Ant Hill

Out of the great ant hill which is Manhattan, three sets of ant tunnels furrow under the Hudson River and emerge in the free air of New Jersey. One set of tunnels belongs to the Pennsylvania R. R.; another set is the Holland Vehicular Tunnels, completed two years ago; the third set is called the Hudson Tubes, a commuting device.

At the rush hour one evening last week a train of ten carloads of commuters slid down into a Hudson Tube from the Manhattan side. A fire of waste oil was burning on the tracks ahead. The motorman put on speed to pass over it. Suddenly there was a blinding flash. An automatic safety device set the brakes. The train was stalled with its third and fourth cars over the flames. Smoke filled the air. The ant passengers cursed, prayed and moaned, beat, trampled and rescued one another. Three more trains halted behind the first in the confusion.

Invisible intelligencers spread the news in the great ant hill. Squads of ant firemen advanced into the tunnel, attacked the flames, carried out smoke-blackened passengers. Many were injured, none killed. Scores of ant officials with ant authority hurried to investigate.