The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-18
SUCTION
- OF TRAINS.
Its Power is Not So Great
as is Supposed.
COULD NOT DRAW A MAN.
That Is, II He Happenei 10 Be OF the
Ordinary Weight.
COULD NOT DRAW A MAN.
STANDING NEAR AN EXPRESS.

In view of the fact that man is said to
havo lost his life by being drawn by sue
ton under the wheels of passing train
on one of the railroads in New Jersey, the
question of the force excrted by this pow
or and whether il really Is of sufficient
strength to pull man under traiIf be-
comes interesting and worthy Of investi
cation. The subject was discussed by Mr..
Wilgus, the resident engineer of the city
and eastern division Of the New York
Central railroad, and Mr.. Curtis, the SUI
pervisor of the yards at Forty ninth street.
Mr.. Wilgus expressed the opinion that
the force of the suction caused by rapid
ly moving train would not be sufficient
10 draw under the train such heavy OBJ
ject as "a man. If, however, the man hap
pcned 10 be struck or brushed by the train
hard enough 10 make him lose his balance,
and he should fall so that the weight of
his body would act in unison with the
drawing force of the air, then il might be
possible.
Mr.. Curtis says, "It is generally the
combination of several forces that causes
men 10 be drawn under trains" In order
10 explain this il is necessary TO pivo a
short description of the track approach 10
the Grand Central station. Those who are
familiar with the tracks from about Nine
teth street know that from there down
they run through tunnel. This tunnel
Is divided into three compartments. Two
tracks are in the middle compartment and
the other tracks in smaller compartments
on either side. At some distance apart in
the separating walls of this tunnel are
openings some b feet wide and tall enough
for "A man to walk through. These man
holes, as they are called, are for the pur-
pose of allowing trackmen 10 pass from
one compartment To another and for safe
ty when trains are passing.
Near Eighty-third street and where the
four tracks run in one large compartment
tho manholes are in the side walls. The
force exerted upon body standing in the
open is exactly the reverse from that ex-
crted upon it in closed manhole. In the
open hole in the separating wall the force
tends To blow the object out, for the rea-
son that the compartment is just large
enough to allow for the passage of n train
through it. When therefore train comes
along this track, il forces out the air in
the compartment, and any one standing
in one of these holes would get the benefit
of il. In these manholes a man Is within
about three feet of a passing train
In describing the sensation of being In
one of those places during the passing of
train Mr.. Curtis said that there was alb
-solutely no feeling of danger from suction,
and that the slightest resistance on the
part of "a person standing in the hole would
counteract the outside force. He thought
that possibly the shape of the object such
rs a small shed or house. standing near q
track might cause the air to form some
Kind of n whirlwnd motion and pull one
under, but that it was doubtful. When
asked whether the walls did not protect n
man by breaking the forco'of the current,
Mr.. Curtis said that possibly they did, but
not enough TO affect the general conclu-
sons. There are instances when such an
accident might be credited TO the suction,
rs in the case of a woman. The current
Of air would have far more surface TO act
upon, and the tendency would be to make
the woman lose her balance, and conse-
quently her power of resistance, when the
current of air might readily draw the body
under the cars, or in the case of child 1t
would be possible But in the case of
man Mr. Curtis said that the force was
not strong enough to pull one under a
train
At Mount st. Vincent. few miles
above New York, on the New York Cen
track, and, according to the foreman OF
this section. trains run from 30 to 20 miles
an hour at that point. "Is il in your
opinion, the foreman was asked safe
for man to etard within three feet of the