New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-06

and entrances by means Of broad stairways leading
up City Hall Park side and the loops
OF the Brooklyn trolley the other. Be
tween the four tracks there will be platforms
twenty feet wide and $50 feet long. Outside of the
outside tracks there will also be platforms Of SINH
lar size. all of which will be connected overhead
by a twenty-foot bridge Yet, should these plat
forms all be crowded with passengers In the rush
hours, and the subway I'LL with smoke, the scramble
OF the multitude up the different stairways might,
nevertheless, result fatally from the stronger
trampling on the weaker.
In order TO prevent collisions the PETERBOROUGH
company is now equipping the completed portions
OF the track with a train stop and signal system
which will regulate the distances between trains
automatically The train stop is device which
turns the power off and brings train a halt if
it passes danger signal 1t consists of two parts
OF which is the track and the other on the
bottom of the train. The stationary part is IN the
form Of IT When the danger signal is set
the ~ is erect When the coast is clear the 1"'
lies horizontally. The part OF the device which is
attached 10 the motor consists of a horizontal
steel rod Should it strike the upright T' it shuts
of the current and applies the airbrakes Accord
ingly even If the motornan does not see the dam
ger signal the train stop brings him a halt.
The possibility of the mechanism refusing to work
is guarded against IN the way that the auto
matte airbrake is applied to the train. When any
thing goes wrong the "T' stands upright. This
system is in use in the terminal yards of
Boston and ST. Louis.
The cars also carry two lines of air pipes one
Of which is the train line pipe and the other the
reservoir pipe. When in motion the main reser-
voir is charged with ninety pounds Of compressed
air to the square inch The air is forced in by
ccmpressors driven by electric motors the
elevated and street In motion the train line
pipe has a pressure of seventy pounds, and any
reduction In this pressure immediately sets the
brakes. Accordingly should a train break apart,
all the cars stop automatically and simultaneously
There is still another device which cOmpels the
motorman to keep his hand continually the
lever. Whenever he releases his grip the brakes
set and his train is brought TO halt The cars
will be equipped with conductor ropes, by which
the train may also be stopped.
For the purpose of handling crowds more easily
on and off of platforms, the gates Of the subway
slide back into the walls of the cars, instead
OF swinging as on the old fashioned elevated cars
There seems no doubt that strap hangers
will be plentiful the subway trains on
the cars above ground Although these are
three inches wider than the OLD cars of the ele-
waited. the additional width is given to the aisle
Consequently the car may be loaded with pas
sengers occupying seats. well with two lines Of
strap hangers" through the centre Of the
The three additional inches will be for the bene-
fit Of those who desire TO wedge their way to the
platforms The cars 30 feet long over ALL
with a distance of ~ feet inches from door to
door. Both the asbestos-wood and the steel cars
have the same dimensions.