New-York tribune., 1901-07-13
OFFICIALLY CONDEMNED.

Mr. Wilgus the chief eni;ineer Of the New
York Central, dismisses al suggestions that
the Park-ave tunnel might be cleared Of smoke
and asphyxiating gases by system OF ventila-
ton with fans. He says:
Such a plan would not work, for the reason
that the coal gas discharged from the smoke
stacks OF passing locomotives in the Park-ave.
tunnel is thirty or forty times the amount Of
that in the Baltimore tunnel. No number Of
fans. no height OF chimney, could draw out the
generated. Five hundred and sixty trains pass
through the tunnel each day. together with a
hundred more switch engines. The volume OF
coal gas thus discharged each day into the tun-
mel would defy any such scheme.
We thank thee for these words The volume
OF coal gas in the tunnel would defy the re-
sources Of wealth and the ingenuity of en-
gneers to clear it. And yet human beings are
daily compelled to breathe It, The density of
the poisonous gas is so great that no number
of fans and no height of chimneys would dilute
ii enough to make 1t appreciably more endur-
able TO the lungs; but yet year after year the
lungs have been expected to absorb it, with
much coughing and strangulation, perhaps. but
with unkind protests or complaints. Mr..
Wilgus and all the other railroad authorities
declare with deep solemnity that they have
been helpless, and only now begin TO see their
way toward change of motive power which
gnes. Not all their professions of impotence
have been entirely convincing, and their hint
at the present moment that they hope within
year to have an electric system in operation
seems a little odd in view Of their off hand
dismissal even within q few weeks, of all
suggestions of such system as ridiculous and
of demonstrated impossbity. Their engineers
had studied deeply in electrical science, and in
the present state of human knowledge the re-
lief sought for was not to be obtained at any
price. But under pressure Of reiterated de-
mands from the public they have apparently
been told by their superiors to ''guess again"
If they will only guess TO some purpose, we'll
and good. Nobody will inquire too curiously
into the past slow development in the human
intellect Of capacity to solve the problem. With
too much Joy will the solution be hailed, If 1t
ever is achieved But meanwhile let Mr.. Will
gus's description of the tunnel smoke be kept
in mind against contingencies. If by chance
the tunnel should not be cleared in year; If
when the summer heat shall pass, and with 1t,
perhaps. the public feeling on the subject, the
inventiveness of the railroad engineers should
likewise fag it might be useful to have this
official testimony that the air of the tunnel,
which thousands of persons are compelled to
breathe daily, is so foul that all the winds
which machinery could generate would not
serve TO purify IT TO even q passably endurable
condition for the lungs. Mr.. WIgus has con-
ferred a great favor by telling us how SUI
premely vile are the gases Of those five hun
dred and sixty trains, supplemented by the
smoke of hundred switch engines, confined
in the tunnel. Whatever be the limitations as
to remedy, there will hereafter be no uues-
ton that the public is justified In demanding
a remedy with all its might and being ex-
tremely slow to accept even the most plausible
Of excuses on the part Of those who continue
to administer TO them such strong doses of
poison