Norwich bulletin., 1922-07-07

New York. July s.-CBy the A P.)- Trapped 75 feet below the street. in dark subway tunnel. reeking with gas fumes and smoke, nearly 500 men, wo-. men ana children passengers on an East Side train of the Interborough Rapid Transit company today became frenzied mob. and almost a third of their number were overcome before they could fight Lheir way 10 safety.
 Three probably will die. police officials Eaid it was a miracle many were not trampled to death.
 A worse spot for such an accident scarcely could have been picked thar, Lexington avenue. at Sixtieth street. where the train came to a sudden halt. There is no express station between Grand Central Terminal. at Forty-second street. and S6th street. The express tracks are three tiers down-beneath the local tube Of the l. R. T.-and the cross town tunnel of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit company. and the only exits are narrow little spiral stairways at Fifty third. Fifty-eighth and Sixty-third. These were iammed with Iugitives from the scene below.
 The contents of fire extinguisher of a widely advertised type. which when used on a tiny blaze in a motorman's control boI. sent fumes of smoke swirling through the tunnel. was blamed by police and fire officials for the gravity of the disaster.
 More than three score of those over come were in SO serious condition as to require hospital treatment. while the number treated on the streets and in amergency hospitals set up at the scene Eas placed at about 100.
 The train-a ten-car Jerome avenue express. heavily loaded-was crashing tiong beneath Lexington avenue shortly tfter n o'clock when passengers in the .hlrd coach were startled by an expIo- slon which blew open the door of the iriver's compartment. A short circuit ssd occurred.
 TvnneI Chokea With Fumes
 Pztrolman Fred Norman, who was -iding in the car seized fire extinguish- r from its rack and. as the train ground O a sudden halt. rushed to the compart- nent and shot the contents of the exting- iisher on the splitting flames, which were sating the insulation from the control oox wires. Instead of checking them, he declared, the fextinguisher served only to Epread theml and In moment the car, md soon the entire tunnel, were choked with smoke and fumes.
 Bullying the panic-stricken passengers Into some semblance of order, Patrol zan Norman seized a woman who had seen overcome. clambered down into the darkness of the tunnel and commanded other male passengers to follow his ex- ample.
 He groped hls way with his burden to ssth street and led the refugees up a long winding emergency stairway to the street.
 .rL- s- I-... l.. .t.-,., , '. tll available fire aparatus, ambulances and police reserves in the vicinity rush. nE Co the scene. and plunged back down The Stairs to rescue other victims He rorked until he dropped, and was sent aonne in Mayor Hylan's private limousine.
 In the meantime, passengers in other sars Of the stalled train, ignorant at Erst of the cause of the delay. were rowing nervous. and the guards opened the doors and advised them to seek safe ty. Smoke and fumes poured in as the doors were opened and they dropped trantically to the tracks and began rnak- Ing their way toward the faraway exists Many fearing the deadly third rail, drop ped down on their hands and knees and literally crawied to safety.
 A moment after the general push for sxfcty started. a south-bound express roared fin on the opposite track and ground to a sudden halt as train light. and tunnel lights went dark Power had been shut on to save the passengers iron possible electrocution. But the darkness, only added to the panic. and the passeng. srs on this train smashed their way oui of the cars and joined in the scrambl, Cor the exists
 In the meantime. Lexington avenue haS been choked with ambulances and fir, trucks and police reserves from threl stations were drawing a cordon to hol, back the thousands that were attracted t, The scene.
 Physicians. in whose neighborhood tn accident occurred. came hurrying wit heir office nurses. while calls to tn Red Cross brought additional workers.
 Police, hremen and volunteers thei plunged down Into the subway an brought out victim after victim. usin tho emergency exits at Fifty-third, Eli ty-elehth and Sixty-thlrd streets, an working by ladders through the ventils ton grating at Sixty-hrst street
 Those least injured were laid in row on the sidewalks to receive first ait while the graver cases were taken t ffnprovised hospitals .n Blooningdale department store and the Young Men Christian association. later to be remove to regular hospitals.
 hA NH- AAlllr A14ALCcn pulInOLOT OpeTdl ors were bsndiTg over prostrate figure the sidewalk.
 Fire Extinguisher Blamed
 Blame for the seriousness of the acc dent was laid on the Pyrene fire exiting uisher by Captain Thomas Rush. of Er zine Company 5s. which was the first reach the scene. directed by Mayor H, Ian. to make a statement, he said:
 The smoke was not heavy from a fir. mans point of view. found employe of the Marlborough fighting the fire wit hand extlnEllshers which are called P, rene extinguishers, and as a result ( liquid from these extingrishers strikin tho fire deadly fusoes were created. Tn Pyrene extinkuisher Is a widely advei tised article. and while it Is very effecti, for gasoline fires. 1t is a deadly mena, tn a closed place"
 Fire Commissioner brennan later sal a preiiminary investigation Indicate that the '-noxious fumes were cause partly by the burning of insulation ar party by the use of Pyrene extinguisher
 4 formal Investigation will be starts tomorrow to fx tho blame for the ace