New-York tribune., 1890-06-12
THE UNTAMED SUBWAY.
EXCAVATIONS DANGEROUS TO HEALTH.
EVILS OF UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTION IN
EIGHTH-AVE.

EVILS OF UNDERGROUND CONSTRUCTION II
EIGHTHAvE.
The great and untamed Ncw-York subway is an
offence in the nostrs Of storekeepers ana residents
in Elghthave where excavations have been goins on
for four weeks and are likely to last through the
SUMNER The avenue, from Fourteenth-st. to Thirty
cIgthst., is being torn up In the cause OF what Is
called subway distribution to which strong dis
tributon Of gases and smells Is forcefuy incident
The diggers have got to thrdst and In their
have left hsalubrious trail of evil odors
From Fourteenth-st. to Eighteenthst the stencil Is
painfully paIpable, the ground there is low and
swampy. Higher up 1t is less noisome. A Tribune
reporter Yesterday asked the foreman Of the gang Of
Iaborcrs at work between Fourteenth and sixteenth
SITS II he and his men did not suffer from the noxious
gases let loose by their picks and shoves.
"Ohr he said, "we get used to II. was precty
sick some time ago. No. hadn't nausea, but had
a dizziness and ringing in the head l went to a
DOCTOR and he gave me remedy that hxed me up
all right"
The health and comfort Of the people who trade
and live on the avenue have undoubtedly been affected
by the subway digging In at least one case disease
"a directly attributable to the gases emitted. Inc
child OF Mrs Lowentha tobacconst, at seventeenth
st. and Elghthave, exceedingly Ill with diphthers
a week ago. and the physician called in, DIR. Feidmann,
of Rivington and orchard sts said that u was the
subway exhalatlons that had impcrtlled the babes
life.
The report Of F. W. Jones. the ofhciai expert ap-
poInted BY the ,New-York Legislature to lnvesugate
electrical matters which will be published IN iuii IN
next Saturdays number OF The Electric Age' con-
tains among much information OF interest with regard
to the use of electric wires some important references
TO the subway. Mr. Jones says:
The time will shortly arrive lin fact mas arrvel
as to one or two streets) when the subways at Pset
Constructed in New York city will hold no more wires
An important matter to be decided VIII De uc pro,
visions necessary meet the requirements OF eiec az
companies serving the public for reasOnaDle tine III
the future To allow the present electrical interests
TO I'LL and control the subways without any pans lor
the accommodation Of other persons desiring 70 COM
pete for business would be equivalent w. e,taDsnE
offensive monopoly the other hand IL Is not 1easio
TO permit all applicants to tear up the streets at al
times to put down new pipes. Cas- steain elecI %
and pneumatic tubes beneath the SURFACE OF te
principal th0roughfares without any regard LOT eah
others convenience and safety and no room leiI ior
future development. l., 49, ,-o,,
/ am of the opinion that the subways In New-f YORK
CITY, as now constructed are well adapted Tor tLe
purpose (of carrying the electric wles) ana are ar
preferable TO tunnels sewers. Tie tr0uDies due
10 steam heat and gas not charpeablc TO the SUD
way system but outside defects which should be rem
edied by the companies responsible for them .
| have no doubt but that the contract made by the
state with the subway Company Is In every way
entirely fair and wise IT should be guarded that the
company shall not receive 10 per cent on hctitl0us
capital, and that one subway company is not given
ali the main thoroughfares where wires are tckest
and consequently will yield greater revenue 10 the
exclusion OF another subway company employed 10
Law subways in streets having fewer wires.