The evening world., 1922-08-16
WOMEN IN PANIC TRY TOLEAP
FROM WINDOWS IN BLAZING
LEXINGTON AVE. SUBWAY CAR
Cool-Headed Fireman Saves
Many From Injury as
Train RuSheS to Spring
Street Station .
Passengers Nearly Tear
Down TurnStileS in Wild
Scramble to Escape
Traffic Tied Up 80 Minutes.

With memories of recent subway
catastrophes vivid in their minds,
hundreds of passengers were thrown
into a panic at SO o'clock this morn
ing when the rear car of ten car
southbound local train in the LcXing-
ton Avenue subway burst into flames
between Blocker and Spring Streets.
Subway traffic in the downtown Soc
ton vas demorailzcd for half an hour.
Many of the women in the rear car
were prevented from jumping from the
speeding train as the comet-Iike tail
OF flame that followed the car was in
creased by the speed.
Fireman William p. Hogan of Truck
No. .. g passenger in the third car
from tho rear, hearing the shouts of
the passengers and smelling the
smoke, fought his way through the
swarming passengers and reached the
rear car in time to prevent several
women from leaping through windows.
one man wrcnchcd fire eX-
tinguisher from the car wall and was
about to play it on the burning insula-
ton in the rear vesFbule, when Ho-
gan, fearing a repetition of the recent
fire at 61st Street in which hundreds
were overcome 10y poisonous fumes,
knocked the apparatus from the mans
hand. With several cooler heads
among the men passengers Hogan
stood guard over the open windows
as the train, at top speed, streaked
for the Spring Street station.
In the mean time the panic had
spread to the forward cars and by the
time the train reached Spring Street
men and women were lighting each
other to gain'the doors.
Edward Roth, motorman Of the
burning train, blew the distress sig
mails as the train entered the Spring
Street station and the train guards,
acting under orders of julius stein,
the conductor, tried in vain to prevail
upon the panic-stricken passengers to
leave in an orderly manner. Dlsre-
gardng the orders of the guards and
Fireman Hogan, the passengers almost
tore down the exit gates and many
vaulted over the turnstiles in their
mad rush toward the exit stairs
In the mean time word was carried
20 Lieut.. Hugh Hallcgan Of Engine
Company No 20, close by the Spring
StUcCt station, who, with his men, re-
spondcd to the alarm. They were un-
able to fight their way down the steps
against the stream of passengers
rushing against them and by the time
they reached the car the blaze had
made great headway. They were
forced TO wait until the power had
been turned off of the third rail before
they turned streams of water upon
the burning car. 1t was this shutting
down of the power that tied up down
town subway traffic until nearly 9
o'clock.
1t was necessary for the fircmen to
tear away a portion Of tho rear Of
the train before they could reach the
burning insulation (which had caused
most of the sitting smoke. Many of
the women and girls who had been
on the train tainted and were given
first aid.
Scores were so unnerved that they
could not proceed to their places Of
business and returned to their homes
on surface cars and in taxis.
The cause of the blaze has not been
determined, but the fremen believe
either a crossed connection in the rear
si the car or defective insulation
started the blaze.
rs far as could be learned by the
police, no one was seriously injured,
but many were jostled and bruised
In their rush for safety.