The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-07-07
$50 Caught
in Subway
Fire at N. Y.
Passengers on Underground
Train Panic.Stricken, Over.
come by Fumes-Hylan
Directs Rescue.
Many Sent to Hospitals.

New York, July o.--(By A. P.)-
Panic ragged Is feet under ground to-
day when fire broke out on an up.
town Lexington avenue subway ex-
press near Fifty-ninth street. Deadly
gas filled the 10 cars when guards
attacked the small blaze with fire
cXtinguishcrs, and about $50 men,
women and children were affected by
the fumes before they crawled
through the darkened tube to outlets
and climbed or were lifted to the
street, two levels above the express
tracks.
Fifty Sent to Hospitals.
Three persons were so badly at
tackled by the gas that fear is felt
for their lives. About SO were sent
to hospitals and the others received
medical attention. The train carried
about 500 passengers.
A downtown express on reaching
the spot where the other had halted
also was filled with fumes. Windows
were broken as the passengers fought
to escape.
Unaware that the electric current
had been switched off four minutes
after the fire broke out in fuse box,
passengers crawled along the tracks
on hands and knees, fearing the
dreaded third rail-
The fire started in the motorman's
box after a fuse had blown out.
There was flash of flame and the
smoke swept through the crowded
train.
Mad Scramble to Escape.
When the emergency brakes were
applied and the train came to a
grinding halt, guards threw open the
doors and passengers made a mad
scramble to escape. Those unable
10 walk were carried from the cars
to the Fifty-ninth street station. Fire
ladders also were dropped through
iron gratings at Sixty-first street and
women lifted to the
street.
Patrolman Frederick Norman took
charge of the train when it halted.
He commanded the passengers, in
the name of the law, to remain quiet.
Then he directed the guards to open
the door and began dragging halt
conscious men and women from the
train. Then he, too, collapsed and
had to be lifted to the street, but was
revived soon.
Pulmotors Used.
The injured were stretched out on
the sidewalks for several blocks. A
hospital was organized
and IA pulmotors were put into oper--
alton. The crowd of spectators soon
became so dense that police reserves
had to be rushed to the scene.
Men, women and children tlled the
l0-car train. Guards attempted to
fight the flames with hand ex-
but failed. When the
iremen arrived, however. they soon
succeeded in quelling the blaze, which
in itself was small. Many of the fire
lighters were overcome.
Relief work soon got underway.
Besides the doctors who fastened
o the scene in ambulances, many
,ther physicians jumped into taxi
abs, in many cases bringing their
,ffice nurses with them.
Bloomingdale's department store
It 50 street and Lexington avenue
organized fire brigade of
= employees, who dashed into the
subway to aid in the rescue work. |
The stores drug department was
aided for supplies and pulmotors.
Many firemen were overcome as
hey tried to descend the subway
teps. Members of the rescue squad
lonned their gas masks to attack the
lanes.
Mayor Hylan, one of the first city
officials to arrive, was driven back
~ fumes when he attempted to en-
er the subway.