Evening journal., 1922-07-06
NEAR Death IN
SUBWAY PANIC
Children Trampled When
Short Circuit Blows in
New York Tunnel
FIREMEN RESCUE
ALL PASSENGERS


Press Little children were tram.
pied. men and women fought des-
| perately in the darkness and more
than 100 persons were overcome
in panic, 35 feet below the sur
face when a short circuit in the
Lexington avenue subway was fol-
lowed by smoke and fire today. At
l2.45 p. m. the police reported that
no cone had been killed.
Fire broke out in a jerome ave
nue. express train which left Grand
Central station shortly before noon
today. Short circuit OF wires caused
a burst OF flame as the trains thun-
! dered past the Flfty-nin;h Street
Station.
a panic cnsued IN the burning
car. The train crew checked the
flames with extinguishers. Thick
black smoke alled the train imme-
diately afterwards. All lights went
out and trains stopped.
Passengers in terror tried 10 es-
cape from the cars in which they
were locked. Windows were smash
ed by terrified women and men who
climbed through windows injurlng
themselves severely.
Children were handed through
broken panes to persons outside.
Phillip Deller, guard on the train,
told the United Press Of the terror
of the panic.
When the fuse blew out there
was deathly hush among my pas
sengers. Everyone seemed TO have
held his breath. No one spoke in
my ear until we turned on the ex-
tlnguishers on a little fire which
started. Then as smoke filled the
train. women and children and some
men burst out screaming. They
were fast in the train. Nearly ev-
eryone seemed TO be yelling fire
People rushed to the center and
the ends Of tse car and battered
against the heavy steel doors with
their fists
Ihen came crashes Of glass as
windows began to go. Many got out-
side the cars, and bumped and
stumbled along in the darkness. The |
current on the third rail was shut
on TO prevent loss of life"
4 saw many women and chill
dren whom was unable IN borr
trampled upon in that terrible
rush"
Children and women appeara5
from the subway exits with torn
and terrified faces in
dicative of terrific struggles in the
darkness. Lights went out when the
snort circuit occurred and all trains
were halted. Firemen with ladders
descended on the tracks which |
were deeper than usual at the point |
where the flames started to spread. |
Hospitals in the vicinity quickly |
were crowded with injured. Am |
bulances dashed to and fro. those |
at the scene lining up in ranks to
take away persons overcome.
A northbOund Jerome Avenue ex-
press was leaving Grand Central
station when a fuse in the third
coach blew out. Fire extlnguishers
were called into play by the train
rev. a thick black smoke followed
which nearly suhfocated passengers.
Harry YanOpski. one Of the first TO
De overcome, was saved after fire.
men had worked over him with pull
motors for over an hour.
Mayor Hylan and other CITY Off
'ials were early at the scene.
Three hundred policemen took
'harge OF the situation. throwing
'ut a Gordon and holding back
thousands of persons who were
irawn to the district by reports of
disaster.
Emergency dressing stations were
quickly fitted up in Bloomingdale
department store near the scene and
cores OF gasping victims were taken
here. ,
Ed Lobus. an employe OF the New {
York Central was standing in the ,
'estibule Of the car when the fuse
lew out. The explosion tore loose
'art of the panel door which struck
4obus on the head.
Lobus declared to the United Press
hat the conductor promptly dis
harged a fire extinguisher into the
'oX but instead OF waiting until the
lanes were completely out turned
m the switch again.
This caused the entire fuse box 10
low out with the resultant outpour-
ne of dense smoke as the insulation
gnited, he said.