New-York tribune., 1922-07-02
City Is Flooded,
Transit Halted.
By Cloudburst
CONTINUED from page one)

way near Union Street that local
trains were switched to the express
tracks. In another fifteen minutes the
traffic was halted Trains were not
running between Pacific and Thirty.
sixth streets until after dark.
Brighton Line Blocked Two Hours
The Brighton Beach subway, flooded
by the Newkirk Avenue sewer, was
tied up for about two hours.
Normal traffic on the Fourth Avenue
subway, in which the Sea Beach and
West End trains run, was not restored
until 9:45 p. m., although two tracks
were opened at TAO. From 1880 until
9:45 three powerful pumps had been
continuously at work.
The West Side subway, in Manhat
tan, suffered from the Varick Street
food, which swept several inches deep
from building line to building line,
subway ventilation shafts. The power
was shut off between Fourteenth and
Houston streets. Three trains were
caught between stations.
Two of the trains, between Four
teenth and Houston streets, were
stalled where the passengers were able
to walk dry shod to the nearest station
along al 1so the 1,nnd3 shelflike path IN the side
Passengers on an express train which
came to stop between Fourteenth
and Eighteenth streets were less fortu-
nate. The train was dimly lighted by
the storage battery lights, and at an
announcement by guards in the for
ward car that passengers could reach
the Eighteenth Street station platform
from the rear car hundreds of men
and women began to surge through the
train. AS the vanguard reached the
rear car, however, the guard turned
them back, saying there was no exit
from the train there. A scene of con-
fusion followed before the passengers
became reconciled to their fate and
found seats in which to wait for the
continuation of their journey by: rail.
1t was an hour before the train could
go on.
Those who were turned out at sta
tions sought the East Side subway, with
the idea of using the Grand Central
shuttle to regain the West Side line
The result was that the East Side line
and the shuttle between the Grand
Central Terminal and Times Square
gers.
Storm Broke in Rush Hour
The storm came just when the Satur-
day rush hour was starting. AS many
of the homeward bound throng were
planning to take a holiday over the
Fourth of July and were hurrying to
catch trains, the confusion resulting
from the synchronous blockade on so
mo 0f to ~,
Probably the most congested point
in the city was the vicinity Of the
Long Island Railroad station at Flat
bush and Atlantic avenues, Brooklyn.
1t handles more passengers daily than
any other railroad station in the city,
and yesterday noon its ordinary crowd
was augmented by the throngs who
werc barred from the Sea Beach, West
End and Brighton lines.
AS the Flatbush Avenue trolley lines.
the Ocean Avenue line and the Nos
trand Avenue line also were out Of
commission, owing to the flooding Of
their tracks, the only recourse of the
crowd were the Culver and Bay Ridge
elevated lines.
Captain Kauf and the reserves from
the Bergen Street police station had
the greatest difficulty handling the
crowd that surged about the elevated
station at Flatbush and Atlantic ave-
nues and trying to keep q passage clear
for the counter rush of commuters
seeking Long Island Railroad trains.
The fourth trolley line in Brooklyn
which the storm blocked was that to
Richmond Hill, Queens.
Lightning Hits Church Steeple
During the storm lightning struck
the steeple of the Bushwick Avenue
German Presbyterian Church at
e77 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn,
hurting bricks to the street and
causing such damage that the police
roped off the sidewalk beneath 1T pend
ing investigation. 1t is thought that
ever.
The church is almost directly op-
posite Mayor Hylan's home, and when
the Mayor drove up shortly before din
ner time he joined q crowd in front of
the police lines watching two steeple-
jacks, Edward eastman and Joseph
Miller, whom the Building Department
had sent to work on the wrecked
steeple.
eastman was holding Miller by the
legs while the latter leaned far out
of the belfry and knocked off loose
bricks with long pole.
Mayors Advice Ignored
"Yon'd better get rope around that
mani" shouted the Mayor, but the
steeplejacks paid no attention until a
policeman brought the advice to them
and told them who had given it. Then
they retired briefly into the belfry and
when they emerged Miller had rope
around his waist, to which eastman
clung.
Paul Jockela, janitor Of an apart
ment house at 146O Carroll Street
Brooklyn, worked dauntlessly with
broom and bucket to stem the food
pouring into the cellar Of the house
until the water got waist deep. Then
Jockela thought it was time to get as
sistance.
Accordingly he swan to the street
and turned in fire alarm. The firemen
who responded made remarks which
Jockela regarded as distinctly unkind.
With most concerns closed until Mon
day at least, the half-drowned residents
Of Flatbush found that they wers