The New York herald., 1921-12-21
Nobody Is Hurt and Outside
of Some Screaming the
Passengers Are Calm.
ACCIDENT rs A MYSTERY
Sale of Tickets Is Stopped Tn
til Shuttle Line and Loop
Are Put Into Service.

The fifth car of six car Brooklyn
bound elevated train OF the Fulton
street line failed to negotiate the
switches at the entrance TO the Sands
street station at 6:10 O'Clock last night,
and while no one was hurt there re-
suited one of the most complete tieups
Brooklyn Bridge traffic has ever ex-
perienced.
No one seems TO know just Row the
accident happened. The train left the
Park row end of the bridge at 6:06.
The bridge trains never were more
crowded Edward w. Freher. sigma!
man at the Brooklyn end of ,he bridge,
says he has no explanation.
The front trucks of the erratic car
continued after the rear trucks of the
fourth car. and until the rear trucks OF
this car came upon the switch the train
running at low speed. But the rear
trucks OF the fifth car bolted the switch,
Tipped over the rails and took to the
wrong track.
The result was that the front trucks
we've on one track and the rear trucks
on another. Therefore no trains bound
for Brooklyn could get by. A few mo-
inents after this particular train had
let Park Row another one set forth for
Brooklyn Two more came along at
intervals OF three and four minutes.
Ard II is estimated that each one con-
tanned at least 900 persons.
Therefore no fewer than $500 persons
found themselves marooned on Brook
lyn Bridge because one car had decided
30 occupy two tracks The refractory
car did not capsize. II did not threaten
TO turn over. But for just q few mo-
ments the occupants. and those in the
sixth car, thought they would be hurt.
and there was great deal of screaming.
James z. Harrison. the motorman,
ard William McInerney, tie conductor.
hustled back, assuring the frightened
folks that there waE nothing TO be AFRAID
OF and the latter had sufficient faith in
the two men TO calm down. lmmedi-
a.ely the power WIS shut off. The police
NJ the Park Row end of the bridge
stopped the sale ~ tickets for elevated
trains and wort down the crowded ap-
proaches telling the thrcngs that the
elevated service was discontinued for
few hours. The subway and surface
lines suffered accordingly.
But on the Brooklyn end of the bridge
matters were not so easily handled un-
I'll the Old High street loop was opened
up. The first three cars Of the first train
h7d come abreast the Sands street plat
form. The second. third and fourth trains
we're moved gently forward until all
four trains were consolidated. Then
there was a grand shuff'e through the
stalled trains as far forward as the
detracked car where everybody took
70 the tracks and walked the zoo feet
20 the station platform.
Then transfers were issued 20 them
and they clambered aboard the trains
that were swinging around the High
street loop. touching but not entering
'hs bridge proper. At go the Brooklyn
Papid Transit installed a shuttle service
~ the br6ce--one train running back and
forth F,oir ono end Of the bridge TO the
other or thr ror.h track. This make
shift cortinred for several hours. The
damag. win - repaired by this morn
ing and -eyuar qcrvics will be provided.
ths of''clslf said