New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-07-12
TO CLEAR THE TUNNEL.
ELECTRICITY TO REPLACE
STEAM UNDER PARK-AVE.
THIRD RAIL SYSTEM NAY BE USED FROM
FORTY-SECOND-ST. TO THE CITY
LIMITS AT LEAST


high official of the New-York Central Railroad,
1t will not be long before electricity will replace
steam engines in the Park-ave. tunnel The
plan proposed is to run all trains between some
point not further south than Yonkers and tha
Grand Central Station by OF the electric
third rail- which. for the prevention of acci-
dents, will be laid according a recently pat
ented method. by which the rail remains dead
until the passes over it, Such third rail
system was introduced into the Baltimore tun-
mel few months ago. and has proved success
full it is said
Various details still battle the ingenuity OF the
Central's engineers, but the general scheme has
practically been decided upon. because of the
energy with which the engineers are now grap-
pling with these particular problems. and be-
cause of the personal interest which President
Newman has taken in the work IL is expected
that the new system will be open for use within
a year.
OF GREAT PUBLIC INTEREST.
The choice of electricity has been made AFTER
the consideration of hundreds OF plans and sug-
gestions with which the chief officials of the
company have been flooded. This widespread
public interest first aroused by move
ment among certain property owners in Park
ave. TO subscribe out of their own pockets tow
ard the expense of a change of power in Tho
tunnel As told in The Tribune. each property
owner agreed to pay at the rate of So a front
foot, 81 600 a block front The subscription
list is in the hands of Morris Putnam
Stevens. of No 81 Pfne-st. and Will be sub
mitted 10 President Newman some time next
week The subscribers say they have suf-
fered from the smoke and fumes and the inces-
SAINT of engines in the tunnel that they w1u
gladly pay for quiet.
The camDaisn of the rroperty owners aWrka
the commuters and real estate men of The
Bronx and of Westchester County. Because OF
the intense heat passengers complained of un-
endurable discomforts In travelling through the
tunnel TO and from their homes The cars. hot
from the train she'd they said. were loaded with
the sweltering crowds and then boxed up light
for the run from Forty-second-st- to Ninety
sixth-st.. in order keep out the sitting fumes
of coal gas from the engines. Even with doors
and windows closed they said that some smoke
leaked into each car. only to intensity the dis
comfort.
Real estate men who developing tracts OF
land for building lots along the Central raised
the cry that investors We're being driven away
to other suburban districts. where transporta-
ton was attended with less physical distress In
| consequence the New-York Central has been Pc
| titoned and besought never before in its his
| tory make some change in its terminal sys-
| tenn. The pressure of popular opinion, together
| with the interest and energy of the new presi-
dent of the road. have now resulted in the pro-
posed plan set forth at the beginning of this
| article.
| A TALK WITH MIR. WILGUS.
INVESTIGATION of the tunnel question was espe-
| cialIy accelerated by the return yesterday 10
his office OF W. J. Wilgus. the chief engineer OF
| the road When asked in regard to the pro-
4 ale in ulacA o
steam engines. he declined TO state positively
| that such a plan had been decided upon When
| asked however what work had been done on
| the part of the engineers. he said:
| I'VE have carefully considered every plan that
| has been submitted to us. and in almost all ~e
| have found some flaw"
| What are some of the plans that you have
| considered?" asked The Tribune reporter.
THAT Of ventilation was the answer 7
| have just read an article from The Engineer
ing News which says the Park-ave- tunnel
| can be ventilated by means Of chimneys and
| fans as is the Baltimore tunnel. Such a plan
would not work for the reason that the coal
| gas discharged from the smokestacks OF pass
ing locomotives In the Park-ave tunnel IS thirty
| or forty times the amount of that in the Baltt-
| more tunnel No number of fans. no helgnr
| OF chimney could draw out the smoke from me
| Park-ave tunnel fast as ii is generated
| Five hundred and sixty trains pass through the
tunnel each day, together with hundred more
| switch engines The volume of coal gas thus
discharged each day into the tunnel would DEFY
any such scheme. Then. even If the gas couio
ba drawn off. the cinders would remain. and a
certain amount of fumes would be drawn into
the cars.
.tJou, has the plsn of running the suburban
trains with electricity and the through express
nv stsann been considered?" was asked
"As tn,nractfcabIe" was the answer Elec-
tricitv can only be used economically when there
is a constant flow. and a continuous consurnp-
| tion Thus with surface line of trolley cars
| where there are hundreds OF motors utilizing
the power every minute. the cost or producing
this power Is reduced 10 a minimum
MIST EXTEND A LONG WAY.
.or N. Central suburban system there are
certain times of the day when few trains are
run and then in the rush hours they follow one
another on a two or three minute headway
During the slack hours a generating plant would
thus be operated at loss. The only way TO use
electricity is for both express and local trains
and for a considerable distance out of the city
.sThe system must extend out of the city some
| distance also for the convenience or commuters
| N ,s wholly fmpracticable TO stop train filled
with suburbanites for the purpose OF detachins
an engine and coupling on motor. All SUB
urban trains should be run 10 their furthest sta-
| tions by electricity. An express train could ~
| halted however. thirty more miles out OF the
| city for coupling on a motor without the pas
| sensers expressing any great degree or rebeil
iousness
1T should be clearly understood. continued
Mr. Wilgus that even with a successful In
| stalIation of electricity in and north OF the tun
nell great difficulty is 10 be experienced IN
| switching the trains in the yard OF the Grane
Central Station. To operate trains IN the Saro
| there must he a third rail beside every pan
| of tracks However carefully these rails nigh
be insulated there would be great danger, be
| cause of their number Of having the electricit,