The New York herald., 1921-10-25
Trapped Throngs Sweep
Aside Police and Guards
at 10th Street.
MANY HURLED TO TRACKS
Cooler Heads Save Those Seek
ing to Climb Through Win
dows in Dark.

"A negro woman VINO CHUNG TO q
strap in the fourth car OF a crowded
Seventh avenue Bronx Park subway
train that left the Ninety-sixth street
station at 6:25 o'clock last night felt
something warm about her ankles
after the train had proceeded about
200 feet into the tunnel out of the
station. She looked downward and
saw two or three thin streams Of
smoke trickling from beneath the seat.
For a moment the woman stared
at the smoke. watching the thin
streams grow larger. Then. because
she had worked all day and was tired
and nervous. she screamed and tainted.
he fell backward against the crowd
that swayed and pushed with the
movement Of the train, and panic
started that caused the injury of more
than thirty persons and that con-
tinued long after the train had pulled
into the 10th street station. Re-
serves from the West 1880 street sta
ton and firemen finally quieted the
crowd and marched the hundreds of
frightened men and women from the
smoke filled train and station. and
then called surgeons from Harlem
Hospital to care for the injured.
Fire Held in One Car.
The streams of smoke began to grow
al ~
woman had screamed and its odor be-
gan to penetrate the entire train. The
smoke was particularly heavy, in the
fourth car, and although Conductor p.
J. Ryan and the guards pushed their
way among the passengers and tried
to quiet them. the cr3wd began to push
and pull and mill about. trying to open
the doors Windows were smashed and
the glass in one oe the doors was
broken also. and 1t was only the fact
that the guards and several men pas
sengers kept their, wits that prevented
scores from working their. way through
the broken windows onto the tracks
while the train was still In motion In
the tunnel
The fire was confined to the fourth
car of the train. but the smoke was
driven backward into the fifth and sixth
cars and some of 1t went into the third
and second cars. The panic spread. par
ticularly IN the fifth and sixth cars OF
the train. and although a few men
shouted to the crowd to quiet down.
they pushed and fought and pulled.
tearing the clothing Of women. every
one fighting to get near the door
A few moments before the train
pulled into the 10th street station the
lights In the train were extinguished.
No one could see anything and the dark
ness accentuated the thickness of the
smoke clouds. By this time also. flames
had begun TO come through the floor
ing Of the fourth car The dresses of
several women caught fire. as did tho
ovcrcoats OF some OF the men.
When the train entered the 10th
street station the crowd in the six cars
was lighting desperately. and as soon
as the doors were opened the people
plunged onto the platform. Dozens
were pushed clear across the platform
and onto the tracks Of the southbound
trains. but word had been sent ahead
and the power had been shut off in the
third rail and all trains bound down
town had been stopped at l16th street.
Screams Heard in street.
The screams of the women and the
shouting of the men were heard on the
street. and Patrotman Willard Helms
Of the West 123d street station hurried
into the station. He had got half way
down the stairs when he was met by a
solid mass Of fighting men and womer.
trying to get UP. Clouds OF smoke filed
the station and rolled up the stairways
into the street. and Helms went back
and sent In calls for tho police re-
serves. for the Fire Department and for
from Harlem Hospital.
The physicians treated more than
thirty persons for various injuries. but
all except three were able to go home
The three were taken to Harlem Hos
pital. They are +. Sekso. 1874 West
134th street. leg and thigh cut: ". Kon-
tor. 500 Hunts Point avenue. The Bronx.
possible internal injuries. unconscious.
and Nathan Golden. so East tt7th street,
foot crushed