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Over There from Over Here: Brooklyn Heights’ Forgotten WWI Casualties

weegee — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 11:52:39 +0000

– by Marc A. Hermann/Brooklyn Heights Blog
Brooklyn Heights has many connections to military history. Most notably, of course, is its role in the 1776 battle of Long Island. Eighty-five years later, the neighborhood was a hive of activity as regiments such as the 14th “Brooklyn” Militia and the 67th New York Infantry recruited and marched off to war. Indeed, the Heights would suffer quite a few losses during the Civil War, and bore witness to the shattered remnants of its legions stepping off boats at Fulton Landing after their enlistments expired. Through active veterans association, the memories of these regiments did not fade easily, and the Heights’ legacy of that period is readily recalled in military history circles.

Our proximity to the Navy Yard, and the benefit of being but one or two generations removed from, and, in some cases, first-hand witnesses to World War II, make that period seem close-to-home. Despite neglect over the years, the Brooklyn War Memorial in Cadman Plaza Park is a tangible reminder of hometown contributions.

Mention the First World War, however, and one does not immediately associate Brooklyn Heights residents with trenches, mustard gas, and barbed wire. In other neighborhoods around the borough, as well as in countless small communities across the country, you will find public spaces in which a bronze doughboy stands on a pedestal, a thin helmet perched on his head, a bolt action Springfield rifle clutched in his hand. At the very least, a bronze plaque with names of memorialized dead may be found, an appropriate tribute to hometown heroes—but not here. Indeed, I must admit, even as an advanced amateur student of military history, I had hardly considered that the neighborhood provided a substantial number of troops in that “war to end all wars,” much less suffered considerable casualties. It was a bit of a shock, then, to sift through the data compiled by the state that lists, where available, the names and addresses of New York’s war dead from 1917 to 1919, and to see familiar streets named—and to see some famous fighting units mentioned.

Tracing its lineage back to that same 14th Regiment of the Civil War, the 106th Infantry was one of the New York National Guard units that was federalized when, along with the standing army and the forthcoming pool of draftees, the Allied Expeditionary Force was created. Among its ranks was Thomas Crann, a Mechanic with Company E, and a resident of 118 Court Street. In Company C, Harry Hood of 65 Fulton Street shouldered a rifle, while Thomas Lang of 66 Boerum Place earned his corporal stripes in Company F. Within days of each other, in September, 1918, as the 106th was hurled against the infamous Hindenburg Line near Cambrai and Saint-Quentin, all three would be listed as killed in action.

A short distance down the trenches from their unit was another synonymous with New York’s military tradition—the 107th Infantry, the federalized incarnation of the honorable old Seventh Regiment. Although mostly home to sons of Manhattan society, one exception was Private Henry H. Karkala, who lived at 96 Pineapple Street. On September 29, 1918, the day the Hindenburg Line would finally be breached, Karkala was killed.

Whether or not they knew each other is not certainly known, but two neighbors somehow found themselves the odd Brooklynites among a unit of Pennsylvanians. John Gavin of 349 Furman Street and Dennis Sullivan of 20 Willow Place ended up in two different companies of the Keystone State’s 28th Division. Both were killed in October, 1918. Gavin, a member of the 109th Machine Gun Battalion, had attended St. Charles School, and was employed as a cooper before going to the front.

Meanwhile, Frank Dagnal Fairclough left his home at 90 State Street to enlist in the Marine Corps. He was assigned to the 5th Marines, which would gain a name for itself in a place called Belleau Wood. It was there on June 6, 1918, that Fairclough would be killed as machine gun and rifle fire from entrenched Germans, holding Hill 142, cut down the Marines as they charged through a waist-high wheatfield. His body rests in the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. Modern-day Marines, studying the action in Belleau Wood, learn about the exploits of Sergeant Dan Daly, who implored his men to keep moving forward, while Fairclough has faded into obscurity.

I don’t doubt that the list I have compiled is incomplete, and I was very conservative in defining the borders of Brooklyn Heights. There are quite a few names of residents of the present-day DUMBO and Concord Village areas, likewise Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill, who do not appear here. However, I am glad to have uncovered as many names as I have, and hope that Brooklyn Heights residents take a moment to remember them on this Veterans Day. Despite the near-century that separates us from them, they are still our neighbors, and our hometown heroes.

Musician Frederick Allard, 104th Field Artillery, Pneumonia, 3/25/19 – 294 Jay St.

Private John Areomano, Co. A, 4th Infantry, KIA, 7/15/18 – 215 Pearl St.

Private Harris Blumberg, Med. Dept., 28th Infantry, Broncho Pneumonia, 9/21/18 – 165 Clinton St.

PFC James Boie, 481st Aero Squadron, Cirrhosis, 11/29/18 – 170 Hicks St.

Water Tender Thomas Clarke, USNRF, 1/20/18 – 16 Vine St.

Mechanic Thomas J. Crann, Co. E, 106th Infantry, KIA, 9/27/18 – 118 Court St.

Private Benjamin Cretton, Co. C, 105th Infantry, KIA, 10/18/18 – 63 Pineapple St.

Private Stephen Epp, Co. F, 11th Infantry, Died of wounds, 10/20/18 – 101 Schermerhorn St.

Private Frank Dagnal Fairclough, 5th Marines, KIA, 6/6/18 – 90 State St.

Private John Gavin, Co. L, 109th Infantry, KIA 10/3/18 – 349 Furman St.

Corporal Thomas W. Harrington, 2nd Replacement Bn, USMC, Wounds, 10/16/18 – 2 Middagh St.

Private Charles H. Holden, Sec. 559 Ambulance Service, Broncho Pneumonia, 10/4/18 – 294 Henry St.

PFC Harry H. Hood, Co. C, 106th Infantry, KIA, 9/24/18 – 65 Fulton St.

Corporal Morris B. Jackson, 2nd Casual Co., Pneumonia, 10/27/18 – 47 Willow St.

Private Henry H. Karkala, Co. L, 107th Infantry, KIA, 9/29/18 – 96 Pineapple St.

Private Albert J. Kern, Co. D, 6th Engineers, KIA, 3/29/18 – 9 Willow St.

Corporal Thomas Lang, Co. F, 106th Infantry, KIA, 9/27/18 – 66 Boerum Pl.

PFC Henry P. McCann, Co. C, 307th Infantry, KIA, 9/14/18 – 60 Schermerhorn St.

Private James D. McKeever, Co. D, 5th Machine Gun Bn., KIA, 7/2/18 – 45 ½ Hicks St.

PFC John A. McLoughlin, Co. E, 57th Infantry, Drowning, 3/15/18 – 22 Willow St.

Ship’s Cook 1st Class Jacob John Nowacki, USN, 5/31/18 – 92 Orange St.

Private N. Thermistocles Poulides, Co. B, 306th Infantry, KIA, 10/14/18 – 44 Willow St.

Private Charles E. Reardon, Ambulance Co., 80th Infantry, Lobar Pneumonia, 10/18/18 – 79 Tillary St.

Private Eichel Ruchman, Co. G, 9th Infantry, KIA, 7/18/18 – 101 Montague St.

PFC Robert P. Staats, Co. E, 3rd Regt. Traning Ctr., Camp Hancock, GA, Influenza, 10/13/18 – 68 Montague St.

Private Dennis Sullivan, 109th Machine Gun Bn., KIA, 10/4/18 – 20 Willow Pl.

Wagoner John Lawrence Sullivan, QM Corps, Accidentally Shot, 2/20/19 – 39 Joralemon St.

Sgt. John S. Syversen, Co. D, 407th Tel. Battalion, Broncho Pneumonia, 10/28/18 – 333 Furman St.

PFC Charles Enos Tayntor, Base Hospital 83, Pneumonia, 10/3/18 – 62 Montague St.

Wagoner Franklin Pettit Updike, Co. A, 104th MG Battalion, Wounds, 8/15/18 – 148 Willow St.

PFC George R. Waltman, 317th Supply Train, Wounds, 7/9/19 – 81 Henry St.

Sergeant Judson L. Weinand, Co. B, 305th MG Battalion, KIA, 10/6/18 – 94 Pineapple St.

Private Alarick K.R. Wolf, Co. C, 305th Infantry, Wounds, 10/16/18 – 280 Henry St.

Photo: Reenactors of the Great War Association peer over the edge of a “shell crater” during a WWI battle recreation in Newville, PA this past weekend. Photo by M. Hermann.

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Opening Day: A Closer Look

weegee — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 22:03:41 +0000

As mentioned in a previous post, today marks the 63rd anniversary of the opening of the Promenade. Here, for your edification, is an unreleased photo of the occasion, taken from a high floor of 2 Montague Terrace. (Click through to the photo for its highest resolution!)

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Elderly Montague St. Resident Missing

weegee — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 01:50:05 +0000

Update: Mr. Rotenberg has been found, thanks to alert neighbor and BHB reader spm, and is safely at home. His relatives, and the police, have been notified.

Police are asking for assistance in locating 89-year-old Avram (“Robin”) Rotenberg, who was last seen yesterday at his home on Montague St. near Pierrepont Pl.

He is 5′ 9″, and weighs 180 pounds. Police did not specify what clothes he was wearing at the time of his disappearance.

Anyone with information should contact the NYPD at 212-694-7781.

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Have You Seen Matilda?

weegee — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:54:41 +0000

The NYPD has issued a missing person alert for 80-year-old Matilda Melenciano who was last seen Sunday at her residence on Pierrepont Street. Matilda is hispanic, 5 feet tall, and weighs 100 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS or visit the Crime Stoppers website.

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British Invasion!

weegee — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:02:42 +0000

The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Edinburgh arrived in Brooklyn a short time ago, putting in at Pier 7. Her arrival is scheduled to be marked tonight between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. with the firing of three salvoes.

She was recently in the Caribbean and is making several stops in the U.S. before returning across the pond to Portsmouth Naval Base. Commissioned in 1983, she deployed to Iraq in 2003 and has been engaged in anti-narcotic operations in the South Atlantic. With the retirement of the HMS York, she is the last Type 42 destroyer in the Royal Navy, and also has the distinction of having fired the last Sea Dart missile this past April, which had been in use since 1973.

The latest of many international vessels that have come to Pier 7, Edinburgh stays with us until Sunday, March 17th.

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Cops Seek Pert Pickpocket Perp

weegee — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 22:55:49 +0000

Police at the 84th Precinct are investigating a larceny that occurred late last year, and say this bespectacled lady is the prime suspect.

At around 6:00 P.M. on November 17th, a 27-year-old woman noticed her wallet, which contained her bank card, was missing as she entered the Borough Hall subway station. Two days later, at a Chase branch at 8th Ave. & West 15th St., the person seen in these surveillance pictures, withdrew $2000 from the victim’s bank account.

The suspect is described as being 5’3″, 110-125 pounds, with dark-colored hair, wearing dark clothing and thick-rimmed glasses. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

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Brooklyn Heights Resident Martha Atwater Killed in Tragic Accident on Clinton Street

weegee — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:23:20 +0000

A local woman was pronounced dead after she was struck by a vehicle which mounted the sidewalk in front of 200 Clinton St. this evening.

According to police, Martha Atwater, 48, of Remsen St. was struck by the 2011 Honda pickup truck which jumped the curb as it was heading north on Clinton St. from Atlantic Av. at approximately 5:40 p.m., its left side damaging the facade of Bagel Cafe and Two for the Pot. Ms. Atwater was taken to Long Island College Hospital, but could not be saved.

The 53-year-old driver of the vehicle remained at the scene, and was not expected to be charged.

(Publisher’s note: Atwater was involved in many Brooklyn Heights activities including the BHA House Tour. Her blog, Desperately Seeking Jon Stewart, was a very entertaining read. Take a moment to read to it today in her honor.

We at BHB are keeping her and her family in our thoughts and prayers.)

View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.

Tweets about “martha atwater”

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Taxis Collide on Furman

weegee — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 23:00:16 +0000

Two taxis and a charter bus were involved in an accident on Furman St. at Doughty St. around 5:30 p.m. Friday. Both cabbies suffered only minor injuries, but the accident, coupled with the rainy weather, made rush hour traffic on Old Fulton St. more hectic than usual. (Photo: M. Hermann/BHB)
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NYPD: Heights Robbers Continue to Branch Out

weegee — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:51:29 +0000

They got their start here, but aren’t exactly on the short list of Brooklyn Heights Famous Firsts…
The suspects who started a mini crime wave when they held up the Montague St. Radio Shack in October, 2012 have racked up another one, this time at a cell phone store on 120th St. in Queens. For this, their fourth robbery, they ramped up their M.O. by using zip ties to restrain the clerk while they cleared out the register, according to police. It’s not known exactly how much they took, but they left us with new surveillance photos.
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Robbers CAN Be Choosers

weegee — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:13:44 +0000

Police are looking for a man who, they say, robbed the Investors Bank at 81 Court St. around 6:00 Wednesday evening.
The suspect allegedly demanded money from two tellers who complied right away, but their “contributions” apparently weren’t enough to appease him. He demanded that they enter the vault and retrieve more cash. $20,000 later, the perp was on his way.
The robber is described as a black male, 25-to-35 years old, 5’6″ to 5’8″ in height, light complexion, thin build, and wearing a blue Yankees hat and a black leather jacket. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES), then entering TIP577.
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Police Seek RadioShack Robbers

weegee — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 21:45:12 +0000

Police have released a photo of a “person of interest” they say may have information pertaining to a trio who robbed the RadioShack on Montague St. on the afternoon of October 28, as well as two others in Brooklyn and Queens.
In each incident, three males allegedly entered the establishments while wearing ski masks, brandished weapons, and corralled the employees to the back of the stores while they made off with cash and electronics. In the third such incident, at a RadioShack on Liberty Ave., the man shown here was observed talking to a store employee before the robbery occurred. As a “person of interest,” he is not necessarily considered a suspect, but is sought for questioning.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
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DEVELOPING: Fire At 1BBP

weegee — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 03:37:41 +0000

FDNY is arriving on scene at 360 Furman St., reporting what sounds to be an electrical fire in the basement. More info to follow.
UPDATE: FD monitoring an “electrical condition” as well as an oil leak in the boiler room, caused by “rising water.” More to follow.
UPDATE, 11:58 P.M.: The chief has requested an engine company equipped with a dry chemical agent known as Purple-K, used when water is not appropriate to control a fire (as it would not be in this case.)
FINAL, 12:07 A.M.: FD is holding with five units and placing the situation under-control. No evacuations were necessary. Busy night all around Brooklyn, with a 2nd alarm in Red Hook occupying many of our resources. Engine 205 has been sent to southern Brooklyn to assist with the operations out there.
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Brazen Burglar Hits Two “75s”

weegee — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 03:57:39 +0000

Police are looking for this man who is wanted for burglarizing an astonishing seven apartments in the Heights early Friday morning.
The first five incidents occurred at 75 Henry St. between 4:30 A.M. and 6:00 A.M. on October 5, where the suspect allegedly gained entry to five apartments, each time being caught in the act by occupants.
Deciding to try his luck elsewhere, he moved south to 75 Livingston St., where surveillance footage shows him entering the lobby past a guard and boarding the elevator. He attempted to hit two apartments in this building between 6:25 A.M. and 6:35 A.M., but was again thwarted.
No property was taken in any of the incidents.

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RIP Marilyn J. Beck, Local Actress

weegee — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 03:50:01 +0000

Marilyn appears in 2008 film "Rag Doll."
Marilyn J. Beck, a longtime Remsen St. resident and active member of the Heights Players, died at Long Island College Hospital Saturday night. She was 80. Marilyn hailed from Indiana, where she attended St. Mary’s College and Ball State University. She worked for many years as a New York City public school teacher, retiring in 1989, but devoted much of her time to studying acting at HB Studio, in addition to pursuing African dance and ballet. A member of the Screen Actors Guild, her credits included “Going in Style” (1979), “A Beautiful Mind” (2001), and a 2003 episode of “Chappelle’s Show,” in which she played the wife of Chappelle’s blind, white supremacist character Clayton Bigsby.
Marilyn kicks up her heels in "Waiting in the Wings" at the Heights Players. Photo by M. Hermann

Marilyn appears opposite Dave Chappelle in 2003.
As a literacy advocate, she organized a program of dramatized short story readings that toured local libraries and nursing homes in the early 1990s, and volunteered with the SAG BookPALS program. Local audiences may remember her collaboration with legendary jazz violinist Noel Pointer on the production “Loving Henry,” a musical based on the Henry Ward Beecher adultery scandal of the 1870s. Marilyn was a fixture at the Heights Players, appearing in countless roles over the years. Dedicated to her craft, in 2005 she collapsed backstage during a production of “The Women,” but insisted on finishing the show before being brought to the hospital. Despite failing health, she appeared on stage as recently as last month in a tribute to Heights Players founding member John Bourne.
Scene from independent film "El Delivery" in 2004.
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A View To Remember

weegee — Mon, 28 May 2012 22:11:28 +0000

Photo by M. Hermann/BHB
It’s one flight that even the anti-helicopter caucus could support. A handful of servicemen from Charlie Company, 1st Bn.-9th Marines got this look at Brooklyn Heights today as their MV-22 Osprey, piloted by VMM-264 (“The Black Knights”), set off for a demonstration at Clove Lakes Park on Staten Island. The unit has returned from a recent deployment overseas, and is participating in Fleet Week events. (Click through to view the full-size image.)
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Stabbing At Brooklyn Heights Library

weegee — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:48:38 +0000

EMS has transported a 52-year-old man to Bellevue Hospital after an apparent stabbing that occurred at the Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library on Cadman Plaza West Tuesday evening. The victim was reportedly stabbed in the neck and abdomen, but the injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. A suspect was taken into custody at the scene. The Daily News reports that the incident occurred during an argument in which a man confronted another over his choice of online viewing material.
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BREAKING: Verdict In Death of 84th Precinct Officer

weegee — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:50:42 +0000

A Brooklyn jury has just returned a verdict of not guilty against George Villanueva on a charge that he murdered 84th Precinct Officer Alain Schaberger last year. Villanueva was, however, convicted on a charge of aggravated manslaughter, and his status as a repeat felony offender may result in a life sentence.
Officer Schaberger fell over the railing at 45 St. Marks Place while assisting in Villanueva’s arrest. At issue was whether Schaberger was deliberately pushed or accidentally fell during a struggle.
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Enterprise Over The Heights

weegee — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:00:59 +0000

The Space Shuttle Enterprise, aboard a NASA 747, appears over the Brooklyn Heights skyline this morning on its way to JFK Aiport, and eventually the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. (Photo: M. Hermann/BHB)
Photo by M. Hermann/BHB
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Ceiling Burglar Sought

weegee — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:34:25 +0000

NYPD
Police are looking for a man who, they say, broke into an office at 68 Jay Street this week and stole a laptop computer. The suspect, pictured here, apparently got into the office through a hole in the sheetrock ceiling at approximately 4:15 a.m. Tuesday, where surveillance video shows him removing a computer. His getaway was less dramatic: He used the door.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577.
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High Street iRobber Foiled

weegee — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:34:25 +0000

A tech-savvy police officer from the 84th Precinct helped catch a thief this afternoon. According to cops, a 32-year-old woman fell prey to an armed robber at the High Street station just before 1:20 P.M. The suspect fled with the victim’s pocketbook and iPhone. The victim quickly found an officer stationed on Pearl Street and reported the incident. Officer Benito Ocasio, honored as a Cop of the Month in 2009, suggested that he might be able to track the phone using the victim’s iTunes account. In doing so, they saw that the phone was then in the vicinity of 111 Bridge St. in the Farragut Houses. Responding there, police found the suspect exiting the building…with a ringing phone. He was stopped, positively identified by the victim, and taken into custody. The victim’s property, including credit cards and state ID, was recovered. Police have identified the suspect as Brian Mack, 55. He now faces charges of robbery, grand larceny, menacing, possession of a weapon, and criminal trespass.
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Tragedy at St. George Tower

weegee — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:19:32 +0000

Police are currently investigating the death of an unidentified person who apparently fell or jumped from the St. George Tower at 111 Hicks St., landing at the adjacent 60 Pineapple St.
UPDATE: TUESDAY MORNING: The New York Daily News reports: A young man jumped to his death from a Brooklyn luxury high-rise and crashed through a skylight in an adjacent building while the occupants of the apartment were home, police said. The 18-year-old, whose name was not released by police Monday, leaped from the roof of the St. George Tower co-op building on Hicks St. in Brooklyn Heights about 7:30 p.m., cops said. He fell through the glass skylight of an apartment on Pineapple St. with such force that the original 911 call was for an explosion, police sources said. No one in that apartment was injured.
Similar details in The New York Post here.
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Sunday Stabbing At reBar in DUMBO

weegee — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 07:21:04 +0000

Photo by M. Hermann/BHB
A man was assaulted with a knife and his assailant taken into custody shortly after 1:00 this morning at reBar, 147 Front Street, near Jay Streeet in DUMBO. The 25-year-old victim, whose left foot was bandaged, reportedly called 911 to report that he had been stabbed, while others held the perpetrator until police arrived. Detectives from the 84th Precinct took the suspect into custody. The victim was transported to Kings County Hospital in stable condition.
It is unclear what sparked the incident. Updates will be posted as they become available.
Suspect in custody at the scene. Photo by M. Hermann/BHB
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Fatality at Boro Hall Station

weegee — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:23:26 +0000

Police are on scene at the Borough Hall Station at Court St. & Joralemon St. where a person was struck and killed by a train shortly before 5:30 p.m.
Preliminary reports indicate that the person was not the victim of a crime.
Traffic on the 4/5 lines is stopped on the southbound side, and northbound trains are bypassing the station until further notice.
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DEVELOPING: Shooting Victim on Willow Street

weegee — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:45:40 +0000

NYPD is operating on Willow St. near Clark St., where a vehicle has crashed on the sidewalk. An occupant of the vehicle was found to have been shot, with a suspect fleeing toward the Promenade. Officers have a suspect in custody on Columbia Heights.
UPDATE: The victim was shot once to the neck, and is being transported to Lutheran Medical Center.
1/1/12 UPDATE: The victim, 43, is listed in stable condition at LMC. The suspect, 19, is in custody with charges pending.
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Brooklyn Bridge Sandblasting Wreaks Havoc

weegee — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:19:45 +0000

Photo by M. Hermann for BHB
Motorists heading across the Brooklyn Bridge this afternoon were taken by surprise when their rear windows suddenly shattered. Eight cars on the Brooklyn-bound side of the bridge in the left-hand lane were passing an area where construction is ongoing, and sandblasting was in progress, when some sort of debris started hitting them. At least two cars collided during the hard brake that resulted, sending two people to the hospital. No other injuries were reported.
Photo by M. Hermann for BHB
“My ears are still ringing,” said Sasha Clemendore, who described the frightening sound of the impact. Emergency workers and numerous representatives from the construction crew working on the bridge were on scene immediately, and traffic on the bridge was down to one lane for over an hour. Damage to the cars ranged from golf ball-sized holes to near total destruction of the glass.
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Cops Credited with Bridge Grab

weegee — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:34:09 +0000

Our gang over at the 84th Precinct made a good grab this afternoon on the Manhattan Bridge, when they responded to a report of an emotionally disturbed person standing on the span’s outer edge. P.O. Anthony Brooks, an 18-year veteran of the department, engaged the person, a 38-year-old male, in conversation. Shortly after seeing the officers, the man turned and began to quickly walk away from them. Officer Brooks, with the assistance of P.O. William Cooper and P.O. Daniel Sandberg, followed and managed to grab him by the waist and pull him over the fence to their side. EMS responded and transported the subject to Bellevue Hospital.
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Why Your Lights Just Dimmed

weegee — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 01:32:57 +0000

The FDNY reports a generator at the outdoor ConEd substation on Water St. caught fire, but has been put out by the automatic extinguisher system.
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Stabbing at Fulton Mall

weegee — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:52:53 +0000

Police are at 374 Fulton Street, near Smith Street, where a person has reportedly been stabbed. A suspect is in custody, and units are searching the storm drains for a possible weapon. No word on the victim’s condition.
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Motorcyclist Thrown from BQE

weegee — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 06:41:13 +0000

Photo by M. Hermann/BHB
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding an accident that occurred around 1:00 a.m. in the westbound lanes of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Initial reports indicate that a motorcyclist was going at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the bike near the curve after the Columbia Heights overpass and was thrown over the guardrail to Furman St. below. Police and Fire Department units responded to the scene to treat the injured person who was transported to Lutheran Medical Center in serious condition. The NYPD Accident Investigation Squad was interviewing witnesses, including other motorcyclists, on the expressway.
UPDATE: The victim, identified as Nelson Perez, 48, was pronounced dead at Lutheran Medical Center.
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DEVELOPING: Fire in Concord Village

weegee — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:25:53 +0000

FDNY is operating at 235 Adams Street at what has initially been reported as a fire on the ground floor, in the vicinity of the elevator. The signal for a high-rise residential fire has been transmitted, which brings a host of specialized units.
Update below the jump.The Incident Commander reports the fire has been contained to the base of the elevator shaft and has not spread. There is, naturally, a smoke condition on upper floors, but it sounds like they have a handle on it.
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