The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-06
NEW YORK TOPICS
GOSSIP AND CURRENT COMMENT
FROM THE METROPOLIS.

The People of the Big Town Are Be-
ginning to Cry Out Against the
Third EniI-Its Victims Are Becom-
ing Numerous, Even Though 1t Il
Installed Nowhere Excepting on
Elevated Structurcs-FOr n Long
Time Most OF the Third Rail Acct
dents Were in Brooklyn Where No
Attempt Has Been Made to Protect
the Rail, but Lately the Trouble
borough Some Protection Is At
forded by IL Long, Uncovered Box,
but as the Top of the Rail is Ex-
posed, Even So it is Deadly.
New York, Dec. 5.-The announce
ment that the New York Central people
hope by and by to run all their trains
between New York and Albany cleo
tricalIy by the third rail method of
transmission comes just when the
peopIe of this town are beginning to
cry out against the use of the third
rail at all, even on the elevated lines
This outcry is the result of the ac-
cidents the system has caused recent
ly, and is thoroughly deserved. 1t is
quite possible to transmit electric
mower for the use Of a railroad in such
a way that neither passenger nor en-
ployee need be in any danger what
ever unless he willfully places himself
in Jeopardy That the present system
is not so installed is being shown
every day or two by accidents that
either kill or disable.
There are three third rail systems
IN the city of New York. One is in
operation on the Brooklyn Bridge, and
IS nearly three miles in extent; it was
the first third rail system introduced
here. The second system to be in
troduced was on the Brooklyn Ele-
waited roads. 1t comprises thirty or
forty, perhaps fifty, miles of track,
being the most extensive system of
the three The third system, installa-
ton of which was completed only last
spring, is on the lines of the Manhat-
tan elevated road, and is somewhat
over twenty miles in extent. By next
spring the fourth system-that of the
subway-will be in operation.
The systems on the bridge and the
Brooklyn IL" roads are practically
the same in installation and operation.
On both, the third rail, carrying a cur
rent so deadly that the slightest touch
means almost certain and instant loss
of life is entirely unprotected. Nor
fa1 aPOi6anfC IN thn loo fbo
third rail, however, have been very
few and far between; on the Brooklyn
AZ" lines they have become so fire.
quent as to excite only the most
casual notice.
The system in use on the Manhattan
II" roads is the same in principle as
that on the Bridge and in Brooklyn
OF course, but in Manhattan there is
some pretence of protecting the third
rail
This protection takes the form of
wooden strips, nailed alongside the
third rail in such a way as to form
Il long, uncovered box, the shoe MAX
ing contact with the top of the rail-
This box-like construction was adopt
ed both to protect the rail from the
snow and to protect human beings
from the current. In so far as pro-
lection from the snow is concerned
the scheme is failure, the snow clog
ging the rail by reason of the box
much sooner than it would were there
no box at all. AS protection to hui
man life, however, the box has been
more or less effective. In fact, the
deaths from the current on the Man
haitian IL" have been very few, COM
pared to those from the same cause in
Brooklyn, and until lately the Man
haitian management believed the sys-
tenn about as safe in it's method of in
stalation as could well be desired.
This dream was dispelled about
three weeks ago, when a workman
crossed the deadly third rail drag
ging a crowbar behind him. He step
ped across all right, but the point of
the bar touched the unprotected top
of the rail, forming a short circuit"
OF which the mans body was a part
instantly he became as rigid as the
oar, being quite unable either to move
or drop the bar until the current could
pc turned off. After that he was taken
10 the hospital mortally hurt.
RMS accident, and two or three
others not so serious, but still terribly
ing because of their possibilities, have
made the people very nervous about
the third rail. If public sentiment
counted for anything the company
would change its method of transmit
ting power at once.
Ihose who are calling for a safer
system suggest one by which the rail
shall be entirely covered save on the
under side where contact would be
made with the shoe. This would be
perfectly feasible if the rail were
supported on brackets and snow clog
Rlng would be wholly obviated. If
ms were not thought advisable, say
the third-rail critics, the conduit sys-
tem' the same as used on the surface