New-York tribune., 1901-07-09
FOR RELIEF IN TUNNEL
CENTRAL OFFICIALS THINK FEWER
GASLIGHTS WILL HELP.
PRESIDENT NEWMAN ACKNOWLEDGES THE
NUISANCE, AND IS WORKING TO DO
AWAY WITH IT-ENGINEERS EN-
AIMING MANY SCHEMES.

AIMING MANY SCHEMES
The engineers of the New York Central Rail-
road are considering more than hundred plans
and suggestions for the discontinuance of steam
in the Park-ave. tunnel These plans have been
sent in from all classes and professions. and
prompted by the agitation recently revived
by certain residents and property owners in
Park-ave., as told in The Tribune on June -
In the mail which President Newman of the
Central received yesterday morning there were
several dozen letters from persons desirous of
private interview with him for the purpose of
exploiting some particular plan. Although
many of the schemes proposed decidedly
chimerical they are to get careful consideration
from the engineers and all deserving recon-
mendations will be utilized as far as possible
President Newman said yesterday that al
though the question of changing the motive
power in the tunnel was one of seeming 1mpos-
sibility everything practicable would be done Tor
relieving passengers from both the neat anu
fumes that they now suffer. and also the resi-
dents in Park-ave. from the noise ana siiohe
of which they complain.
With a view of affording some relief for pas
sengers without delay it decided yesterday
to run trains in the tunnel without lighting
more than one or gas jets in each car
AS a result of an investigation which was
prompted by the recent agitation, IL was Iouiiu
tbo+ the heat in the cars was caused not so much
bv the hot air of the tunnel by the burning
of a dozen or more gas jets in each car.
CARS ARE OvERHEATED.
AS n high official expressed it yesterday IN
talking with a Tribune reporter:
THE commotion raised over the heat IN the
cars began upon the arrival of the hot wealnei'
Every one laid the blame TO the tunnel lheS
said the tunnel is hot. They called it furnace
and explained that it's heat was caused oy tue
hot blasts of coal gas from the smokestacNs oi
the locomotives. on investigation II was touhu
that the air in the cars was heated first, because
the cars were permitted TO stand in the sun out
In the yard and second. that in entering the
tunnel all the windows were closed and the gas
was lighted believe that the cars will be lo
degrees cooler by not burning gas and the eX-
pertinent. will be tried for while.
Even II this experiment does result in cooler
cars l am almost sure it will by no means
escape Censure. Business men VIII complain
that they cannot read their papers. and women
with weak eyes will say that a change from
light to comparative darkness and from dark
ness to light will render them totally blind.
President Newman declined to discuss any
scheme Of improving the tunnel, but said;
Il have been impressed with the widespread
irteres taken in this question Nothing Will be
left undone to remedy the nuisance, for 1t is
nitsa nee There IS no person or body Of persons
more eager TO relieve the passengers of the Cen
trail from this than the New-York Central COM
peny itself 1t is not question or hnance OF
It would have been solved long ago 1t Is a ques-
tion Of engineering. and the engineers of the
road are now giving it their especial study II
n practicable improvement can be made II VIII
be made regardless of expense.
Many plans proposed OF hitchng on
-StriYb fha Ufif Of
engines. All right But how can it be done?
The operation Of coupling a motor to a train
takes time perhaps as much three TO five
minutes The air brake pipes must be connected
and tested. Now. delay OF three or five min
utes means n congestion Of traffic on the Cen
tral, when in the morning and evening rush
hours trains run at minute intervals. True
such a system is in operation in the tunnels of
Baltimore but the traffic there is only thrteth
of what 1t is in and out OF New-York City.
WOULD COMPLAIN OF DELAY.
Secondly. a delay would have tremendous
effect on commuters Nothing enrages a
commuter as a delay. matter how short AS
an official Of the Chicago and Northwestern for
the eight years ending in 1897 l had the oppor-
tunity OF studying suburban traffic for the road.
At that time that road carried many as
ten thousand commuters. Then 1 found II to be
fact that a delay or a rev minutes caused
more complaint than half hour of discomfort
from heat smoke. short delay for through
passengers. however. would not arouse much
complaint. because short stop would be looked
upon as necessary to conform with the time
schedule"
Mr.. Newman said he did not believe it prac-
ticable to run part of the trains by electricity
and part by engines
The suggestion has been made TO transfer
| our passengers" he continued. "to the under
ground tunnel trains when they are in opera
tion. to the elevated trains. This. again. Is
Objectionable because people do not want to be
transferred
j. H. Franklin, manager of the service in the
tunnel, said yesterday:
Il believe that plan Will be perfected of run
ming trains by electricity through the tunnel
but 1t involves great difficulties third rail
along the many branch tracks and switches Of
the Grand Central Station yard would endanger
the lives of the switchmen. Even II the rails
were Protected, the question of proper insulation
would be formidable, for with so many tracks.
each of itself conductor. there would be great
danger of the electricity escaping
THE delay of coupling on a motor even If II
took only three minutes, would at once cause
congestion" Here Mr.. Franklin showed a time
table giving the arrival OF trains in the morning
rush hours. The trains scheduled to reach the
Grand Central station between and \ o'clock
are as follows: ZOO. 1:12 7:13. 7:14 T:2O. 7:27.
7:29. 1882. 733. 1876. I45, TAG. 7:4S. I:50, 7:5S
and o'clock or seventeen trains in hour.
IN the rush hours of evening the intervals be-
tween outgoing trains short.
The number of trains through the tunnel a
DAY averages 900" continued Mr.. Franklin.
There $50 last Saturday with a total of
2oS2 cars An incident happened to-day which
shows SHOW how trivial delay will block traffic. A
traln came apart this morning at the One hun
traf ffir =