New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-22
HOT AND POISONOUS SOIL.
..or TROPICAL SOIL. But BROADWAY
o.,,xs eAs AND STEAM UNDER THE SUR

rACF OF THE ClTY'> slhrEI''
.-., ,mnortant testimony bearing on the subject
=. sscapnc gas and the effect I'll INV 49,
,orrround on the subwsys was ~"
80 the General Laws Committee =, '"D - So"
go AZ the Hotel Mctropoc. 'oio"'' -, ~
Inlet engineer Of the Board OF he'''''' ,,,. ,.r
a., witness ard his testimony was hHhN inter
Tic ~" -, 80, 40, the streets Of the CITY were
',,d Nth casuipes and gas mains Wh'h hsn
-, ,ut down Wv the various '"'"P'n'o'' '"o ""V
.,le instance was SiXthave. pe'"'o" ''"' ""'
,,n.eth SIS where there were i""r ep"'"'o 'o'N Vi
Minis nm each side Of the street Inc MAINS vary
49,. e. q, ,,renty inches IN diameter Hc Was ASKED
i'," ,., long an iron pipe could remain under
u '0'' s.-v,eeahIc His reply was that twenty
e''",'" ,ho average life Of casppe one Of the
- uhv tbe city streets were 50 filled with gAS
-, ,,.s that the gas companies were informed Nv
.. n.nsr,nent of Public Works when new street
=, 10 nayed for the first time. and the companies.
-. Md of the street. went 10 work immediately
nm, down their pipes. Pipes were frequently
or" .h.oogh streets in which there was not a single
house , A.. c,Ddor,
"a cast iron pipes. The standard used wrought iron
',nes which he thought were less liable TO
Leakage than cast iron. Coonel kearny was
=, charce Of the work Of putting down
The spbways and during his four years connection
win the Board had many miles Of gas and steam
mines laid He testified that there were many in
stances where the gas pipes. when the subway con-
tractors tried to lift them. so that the subway couia
lie put underneath. were 80 rotten that they conio not
he handled. They could not be taken up and tie
suhway company had to pay for mains which were
broken He was asked regarding the presence OF
sas In the earth in portions Of the city.
Why he replied II YOU dix 100 holes IN tho
district bounded by Fourteenth t. Third ave. Twenty
third st. and Eighth.avc.. ninety If them viii
sSudc eas long before You get to tho pipes. The pipes
I'm this ueirhborhood are aim st always leaking INTO
The snbway> and sewers and this gas. when mixed
with the air becomes highly explosive. The greatest
trouble is in the house connections. The work IS
done in an extremely careles. manner. In many IN.
stances where the service has been cut on from
House. the plumbers simply hammer down the ehd
Of The service pipe. in place Of putting on cap
and scan- it,
In several cases that BE knew Of the pip" had been
ont Of near the curb and lcf; open 80 that the Gas
had a free escape into the earth. lie recommended
That power should hc gwen e. some board 20 see that
the mains were properly laid. and Il moved. returned
10 their places IN A perfectly sound condition. lie
had frequently tried TO ind ont # this power al
not lie with the Commissioner II Public Works. but
two Commissioners had told him that all the power
this department had o. give permission 10 tear up
the streets and 10 see that tic pavement. were re
placed in a proper manner.
The Commissioner Of Public Works Is compelled
to consent /, he notl" asked senator Cantor.
Il understand So Wa the reply.
Colonel Kearnv next turned his testimony 70 the
steam pipes There has got 10 be some super
vsorv power over thcmi7 he exclaimed. " From
Howard ST to Exchange Place. ten feet below The sur
face the earth has temperature Of over 10" degrees
This eats away the insulation n the electric cables
The soil is saturated With acids which are greatly
aided in their work Nv the heat" lie gave. as an
instance the brass tubing which the Western Union
Telegraph Company uses for the pneumatic tubes.
lie saw some 81 this tubing. which had been down
only two or three wears. and II was all corroded.
The telephone companies have 70 use specially con
stricted cables wrapped with cotton cloth. 70 keep
the heat from their wires
James W smith. the president Of the Consolidated
Gas Company. testified that this company Is made
up Of six companies which consolidated 10 le74
These companies have been in business from twelve
u fifty years The ga ,mans he said. were being
constantly disturbed hy LAYING other pipcs-wster
pipes steam pipes. by competitive gas companies and
~ Tho subway company. VIZ Smih disagrrcf WIFI
Colonel Kcarny In ME respective durability Of cast
iron and wrought IRON pipes. lie thought that the
east iron pipes would lat longer II undi,nrhei
Many complaints Of leakage were received Us his
compsn, which came from private people. DO" police
and the Board Of Health The amount ~ IA
which escaped hr .ad va, very much otcro.rimaief
Ten per cent II che e,- pumped INTO the mains Vac
t1o hi1h q percentage % i.iia-e. many times. Nh.
fI t-4ll disagreed WIN iIliHl fftIl|f l'-i''iilI-
fie oorroiIne II the pipes. he bad @ heard ot ans
such cases. No ono bad ans authority. Dc added. I'D
remove their pipes. Ia conclusion. VI. smith .ad
that there ou.lt 70 De- some authority which would
recognize cN..tns conditions, % c.nif0l Che laying ~
pipe. and subway.
rhcrc Should ic q state Board If Control over the
-l- stem. OF Tho ~fafc.' hc aid " rlnN Tat n
would hc beneficial - tho state had .ulh J 'nr
which would have control over th sa- pipe LAWNS and
steam heating ui Gee various cities of fir -fif"
should fs boo favor 4 Iforlf .f -fe Nf control ~
ile CluraniD-. the Railroad Commission Aa. been
~ great ioueft % fho railroads ~ the state. a. orc
~ the executive officers IF mlauv. ann boz favor
II IT,"
~ Commits joiner Daniel T.. Gibbons va- next called,
and testified fl the dcsa' co. q ton ~ tc pip.
which were taken auf when tie -uiHaf~ "'f, laf
down They were -o rotten hs added. " flft iNnf
lYlid not he put down. NNn INC subway Nn- .'
H. front ~ the Hoffman 0u-e fh" e0il was go saturated
afh gas ihrf he'd fhr contractors DIX ont the EARN
and r. place n with q. -h .'l
Tho comm itce viii meet again next saturday morn
~ q the Hotel NctrlI0i' ~ I" o'lH +. large
numbcr of viues.es have been suhpoenaed - appear
STABBED FIVE TIBES By 4 DRrNREN COMPANION.
Francis Conner. Of NO. Il city H,n Place. Wa