New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-02
To sToP GAS EXPLOSIONS.
DISCUSSING SUBWAY UpHEAvAIs,
EXPRESSED BEToRE THE BOARD OF
EuECrRIcAL CONTROL.

+ ,prxfoHs EXPRESSED BEFOkE THE BoARD Ob
EuEcTRIcAL CONTROL.
~. po.rs of Electrical Control had largo and In
.-..s.s number Of listeners yesterday when Maror
s,.s.s naI,ed the meeting to order, remarRing that
=, oh,set was to ind out possible, how 70 prevent
49, more gas explosions IN the suowaSs hepfe-
srntsttycs OF most Of the companies were present.
but few Of the presidents came IN person.
rs,,.,s fouterbach, president OF the Consolidated
.sssgsApb and electrical subway Company, was the
-. q take the oor He alluded to the dibicutes
-rseh ne company had experienced In It's work Of
sys,ctiur the subways, tho work being directed by
- poar, al Electrical Control. and executed under
~ superyision OF the Department Of Public Works
,,As most serious trouble was tho prior occupation
- he aroundwcrk OF the streets BY other
- which the steam-hcating company win is ram.
scations and leaking mains, was deserving OF spoci
..,fton Although the subway company had spared
- xnsnse and the latest methods OF silence and
.uvsntop had been resorted TO- It was found Impossible
- prevent the accumulation Of gas Is the conduits
~, temneraturo under the pAvements In the downtown
di,tyict wss as high eoo and the heat anu eaEagc
~ steam caused the wires and cables easily TO corrode
~ Iauterbsch referred to the bad condition OF the gas
mains and pipes, especially those which were laid
years ago. before the later improvements nsa oeen
accepted, The soil became SO permesssn Win gas
49,. ~. ,sahses Of these poorly constructed and
1900 ,,ans fSat Il injected the msnhol,s and filled
- = ,,sr.vs and sewers. Blowers had been used
n sor,e success on the manholes, but wlep removed
tho ess gathered again In such Volume as 70 Dc dam
geroIs. ,..,s :.
M. Lgutsrbaeh's explanation Of the explosion at
r,,,h. ave ana twenty third-st- wss that gas was
..sa nv An electric duct which ran into the base
-. ~ he Fifth Avenue Hotel. and man who was
,a,a. "a use glue pot there lighted fire to heat
ssa ndt Unobserved by the workman the gas had
heen ,rnIted and tho fire. following the duct to the
subway. where large quantity Of gas had accuma-
,,,es owing TO the fact that the Standard Gas Com
,.nys employees had left cap of the main, the ex
. ,os,on resulted MI Lauterbach read report nom
rnysneer Beckwith Of she subway Company, showing
,hat the leakage from the gas mains IN the oiner
,yops Of the city was 90 per cent Of the manufact
re and that the general average was at least 10 per
cent $500 =
John p. Kennedy, Of the Mutual Gas Company, do
,as some Of Mr. Lanterbaeh's statements ana placed
~, leakage at about per cent There were no rot
tan upos, he said All the pipes OF bis oomnany
vsrr subjected to hydraulic test OF 300 pounds 70
,hs souare inch before they were used. Ile did not
a,,nvs thst the cas- Uttered into the Easements OF
buidings it went he thought, up through the ground
pngneer Kearney of the Electrical Board proposed
maIlng gag mains gas-proof BY coautS o. conSrsta
Mr. Kennedy considered the plan impracucaDle, pNs
favored the ventilation Of the sapwsys q mean - o
Eouitablc Company said that If the gasmans ioskoa
mse than per cent It was because the earth around
the subways had not beeh properly replaced. Ihe
hearing win be continued to-day.