DANGER OF BROAD STREETS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10721, 19 June 1906, Page 4

DANGER OF BROAD STREETS.

EX-POLICE COMMISSIONER'S CURIOUS WARNING. Sir Henry Smith, X.C.8., ex-Commisi sioner of the City of London Police, draws attention m Blackwood's Magazine to tho danger of broad streets m the metropolis. "The County Council and the Corpora, tion have, within the last few years,'* he declares, "made an extraordinary difference m the metropolis by the construction of broad thoroughfares. • "But," he proceeds, "if the safety of tho public m times when mob law is m the ascendant, enters into their calculations, the sooner they recognise tlie fact that broad thoroughfares, under certain conditions, may bring about more grave disaster than narrow, the better for his Majesty's subjects. "When the men of the Powerful marched from Whitehall to the Royal Exchange a disaster," Sir Henry Smith says, "was narrowly averted. "I wended my way to Scotland Yard to ask assistance ; to implore the Commissioners there to lend me every mounted man they could spare. "I was quite confident that a crowd, probably the largest of modern times, and, owing to the breadth of the Embankment, certainly the most dangerous, would accompany tlie bluejackets every yard of the way ; and when twenty-four hours afterwards I saw that crowd surging along * from bank to bank, and sweeping everything, mounted constables included, be. fore it, 'I smiled and said, this is no flattery.' "Providentially, all kept on their feet, or a scene similar to tho Mo_cow disaster might have yesuHed," . i