New-York tribune., 1901-07-28
THE BLACK HOLE OF MANHATTAN.


DR.. Cyrus Edsons report on the superior
salubrity of the Black Hole of Calcutta in COM
parison with the New-York Central tunnel must
impress a large class of NewYorkers with a
sense of their own heroism. The victims of
Indian cruelty obtained release from their suf-
ferings, while the NEWCOMERS still live 10
endure, some of them twice day. foretaste
of the asphyxiation prepared for them. Ac-
cording TO DR.. Edson the tunnel is much more
poisonous than its Calcutta forerunner and
capable in a short space of time of doing
vastly greater injury TO health, but as The con-
fnement is not prolonged here beyond a few
minutes and the victims are then able to Sc
cure a supply Of oxygen immediate fatalities
avoided. However, DR.. Edson points out,
the habitual endurance of such conditions, par
ticularly by persons of delicate constitution,
must have a serious effect. Men and women
cannot subject themselves with impunity twice
daily TO five minute ordeal of Increased
pulse rate, increased respiration to thirty and
forty a minute profuse sweating, dyspnpa,
feeling of construction of the chest nausea,
dizziness and general discomfort" to quote
Dr. Edson's diagnosis.
The railway officials in charge of the tunnel
profess the utmost willingness to abate the
nuisance il anybody will tell them how and no
doubt they are perfectly sincere in that ex-
preston. 1t is not to be supposed that they
would, merely TO save the expense OF installing
a new motive power in the tunnel or adopting
other new apparatus for securing adequate ven
tilation, continue conditions which undoubtedly
act as deterrent to many people from habitu-
ally patronizing their lines. The superior con-
venience of the station in the heart of Man
haitian is largely offset by the discomforts of
For @1
choice, and so thousands are driven to Long
Island and New-Jersey for suburban homes who
would otherwise be constituents of the railroads
leaving the Grand Central Station. There is a
great difference, however, between rejection of
perfect plan Of improvement and lack of ex-
treme energy to develop an imperfect plan and
overcome its obstacles. The temptation is al
ways strong in such a case to rest content
with what is, so long as an Improvement is in
an experimental stage Conservatism, indeed
must govern the management of motive power
1t would never do to install system which
was not certainly adequate. But the same fear
of experiment need not prevent attempts at
betterment In other directions. Even if they
did not do everything expected OF them, no harm
would result. Perhaps with a system of fans
we should not have air of Alpine purity but we
might have 10 breathe little less of that carbon
monoxide which is among the French favorite
instrument OF suicide So too hard coal or
coke might fall short of perfection but might
also considerably alleviate the discomforts Of
soft coal smoke. Then something might he
done TO have the cars start with reasonably
good and cool air, and possibly to secure more
expert and considerate firing of locomotives so
that there might be less imperfect combustion
while I'm the tunnel
At any rate the more fully the energy of the
railrond officials is sustained by the knowl-
edge that the public Is extremely dissatisfied,