New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-03
THE DIN IN SIXTH AVENUE.
COMPLAINTS OF THE CONSTANT ROAR.

THE DIN IN SIXTH AVENUE.
COMPLAINTS OF THE CONSTANT ROAR.
A PROTEST AGAINST NOISE AND CINDERs BY 80
PHYsI1ASs-AN APPEAL TO THE GRAND JURY
THE RAILWAY CoMPANY's EFFORTS TO PREVENT
ANNoYANCE-A PROPOSED SUIT FOR DAMAGES.
The injurious effects of the noise made by the
trains of the Metropolitan Elevated Railway, and
the danger to property and life from falling cnders
were made the subject yesterday of protest, signed
by 1876 physicians and surgeons practising on or
near Sixth-ave. This was presented to the Grand
Jury, and several of the signers supplemented it
with testimony. The railway company is making
efforts TO prevent these annOyances and perils Mr.
Edison. the inventor, is considering plans to lessen
the noise and stop the danger from sparks. The
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, of Church
IT. and Park-place is considering the ACCESSIBILITY
OF bringing a suit for damages.
PROTEST AGAINST NOISE AND ClNDERs.
TIE ATTENTION OF THE GRAND JURY CALLED TO
TUE SUBJECT BY 135 PHYSICIANS.
The following protest, signed by 135 physi-
clans and surgeons whose patients reside along the line
or within short distance Of the Metropolitan Elevated
Railway, was presented to the Grand Jury yesterday;
The subscribers physicians and surgeons Of this city,
think proper 10 cali the attention OF Grand Jury TO grave
nv he Metropotan Elevated Railway Company. The
charter Of that company requires that u snail build ana
operate is rail way with the least possible anance 10 te
residents upon adjacent property. In failing TO do TINS
has becoto public nuisance requiring restraint and
punishment The degree Ofthe annOya resulting irO
The noise oits traffic conducted hardly admits OF
eXaggcratiOn. IL dstufbs ana interrupts al mehlai
processes and all common conversation near the line OF
IT, route during the passing OF the trains Wch accord
Ing 10 the plans Of the company. to be almost con
tiuuous. Ia cur deliberate professional Judgment, we
declare that this noise Is capable o doing ana
edly will do and permanent injury 10 those VINO
may be compelled 10 live within reach Of it, force Inc
soft brain Of childhood cannot healthiHy deNeIol anu
the faculties Of mature life must rapidly waste under
a physioiogicai axiom aud does not admit Of debate:
Disease beginning IN or maintained by disturbances 9i
the nervous system, Is The great fact OF modern pdthOl
Ogy. The state can hardly provide lunac asyluns as
rapidly az me number OF PsoPfr nor sin li cerebral
exhaustion insomnia hystera, chorcn MANIA paralysis
incnnets aud decay Of nutrition must be largely pro
way, while to some the alternative VIII he dear
aiTeady definitely observed that patients sur
tering from intammaory and other diseases,
C0nvalesceuce arrested and roapso provoked Trades
men upon SXth-syc complain that as evening comes on
caused partly by the irrant eject of the jar ana an ia
taking All dSy in an overload voice This strain upon
The function Of voice and respiration directly tenus 10
soma and pulmonary hcmorrhage, the antece-
dent and often the cause OF pulmonary consumpt0n.
The municipal authority relied upOn 60 protect the
nOst Of the citizen from disease-6eaTng stench has
not tue right 10 equal justice The unnecessary
excess Of IN like manner exces animals, increas-
iughe danger of collisions runaway accidents ana SO
fo,th Tie record Of surgical injuries, already c0nsd-
eTahle viii certainly increase AS the sautary caution
which kept hg6spiried horses OFF from the avenue
wears away. $1,000.
mention The OF fiery particles seen ut night Is
SUNG the locomotives suggests that the condllons
of catastrophe like those winch overwhelmed Cmc9go
and Boston are prepared by THIS company, Whlch
pledged itself 20 the community 10 operate nOlseles5 ma
chimes consuming their own smoke and restraining tue
Of their cinders IL IS known TO US Ih 'e avn
ines Of stores curtains Of windows and the summer
dresses OF women and children have been thus set ON
fire, aud this has been frequent occurrence ii
these things have been In TINS season Oh ram, VIA.
NAV not be the consequences When the uIouSnI
OF Summer and the winds OF Autumn favor cOnnagra-
ton further appears that these nulsances are ~
large needless, since Ninh-aye parallel
part of the noise present on SXth-aVe IN the structure
upon Nnth-ave. 1t does not appear that there
the METROPOLITAN Elevated Road the structure
has been most remarkably adapted To increase It.
We whose names are hereto appended, declare thatWe
are not opposed TO rapid transit, when properly Sc,
cured but we believe that the corporation above named
has abused franchise, aud should be compelled so 10
alter aud amend its structure and rolling STOCK as 10
do its work with the least possible annoyance 10
residents upon property adjacent to It's line"
OF the sgners stated yesterday that the protest
was the ougrowth Of incidental conferences between
medical men practising along sixthaye. and neighbor
ing streets who had observed the detrimental effects of
the noise OF passing trains their patients No effort
circulate the protest outside OF the phyh
clans who practice in the immediate vicinity OF the ROAD,
and in days 13j signatures were obtained; among
the glguers are the presidents and several OF the
VicepTesidcnts OF the Academy OF Medicine ana New
Medical Society, number OF tho PROBES
tors In the Twenty-t third Street. Bellevue and UniVer-
Medical Colleges, physicians ana surgeons IN lhe
New-York, Bellevue, Charity Roosevelt PresOyteilan
aud MANY prominent general practitioners The COM
inittee which presented the protest also answered many
es lions asked by thu Grand Jurors The names OF Tue
as follows:
c.. porcv so,nucl