The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-16
SUBWAY DANGERS.
MIR. Tcsla1 Views OF Possibilities ana
Proper EQtlipmcnt.


To TIL. Eplron OF THE SCS--Sir! Inc
flooding Of the subway Is a calamity apt 10
repeat itself As Your readers win remember,
1t did not occur for the first time last Sunday
Water. like fire. Will break loose occasionally
In spite OF precautions. 1t will never be pos
siblc to guard against n casual bursting OF
main; for while the conduts can be safely
relied upon under normal working conoi-
tions. any accidental obstruction to the Tow
may cause presSuC which no pipe or Joi9t
can Withstand.
In fact If we ire 10 place fam In the
gloomy forecasts Of Commissioner Oakley.
who ought to know. such foods may he en-
pected to happen frequently in the future
In view OF bis II seems timely 10 call TO puD!lc
attention a danger Inherent to the electrical
equipment which has been thrust upon tho
lnterborough company by incompetent adj
visers
The subway Is bound to be successful ana
would be so II the cars Vero drawn by mules.
for 1t Is the ideal means of transportation in
crowded cities But the full measure OF sue
cess OF which 1t Is capable will DO attained
only when the !lnanc,ers shall say to the
electric companies: Give US the best, re-
gardess OF expense"
II Is to be regretted that this important
pioneering enterprise in other respects ably
managed and engineered should have been
tTtdteu Will buCl RTOSS HeBleCt III ltS lhoee
vital feature No opportunity was given to
myself. the inventor and patentee OF the
system adopted In the subway and the ele-
waited roads. for Offering some useful sug-
gestion, nor was a single electrician or en-
gineer Of the General Electric and Westing-
house companies consulted. the very men
who should have been thought Of first Of ALL
Once large sums Of money are invested In
a defective scheme 1t is difficult TO make
i Il. L. Ila
movement Of new capital Is largely deter
mined by previous investment. Even the
new roads now planned are likely to be
equipped with the same claptrap devices.
and so tho evil will grow. "Das chen list der
Fluch der boesen That, dass sic fortzeugend
Bosses muss gcbaeren"
The danger 10 which refer lies in the posi-
bllty OF generating an explosive mixture
by eectrolytio decomposition and thermio
dissertation of the water through the direct
currents used In the operation OF the cars.
Such process might 20 on for hours and days
without being noticed and with currents of
this kind 1t is scarcely practicable to avoid IL
alto gether.
1t will be recalled that an expert found the
percentage OF free oxygen in the subway
appreciably above that which might reason
ably have been expected in such moro or
less stagnated channel have never doubte
assumed that oxygen is being continuously
Sc, free BY stray currents passing through
the moist ground. The total amperaSe Of
the normal working current in tho tunnel is
very great, and in case o! flooding would
be sufficient to generate not far from 100
cubic feet of hydrogen per minute tnasmuch.
however, ~ IN railway operation the fuses
must be - hard. In order TO avoid frequent
lnterrnptI>r of the sarvic" bv their blowing
..,,y,,, ,l,,
be of much greater rollme and hydrogen
would he more abundantly liberated
1t II a peculiar property Of this ga, thar II ia
capable OF exploding when MIXED with a COM
parativelv large volume q! mir, and any en-
glneer can convince himself by simple
calculation that, say. 10000 cubi" feet
Of explosive might bn formed before the
danger j. discovered reported and proven.
tive measures taken. What the effect of such
mn explosion might be on life and property
is not pleasant to contemplate True, such
a disaster is NOT probable but tho present
electrical cQulpment makes IL possible, and
this possibility should be. by all means. re-
moved
The oppressveness Of the tunnel atmos-
phere is IL a large measure due 10 the heat
supplied by the currents, and To the produc
ton of nitrous aci in the arcs, which Is
HANGED b. rarefaction Of the air through
rapid motion Some provision for ventila L.
ton is imperative. But ventilation Will not
do away with the danger have pointed ont
II can he completely avoided only by dis
ca riding the direct current
should say that tho city aGthortles, for
this II for no other reason. should forbid its
use hv proper act of le sislatiou. Meanwhile,
the owners of adjacent property should oh.
lect TO its employment. and the insurance
companie should refuse the grant Of policies
on such property except on terms which 1t
may plaas so them TO make y TESLA