New-York tribune., 1901-08-04

stack. The output of smut smoke was main
tanned all through the tunnel For a mile on
upper Park-ave there was partial cessation.
But when Mott Haven was reached the engine
was again belchiDg forth continuously cloud
OF smoke so black as TO obscure the light OF the
sun, and il kept on doing for miles through
New-York City, and probably all the way 10
the end OF the road, or of the trains run. Nor
was that a solitary exceptional case
Other trains did practically the same thing that
day, and have been doing it every day 1t has
been and is the regular practice of the road.
There is little reason for doubt that such
burning of soft COAL such emission Of soft
coal smoke. is responsible for large share OF
the discomfort suffered by passengers in the
tunnel, and, indeed, for much suffered by them
at all points the road. II Is discreditable to
any railroad in this part OF the country that 1t
should burn soft coal. OF all the important
roads radiating from NewYOrk the three rup-
ming out of the Grand Central Station are the
only ones which do so. The others burn moth
ing but anthracite. And the only conceivable
reason why these three persist in infiicting the
t0rments of smut smoke upon their patrons and
upon the public is that the soft coal Is little
cheaper than hard coal. 1t Is not a question of
engineering. 1t is a question of dollars and
cents. And even on that basis the policy Of the
companies 1DuSl De tOuSlutItu III duNioOu' iAN
other roads, over in New-Jersey. use hard coal,
and reckon it TO be TO their profit to do so, for
they make the fact conspicuous In their adver-
tisements and doubtless gain much patronage
thereby There Is little doubt that thousands
of people have settled in New-Jersey instead of
I'm Westchester County simply because they pre-
ferred daily travelling OH a hard coal to soft
coal road. There is reason TO believe that on
the ground of dollars and cents it would be
profitable 10 the three roads running out of the
Grand Central Station to substitute hard for
soft coal.
However that may he. the fact remains that
the burning of soft COAL or the polluting of the
air with soft coal smoke, is in New-York City
q msdemeanor, punishable with fine and i'm
prisonment. Under the persistent urgings of
The Tribune the Health Department recently
checked number of viOlators of the law, and
the courts imposed upon them appropriate pen
alties In the case of these railroads. however.
the Health Department has not efficiently acted.
The grand jury declares that the Health De
partment has been lax in the matter, but hrs
some assurances that 1t will now take action.
We shall see. Certainly II Is difficult to per
ceive any ground on which railroad should
have immunity in doing that for which brew
cry or n sugar refinery is taken TO task. The
soft coal smoke from the locomotive is every
bit as offensive as that from a factory chimney,
and In fact Is more So for while the latter is
confined 10 a comparatively small area in
fixed place, the former is trailed I'm founess
and pollution for miles across the city. If the
railroads using the tunnel will stop using soft
coal and burn only clean anthracite In their
engines they will dbate the major part of the
tunnel nuisance, they Will greatly commend
themselves 10 the patronage Of the public and
by no means the least important consideration
they will cease breaking the law. And the
question of their doing is a question not of
engineering. but of finance.