New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-01-24
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
VENTILATION OF RAILROAD CARS.


y as EAif~ # ~ " T. TSIe~.A
Sir: While travelling in the carr last Friday, real
your correspondents (" II. Gs'1 letter, which aP-
psrsd in The TRiBrsI Of Dee. as.
fully agree With hin az to the wan. Of ventilation
generally be met with and the poisonous nature OF
the air one u always compelled 10 breathe during
Railroad journey in cold weather. Blu! think
most uDjus, to charge al the blame to the managers
Of Railroads and hi. remarks to tha, effect eacu-
lated to excite & wrong and injurious impreessn
BY far the larger share, il not all the blame, IL dae
TO the passengers Themselves.
DO Dot know ything about the venta4sing Ar
rssgemenis on the railroads be speaks or but i seems
TO NE thst If the passengers we're very anxious for
fresh air, they might obtsin supply by simply epen-
ing the windows; bat DO know Of several rsiroafs
The Philadelphia ard Reading for example, being
nearest 10 me-on which the sm0Hn of ventilation
provided. independently of the doors aud windows,
&c it always should be is ample n srteu a. least.
though potsicly the 0rrGngsueV might be sdvan-
tsgeously changed. Ho~ev-r little good results
from H. became the passengers in-is closing the
fesh.air openings Ire fou air apertures they can't
get at doubtless they would toy and stop them up
too.
II. perchaace there be among the occupants Of =
railroad car enc who hsyyg some regard for his
health eudeavors to obtain pure air by opening
awindow or veotatOr near him. forthE With he u re-
Querffd tS 20 close tn4r WINDOW, Tor Tear
: of catching cold" or something similar. II has
happened Ia me time after time.
lie whole education Of the mas of the people 10
radically wrong, or perhaps i would be more cor
rect 20 say Numerically deficient as regards the pre-
servaiion Of their health ana, till this be amended
they will cOItlnue 10 avoid pure air. A. If u we're the
plseue, and practise fifty other habits equally in
furious.
Make the people once sensible that pure air is
cesssry in rslrosd cars well every where else
get tntm 10 value H. il deserves; then yJu viii
find thar no passenger car will be without proper
sysfem Of ventilation TIL this desirable reform alton
shall take place il il msneey unfair 10 lay the sole
blame on the officers and managers IF railroads..
WHY don peo ,le yentlaie their houses There are
no engineers directors in the way there Yet
never house in this country properly ventilated.
I doL Z me6n b, doors or windows
In precisely the same way is II EroDg 70 at,ch al
the blame OF r.road and steamboat accidents to
Captains and FL gineers, 80 long a. thu Feopl- AZ
large sre in favor OF going ahead, 10 spite OF al
danger AID in d.fiance of every csuton- Two days
ago, | beard ignorant passengers grdmbhlE ani
growing because he en- zine driver OF loo motive
refused 10 do what might have caused thu boiler To
explode, yet had be ieded 10 their wishes, and an
accident happened. the community would have been
open mouthed against bin, and none loucer In their
denuDciatiOns than those same gruWblsrs
Your. obedieutly Ed NJ RICHARDS,
41nnrias Pa, Jan ls5b cvu Ens'nee''
No, Mr.. Richards, you are quite wrong In
the general, though partially right in detail IL
is very true that people are grossly ignorant OF
the laws of respiration and the poisonous nature
of air which has been deprived of its oxygen in
human lungs; but this so far from affjrding any
e1cute to managers Of public coDveyances for
their eglect to ventilate them, only highteu'
their condemnation. If every body knew how
baleful such foul air is. they might be trusted To
guard against it's effects even by the ~re'ched
but often necessary expeoient of opening win
dow and sitting in fierce current of cold air in
a hot room; but since the great majority dsn'
know enough even to ventiste the>AQwn bed
rooms, IL is clearly and additionally cuIpable in
those who construct and those who order or buy
Railroad cars (who are paid and bound to know
and TO choose such as are wholesome) to patron
ize these death.trsps. If passengers isoorantly
close ventilstors, ii is the duty Of Railroad Su
perintendeDts to make regulations guarding
against that stupid abuse, and see that they are
/ enforced. La.