New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-16
THOSE VOLCANIC SUBWAYS.
PRESSING NEED OF VENTILATION.
ENORMOUS QUANTITIES OF ESCAPING GAS

rNoRMoUs QUANTITIES OF ESCAPING GAS
THE cITY's PowERLEss POSITION.
AT the meeting of the Board of Electrical Con-
troll Yesterday Commissioner Gllroy, of the De-
nartment Of Public Works, and Commissioner
Gibbens. who had been appointed committee TO
investigate the cause OF the recent explosions In
the electrical subways, submitted their report
They say;
The explosions at Twenty -thiri-st were caused by
he RAPID accumulation Of Illuminating gas IN me
nanholes OF The electrical subway ron rear III N s
gas-ms!ns adjacent thereto, which illuminalhs 90
SSs qSa ta%a y em sPs s or y
carried backward through the distributing duct iesa
Tifth Avenue Hotel building whlc distriouung decs
had been eit uncosed ii does not appear ina
explosions caused by any leak from the eloV'Il'
Tine important conclusion derived from the IN,
vestI yaton therefore, is that such explosions arc
pTimSry due to escape Of gas and may occur as well
In the telephone and telegraph subway as IN 'n'
electric-llcht subway and may also occur IN sewer
house vaults or other confined spaces IN when II
Illuminating gas may accumulate.
-Four different methods Of ventilation are con-
SHARED, as follows
BY means OF openings in the manhoe-covers tbs
IS obiec tionabe, because the escaping gas may NC
By means Of gas Jet IN the manhoe itself, kept
constantly burning near the bottom, and Nens
through which the current Of air thereby eAci.eu ,p
escape. This s. Objectionable, because seoueI !o
81 manhole OF a detective gas-ppe "oui" '0s"'' -
Nv means Of vents from the top and bottom Of
the manhole, terminating az different auluuos %
that tie difference Of temperature may eA.lc -
the Other which current may be accelerated OS ioo
OF patent venuatOrs placed upon orc OF tlo .eii,
This has been uled, but has not gwen suAcioA' S@
By means Of blowers or air-comprossors by which d
toe gas Is forced QUO OF the subw2ys, ana Kept A., ~
by an aii,pres re along the entire construction Ills
method achieves the best results.
After going at some length into the question
Of the remedy, the committee concludes thaI'
etta.G fWnnf
IN slbways sewers or house vaults, therefore Iess
upon the companies allowing the Aumhalus 20 ~
escape and not upon those into whose premises %
comes unbiddeo. u their damage and the danger u
TSeie is t5day in the city Of Ncw-Yorl public
authority vested with power 10 reform the ABUSES
which exist streets under ground INC CV ,
replacing Of paycments when they are DISTURBED,
eud cannot refuse PERMISSION 10 st2 Coi'aH -,
10 tear UP the Streets make any conditions d 90
how its mains shan be laid, or its PIPES lesteu or
ventilated, provided the pavement Is replaced 70 HIS
Tho Health Department. which IS perhaps the most
powerful poce esga5or IN ne ne cy a UI care
lossuess, and even ten cannot designate the way IA
ard steam mains aid other underground cohs-iuc-
lions shall De submitted.
The following recommendations are made
a. That tie Consolidated Telegraph and Electrical
Subway Company, In charge OF tL9 seDw@9s ,i H
erected, under The supervision Of the Engineer Oh l-o
board OF ElecaioI Control, TO make such further pro
vision for blowers ana ar composers a. t &
such safety can be had from explosions IN inc SUI
i2J That tho attention Of the local aurhort ties be
callsd 70 De condition Of Affairs in the streets undo
srDuua r tie City Of NeW-YOk and thar Tie corpora
fiol Counsel Dc requested TO draft such metsuIeS
as viii dcyovc upon some competent puhioIal DVa4u
ths same control over the streets underground ana an
UNDERGROUND construction as s Al present eAeFcaeu ny
tie Board Of Electrical Control IN the case OF tle SUP
vays for electrical conductors. ana tnat az inc 100
authorities be invited 10 join with the Board oi Elect
osl Control IN pctitionng ne Lcslslatldo anu u ne
1soutVe Of the OF New YORK Tor the passage OF
6lch an act =,
Engineer LOOMS. in charge of sewers, in the
DEPARTMENT of Public Works. ana ChcI Engineer
TirdsaU of the CrotOn Aqueduct. sald that IN
their opnion the leakage comes mostly from &C.
lsc4iye taps for house connections, ana propose
mar the Gas Commission be empowered 1ifst 10
Setprmiue by proper tests whether the mains are
ess-tlehJ when originally laid; and second,
chat kind of taps should be used, and wnat
mechanical devices should be employed i'll Apply
Chemist Edward W Martin, Of the liealth
Ro9vd rcported as follows i'll relation 10 the elec-
trcal subways Of New-YOrk:
There are now about 100 miles Of gas mains in
his cjt7 Tie ealy joints and impcrecuOns IN these
mains allow nearly 10 per cent OF the gas rane 10 rs
cane INTO the earth and air. About e,GCOOOOOUy
cubic feet OF cas made during the lasi year ~
oer cent OF vhch would be SG6 100000 cubic feeI
large amount Of this leakage finds It's way mo TIC
subways.
resolution was read demanding that the
Consol dated Telegraph and Electric Subway Com
yany begin work putting us wires qndergrouhu
within i've days and complete it by December ).
IL is under 100000 bonds to fulfil It's con-
tracts.
over 500 applications for stretching wires across
housetops and otherwise without using poles were
received and nearly all were granted. Mr. Wilson.
ending June Is 495 miles of wires and 2.417
poles had been removed. During the month end
ing July 10 50l IL miles Of wires and SO poles
were taken down.