroad official would venture
even an estimate of the number of
persons who came back to New York
yesterday. but every one said that the
crowds were larger than on the
Fourth Of July and probably set a
record. Unofficial estimates placed the
number of persons handled by the
railroads yesterday at 100000, but in
some quarters this was considered
conservative, in view of the fact that
every railroad was running more
trains into the city than had ever been
run before. Many Of these trains were
extras, while the others were extra
sections Of regular trains. some of the
most important trains pulling into
the terminals in as many as seven
sections each.
Great Confusion mt Trains.
The confusion at the Grand Central
Terminal and the Pennsylvania and
Long Island Station. where the bulk
of the incoming crowds left the trains
and sought the subways. elevateds and
trolleys, the crush was terrific. In the
vast rotundas of the Grand Central and
the Pennsylvania roads there was hardly
breathing space. and the crowds were
SO great that they moved along at
snaiPs pace toward the exits. Great
piles of baggage lay on the train plat
forms. the congestion being so great
that the roads were not able to handle 1t
even with the additional freight and
baggage handlers who had been pressed
into service. 1t is very likely that sew
eral days will pass before the baggage
tangle will have been straightened out
and all of the suit cases and trunks
distributed to their owners.
There was no steam or electric rail-
road entering New York or Jersey City
that did not run extra trains and adj
ditional sections on the regular trains.
Omcials of the Long Island Railroad
said that they ran more trains into
the Long Island Station yesterday up
to midnight than on any other day in
the history of the road. and that the
crowd handled was at least three times
ms large as that or July 4. Trains were
run on a twenty minute schedule from
Jamaica to New York. the first time that
this has ever been done. on q fifteen
minute schedule from the Rockaways.
and twelve extra trains were run into
the city from Long Beach. The con-
gestion was so great at the Long Island
Station in Manhattan that entrances
had to be used for exits. and it was
almost impossible for an outgoing pas
senger TO make his way TO train.
Throngs From Jersey Resorts.
The Pennsylvania Railroad ran all
trains from Philadelphia In three sec
other main line trains ran in several
sections or else carried extra sleepers.
The Atlantic City trains came in in
three sections of twelve cars each. and
the trains from the Jersey coast were
run in Ave and six sections. each with
twelve cars.
AZ the Grand Central Terminal off,
ciaIs OF the New York Central and the
New York. New Haven and Hartford,
while they would not make an estimate
of the crowd. said that the traffic was
the heaviest In many years Thirty ex-
ira trains were run on the New York
Central and twelve on the New Haven
and all of the main line trains OF both
roads ran in several sections.
Similar conditions prevailed at the
terminals in Jersey City. The Eric
Railroad appeared to catch the bulk of
the incoming travel there and ran eigh-
teen extra main line trains OF twelve
cars each. These trains ran both ways
and were sent out OF the Jersey termI-
nal as fast as they were loaded, with
out regard for schedules.
The Lehigh Valley ran ten extra
trains into the city and the Lackawanna
ran its principal trains in several Sec
tions each. with twenty-five extra trains
on the suburban branches. Baggage and
passenger congestion was without prece-
dent.