New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-12
HOT d.S OVENS
THE NEW BRIDGE STATIONS ALMOST
UNBEATABLE.
NO PROVISION FOR THE CIRCULATION OF AIR
WINDOWS ARRANGED LIKE NARROW
FANLIGrTs-OTHERS THAT DO
NOT OPEN AT ALL

FANDiGlt IS-OltBlo lhAI ~
NOT OPEN AT ALL
II read with interest" said Brooklyn citizen
yesterday the article printed In The Tribune d
few days ago about the sugar refnerie5 In tho
Eastern District being the hottest places in the
city | have doubt the description there given
was accurate. and | can imagine nothing much
hotter unless it be the stokehole OF steamship or
the extra hot room of a Turkish bath But, having
had occasion several times recently TO cross the
New-York and BROOKLYN Bridge about the hottest
time of the lncrnoon, / have ccme to the con
clusion that there cannot be many hotter places
in the city than the two Bridge stations Espe-
cially does the heat come out strong after one
enters A car and j. waiting for the tram 70 start
The ears are exposed the full rays of The sun IN
crossing the Bridge. and when standing IN the sta
lions during the hours when the heat Is most In
tense they are just like ovens. or course, one gets
a breeze and is able to cool off somewhat when the
train gets under way. but the period 81 "ditlhg
even if il l. only a minute two. is almost IN
i.arable
Observation shows that the remarks quoted de-
scribe th. situation in the Bridge stations TO T.
They seem TO have been designed win the idea OF
conserving rs much heat a. possible and making
such a thing as the circulation OF air out ot the
ouc .tion About half of each root is composed Of
non-transparcnt glass. through which the sun :
heat passes without. apparently. being tempered in
the Icas, The direct rays of the sun arr cut off,
hut the heating quality of them does not appear 10
be diminished in the least degree. on" who CLIMBS
the stairs 10 the stations naturally gets somewhat
heated and after standing on the platform mo
m.nt and thea entering car he could NOT be
hotter If he had made quarter ~ d "'''' "''" 81
the top Of his speed.
I, would have been easy for the builders OF the
new stations to provide fof the circulation Of air
through them by Of windows opening 70 n
generous width; but. singularly enough most !"
not all of the windows are so arranged that tney
cannot be opened at all
A particular example Of tho stupidity or ne ar
rargements I'm this respect is TO be found In the
windows m the second floor OF the New-York ter
minal where is the long passage thHt the pas-
sengers have to traverse, and here they
buy their tickets and drop them into the
boxes Both sides lined with windows'
and II would have been the simplest th'ns
I'm the world to arrange them so that all
might be thrown wide open. Instead of that, the
CONNECTED arrangement OF the windows provided
for the opening only OF the upper half OF each
one and then only the dlstanc, Of about a loot
ofter The manner OF n fanlight. To all intents
and nurposes the windows might as well not
have been opened at all and nothing suggestive
Of an adequate circulation of air could thus
TIE consequence was that passengers fairly
swsitered in the hot afternoon when the sun wa
n"urtng down on the west side Of the station,
while the ticket sellers and choppera we're aiilYst
pp,th - fastening like those attached to ftnghts,
allowing the upper part 10 swing In a fe" inches
Protests against the unbearable heat were made
Nv the employees who were forced TO spend hours
I'm this furnace, ana finally an impression WAS
made on the management. SO on Monday the
screws holding the fanght fastenings were taken
ont and the upper halves OF the windows were
allowed to swing down TO their fun extent As
this was done on both sides Of the structure
a fair circulation OF air got up. and the suf-
fcrings Of the employees mitigated.
said a policeman on duty in the station; There
never was a more stupid arrangement than the
way these windows were fastened. so that they
could only be opened about foot at the top You
sec how il was and he took hold OF the iron at
tachment and showed what narrow opening
was perrnitted. we couldn't stand II at all he
went on "and succeeded in getting these things
taken Off so that We are ape TO re, some air:
on both sides. and it is great lmpr Owe,
a window. that can be opened at all, and don
wonder that there is a good deal of complaint
about the heat there.