New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-13
WORSE THAN LONDON,
Or Boston, As Is ShOscn By Com par
atiUe Tests.

AS the result of comparison OF experiments by
Professor Alfred Spice, of the department OF chem
istry of Cooper Union, and DR.. George Fl. Spice, a
civil engineer. 1t has been found that the air OF the
New-YOrk subway is more impure than that of the
Boston subway. the London electric tunnel.
known the South London Electric Railway.
Professor Spice found that in the cut between
Thirtythird-st. and Forty-second-st. the air con-
tanned 10 ten thousandths of carbonic acid gas
According to DR.. Soper In the Boston SUBJ
way there IS from 65S to 9E ten thou
sandths and in the London tube there is about
9. The London tube is ventilated however in
a different way from the New-Yor subway for
the reason that there is a single train to a
single tube. and the air is thus sucked in behind
and driven out ahead Nevertheless Professor
Spice thinks there need be no cause for alarm.
In telling OF his experiments Professor Spice
said: Il took a glass gas collector out on the
platform Of a local northbound train as it left
the Thirty-thrd-st station. The collector was
about eight inches long. an inch thick, and of
glass. 1t had a stopcoCk at either end 1 opened
both stopcocks and let the distilled water with
which it was filed run out. Then I turned the
stopcocks and bagged my air.
At the laboratory l forced out by means of
mercury enough OF the subway air TO I'LL a
burette, or long glass tube. containing just 100
cubic centimetres. This done I again forced out
the air into a series of bulbs. called a pipette
the bulb of which held mixture of potash and
water. This combination absorbs carbonic acid
gas as soon as IL is brought into contact with
It. After being assured that all of the c o, had
been absorbed, let the mercury run out OF the
burette thus sucking back the air where l
might measure 1t. 1 found that it had lost a
thouSandth part, or. in other words that it
had formerly contained 10 ten thOusandths of
carbonic acid gas"
The air in the centre OF local train Pro-
fessor Spice found 20 contain 10 ten thousandths
Of carbonlc acid gas. or the same as that OF the
subway The car, however, had all the tran
SONS open. In northbound express car lust
before it reached the Ninety sixth-st. station
and after it had been closed up tight for three
minutes. he found twenty parts OF carbonic
acid gas. or twice much as he found in the
subway.
-Four parts OF carbonic acid gas in ten thou
sand parts OF air is the amount found in the
open air, said the professor. Twenty parts or
as much as l found in the express car would
do no harm to a healthy person. but might at
feet one of weak lungs. Indeed, an ordinary
person can stand as high fifty before feeling
the eneCtS, in a sort of headaChy sensation and
drowsineSs. | do not consider. therefore, that
the air in the subway is any more Injurious
than that in some elevated express cars which
are boxed up for much longer time than any
subway trains. and in which the c o. has been
found as high thirty-one parts.
In warm damp weather however. ii may
be found that the air OF the subway will become
more impure than is safe for the public health.
and In such cases I think fans should be in
stalled. At the present time. however. l think
we should be no more alarmed about the sub
way than about the elevated or surface cars
when Overcrowded