The New York herald., 1922-08-07
Trap Found That Would
Have Tied Up Entire L. |.
and P. r. r. Systems.
$1,000 REWARD OFFERED
Heavy Police Guard Thrown
About Road-Police Sus.
pect Strikers.


A plot to wreck the electrified lines
Of the Long Island Railroad yesterday.
according to the company, threatened
the safety of thousands of passengers
bound for Rockaway and Long Beach.
Seven attempts were made to wreck
trains and cripple the service by tear
ing up sections of live third rail. For
tunately no passengers were injured.
One railroad employee was hurt.
Railroad officials and the police be-
lieve the damage was the work OF
strikers or strike sympathizers. 1t was
described as ''skillful tampering by
men highly versed in handling electric
currents" and was viewed by some as
the most vicious attack on railroad
property in the United States since
the shopmen's strike. started July l.
That the result was not more serious
is considered rema rkable A reward
of $1,000 was offered for the arrest OF
the guilty persons.
Heavy Police Guard Dispatched.
AS soon as pOSslDiG tNttS
policeman in Manhattan. Brooklyn and
The Bronx was ordered TO Queens for
guard duty under the direction OF In
spector conboy Of the Fourteenth In
spection district The special police OF
| the Long Island and Pennsylvania rail-
roads in the metropolitan district were
also sent to patrol the tracks. Power
| full searchlights and electric arc lamps
! kept the right of way brilliantly illum-
mated throughout the night.
/ The manner in which the third rail
was tampered with was the saEie In each
case For n stretch of several hundred
feet the wooden guard rail and the third
rail itself were ioosened by removing the
nuts from the bolss which held them.
| When the train passed over the dam
! aged section the rail was overturned and
| In most cases the contact shoes" were
ripped off.
| Damage was discovered at the follow
ing points: Between Hampstead Cross
/ ing and Hampstead opposite Country
Life Press station and between Nassau
Boulevard and Garden City, on the
Hampstead division: between Queens
| Village and Hollis, on the main line
between Springfield and Valley Stream,
on the Atlantic division and at Liberty
avenue. Ozone Park, and near the race
track at Aqucduct. on the Rockaway
Beach division.
Done After Midnight.
These depredations occurred some
time after midnight Saturday They
were repaired and trains were running
again at 9:i5. About noon, between
White Pot and Grand streets Maspeth,
motorman spied coil OF wire fas-
tened to the running rail and connected
way that IL he had not stopped his
train In time short circuit would have
put the entire electrified system OF tn.
Long Island and Pennsylvania railroads
out of commission for hours.
This final effort to cripple the service
was made between / and . o'clock be-
cause trains had passed the spot less
than an hour before the trap was dis
covered
The following bulletin was posted
yesterday In all stations OF the Long
Island Railroad:
"A reward OF $1,000 will be paid for
the arrest and conviction OF any in
d,vdual or individuals responsible for
damage TO company property which also
endangers the lives OF passengers and
train crews"
The Long Island Railroad yesterday
had its largest days travel since July
liberste attempt was being made 70 pre-
vent the operation OF trains every nut
and bolt from Pennsylvania Station 10
the beaches was tested. The line
swarmed with track walkers. private
watchmcn and uniformed police. Guards
in automobiles patrolled the adjacent
roads
Motormen were cautioned to drive with
the utmost care. Long special trains &c
I ttt rrfn ha hoarhra rra cd n
with searchlights streaming into the
night and watchful eyes trained on tn,
track ahead
No official statement was issued by
the railroad. President Ralph Peters
said he had received report from his
general superintendent that sabotage
had occurred and that il had been rem
edied as quickly as possible. The fol-
lowing was given out unofflcially;
Wholesale evidence was discovercd
between and 6 A. NJ. by the operating
department of intent to maliciously in
terfere with the safe and efficient opera
tion of train service on the various elcr
tr.hed divisions"
Railroad detectives have reason TO be-
lievc that the plot to cripple yesterdays
holiday service was carefully thought
out and planned ahead Private
watchmen reported last night that for
several DAYS they have observed an au-
tomobe containing from three to six
men. dressed like mechanics. driving
along the roads that parallel the railroad.
Occasionally the automobile would stop
BId one OF the men get out and look
around This happened not Tar from the
laccs where damage was done . the
| third rail Yesterday. Il WAS said.
The nrst trouble was discovered near