Some take the train to the fireworks — others fireworks to the train
- From: Anon Emous <mr.emous@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 15 May 2012 05:38:25 -0700 (PDT)
BOMB BLAST INJURES 13 IN STATION CROWD
Package of Fireworks Explodes in Beach-Bound Throng
at East New York.
A PANIC AS TRAIN IS SHAKEN
Windows Are Smashed on Jamaica Express and Part of
Platform Is Ripped-Up.
The New York Times
25 August 1924
Thirteen men and women, on their way to the
Rockaways and other Long Island resorts, were painfully
hurt yesterday morning when bombs and fire-works
exploded beneath them as they were boarding a
Jamaica express train on the Long Island Railroad at the
East New York Station. The explosives were dropped by
a man as he tried to fight his way on to the train in the
midst of a pushing crowd of men, women and children.
He and two companions, said by the police to be
Italians, disappeared in the panic that followed.
Calls were sent to several hospitals and a, fire alarm
also was sounded. Several of the injured were taken to
hospitals, but they were discharged when it was found
their hurts were not severe. The others were treated by
ambulance physicians and sent home. The injured were:
In a Jostling Holiday Crowd.
The explosion, which was heard for several blocks,
occurred at 11:25, when! the congestion of excursionists
was at its height. The long wooden platform was
crowded with people, the East New York station being
directly under the Atlantic Avenue stations of a number
of Brooklyn elevated and subway lines and a popular
transfer point.
When the express train pulled in, the crowd, eager to
get seats, surged to the gates, jostling and pushing. In
the crowd were three men, each carrying a large
package. One of the parcels dropped between the
station platform and the train to the tracks, several feet
below. There was a terrific roar followed by several
milder explosions, and a short-lived pyrotechnic display.
This car nearest the explosion rocked and the windows
crashed. Pieces of the big salute bomb shot up to the
platform and hit persons nearby. The force of the
detonation also ripped away some of the platform and
overthrew a penny weighing machine more, than ten
feet away. Its glass was smashed and its mechanism
wrecked.
Women picked up their children and ran for shelter and
the men, too, not knowing what had happened, rushed
for protection. Some one put in a fire alarm. Then
ambulances began coming from Bradford Street, St.
Mary's, Brownsville and East New York, St. John's, and
Bushwick Hospitals. Seeman, Coyle and Litt were taken
to the Bradford Street Hospital for diagnosis, but they
were discharged when their injuries were not found to be
serious. All the others were treated at the station.
Police Record It as Accident.
Acting Captain James G. Gegan of the Bomb Squad
hurried to the scene from New York Police Headquarters
when the first report of the explosion reached there. He
and detectives from the Rockaway Avenue police station
learned that the three men were probably Italians who
were bound for an Italian celebration somewhere on
Long Island, where fireworks and bombs were to play an
important role. As soon as the gunpowder exploded the
men disappeared in the panic-stricken crowd. The police
believe the man who dropped his package was jostled
by the crowd, and they have recorded It as an accident.
One of the men dropped his parcel in the station as he
ran away. This contained several "bombs"' about sixteen
inches long and several inches in diameter. There also
were other smaller firecrackers and fireworks.
Eastbound service was halted about ten minutes.
--------
"Eastbound service was halted about ten minutes."
Fast-forward to 2012... the bomb squad would have
showed up and evacuated a 12-block radius. Followed
by the Hazmat people who would have spared no expensive
to insure on one stray atom remained. Inconvenience
to the ridding public not a concern.
.
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