The New York herald., 1922-07-26
Continued from First Page.

Of thousands contEnted themselves with
taking shanks' mAre across the bridges.
Mayor Hylan learned of the emergency
while in Police Headquarters with Com
missioner Enright not long after
o'clock. He ordered city owned buses
into service, as well as all available
municipal jitneys, to relieve the bridge
congestion. Then he went to the Brook
! iyn Bridge IN person to give what aid
he could.
George McAneny. chairman of the
Transit Commission. accompanied by
Mr.. Rdgway, chief engineer. started
for the center of trouble at 5:fo o'clock.
They went first to the Whitehall street
station of the Observation-Disclosures
street subway line. From the Man
haitian side to about half way through
the Montague street tunnel the power
is supplied by the Interborough COM
pany. from which it is purchased by
the B. r. T. The Transit Commission
officials found that a shuttle train ser
vice had been already inaugurated be-
tween Chambers and Essex streets thus
relieving to a slight extent congestion
on the Manhattan side of the river.
Five Trains in Tunnel.
When the power failed there were five
subway trains stopped at various points
in the tunnel. or these, two had not
yet reached the point where they ex-
changed the Interborough current for
that of the B. r. T. power house. As
they had not suffered the general paraly-
sis, they backed their trains up under the
East River and discharged their fright
ened passengers in the Center street loop.
On learning from the motormen Of these
trains that three other trains had been
he Inf vyha
terborough current is used and were
helpless. Mr. McAneny suggested that
one of the trains that backed out of the
subway run run forward again into the
tunnel, making sufficient trips to and
from to bring back to the Manhattan
side all passengers In the stalled trains.
Transition from the motionless trains
to the relief shuttle train was aided by a
force of inspectors and train hands
whom the company sent into the tunnel
Immediately after the loss Of power. The
smooth duct benches Of concrete border
ing the tracks were used as sidewalks in
the passage from train to train. Once
the emergency connection had been made
from the Edison power house the tunnel
was adequately Illuminated and, except
for excessively nervous or panicky per-
sons, the adventure was neither a diff
cult nor a hazardous one. After being
assured that there was no danger and
that the cars probably would soon again
be In motion, hundreds Of passengers de-
cided to retain their seats rather than
make the personally conducted excursion
through the tube under escort of the
company's men.
Interborough Power Helps.
The fact that the b. r. T. power cur
rent Is supplied b the Interborough
In Manhattan and to a point about mid
way under the river, not only made this
relief expedition,y inaugurated at Chair
man McAneny's suggestion. feasible; II
accounted also for the fact that In its
Manhattan Broadway subway the b. r.
T. was enabled to keep local trains In
motion between Whitehall and Fifty
seventh streets. though the blocking of
the tunnels and switching difficulties at
terminals made even this service for a
time uncertain and slow.
Other lines which continued In normal
operation and which were more tremcn-
dously taxed than ever before were the
surface lines running across the Will
iamsburf Bridge TO the plaza in Will
iamsburg, which draw their power from
the plants of the Third avenue and the
New York Railways surface systems.
and the Manhattan Bridge three cent
line, which is similarly served.
The Interborough lines running into
Brooklyn territory were packed with
eager home seekers. These routes serve
the Brownsville section and extend also
to Flatbush and Nostrand avenues. So
many whose residences are remote from
those districts sought to press into the
Interborough cars. however, in order TO
get at least a lift on their way that
the Transit Commission directed the In
terborough management to extend over
several hours lonser than usual its max
imum rush hour service. This was done
and thousands proflted by II.
Felt at Times Square.
The tieup was severely felt as far
north in Manhattan as Times square.
Mrlfitudea enfered the q n r station