The evening world., 1891-03-09
II can BB VENTILATED.

n
The President OF the New York Central
Railroad in his testimony TO the Coroner's
jury that investigated the horror Of Feb. 20.
said:
Ido not know Of any mechanical device that will
keep the tunnel clear but would bs very slsd TO
hear Of oasI
in an authorized interview on Saturday
he made this statement
Il is very easy for writer arrive Al conclusions
and uponthsm base suagestions for the safety Of
the travelling public any particular line Ths
value Of thsse suggestions against the Judgment
Of men WIN spend their hfs In the business and who
paid 10 provide for and 70 adopt appliances for
,afety is nothing.
The first quotation simply indicates lack
Of information. It Is needless to state the
Interpretation which may be placed upon
the other. The EvENne WORLD, in the
interest .0f the Apubnd, has informed
itself as thoroughly as possible on
the subject of tunnel lighting and
ventilation. Every statement and sugees-
ton 1t has made 10 based on information
obtained from the best and most reliable
sources. ;,E1t has secured the opinions
Of engineers both in this and other
cities, and investigated the systems of
ventilation used in their tunnels. The
value '6f { It's disinterested statement
of facts y worth "something," compared
with thes Judgment" OF mon in the employ
of the New York Central, whose motto Ia to
do nothing for tho public that 1t can help.
For the information Of the New York
Central management, whose representative
knows OF no !" mechanical device" by which
the Fourth Avenue Tunnel may be cleared
Of steam and smoke. we print to-day dia-
grams and description of the way the St.
Louis Tannel IL ventilated. That the Fourth
Avenue Tunnel may be ventilated in similar
way is an assured fact. Ali that need be
done Is to calculate the cubic contents of
the tunnel, how often its atmosphere should
be changed, and then erect enough fam
blowers and chimneys to do the work with
exactness.
The city would again benefit here, be-
cause all the present openings in the tun-
mel, which are q source Of danger aid dis
comfort to the public, could be closed up,
and the smoke and steam discharged high
above the housetops. The st. Louis Tunnel
chimney Is one hundred and thirty feet
above the street level.
In the NewYork Central's organ, in an edi-
torial on "Sensational journalism, " Mr..
DREW, is quoted thus:
A 70 the ventilation Of the tunnel which auevsn-
ing papsr says ve ought to be indicted I'VE have
-
oughly. and have been denied permission By the
public authorities. We have had . constant strus-
gle to keep the ventilation We have.
There is some truth in this. For years
the New York Central has tried TO appro-
pirate the whole Of Fourth avenue to the
steam, smoke and SCOT of its daily
four hundred and fifteen trains
by opening the tunnel. And the
authorities have objected with good reason.
And this has been the Centrals only effort
at ventilation.
But what can be thought Of this state
ment, made in the same interview:
Thsy say ought to bs hanged for murder BE-
causs ws have not electric lighting in the tunnel.
The "they" refers to The EVENING
WORLD, which has never made any such
statement, nor anything even family re-
sembling 1t. All along It has insisted that
the tunnel in its present condition would
be more dangerous with electric lights,
and from the first has urged ventilation.
Then electric lights might bo used not the
cheap arc light, which Mr.. DEPEw says the
Company is willing to put in II tho Legisla,
ture will assume the responsibility, but the
soft incandescent lights, which win in nc
way interfere with the signals being seen.
II the managers of the New York Central
are made TO suffer any consequences /,
must be for the killing of the six victims OF
Feb. 10th, for which they are morally re,
sponsible, 1t having been clearly proven
that lack Of light and ventilation caused
these deaths, and the fact that they paid nc
attention 70 the mandate OF the Grand Jury
In 1882, which blamed them for the loss oi
life at that time, and ordered that the tun
mel be ventilated and lighted as guart
against similar slaughters in the future.
BOSTON sPIRTTUALIsTs.
The Boston lawmakers want TO make
law which will bear on fraudulent medi
ums whose materiAliZinR at seances IL of 1