New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-06-02
IMPURE AIR IN SUBWAY.
IS LACKING IN OXYGEN.
Rapid Transit Commission to In
uestigate It's Ventilation.

The Rapid Transit Commission has reacheu
the conclusion that the air in some parts Oh 'iie
subway is unfit for the patrons of the road %
breathe and that the present methodS OF ven
tiIation are inadequate. For several "eeh9
complaints have come to The Tribune that the
air in the subway was lacking in oxygen-that
the atnnosphere seemed surcharged with the
carbon dioxide which had been exhaled by tile
thousands Of people who had come and gone
When the subway was first opened aoout
seven months ago the cry of impure air under
Ground was raised. Several chemists investi-
gated and made various conflicting reports upon
the quality of the subway atmosphere. one re-
mort. complied by Professor Charles f. Chandler
of Columbia University printed by the inter
borough Rapid Transit Company and d1str1puteo
from all the stations of its underground anu
aboveground lines This report declared the ar
in tbe subway in all respects to be as Soeo as
the atmosphere of the surface
Health Commissioner Darlington agrees with
Professor Chandler that the subway air Is as
ooo5 az the surface atmosphere, and denied n
few days ago that he had any IDEA Oh request
,ne the Interborough Rapid Transit Company
10 install system of ventilation to ASSIST tfe
cars in keeping the air underground IN CIR
culation E P Bryan, vice-presidenI or the
company, said yesterday:
subway I can see nothing the mater VIII
it and expert opinion has declared II pure itit
only system of ventilation thaL we ho nc +bo
present underground is that 1or1ned pS t
many moving cars. There are numerous open
ings TO the surface, and the rushing trains @ a,e
bound keep the air IN perpetual I raotiol SO w =
have never thought Of Installing regular Sy1-
tenn of ventilation, because we nave never
thought it necessary ,r,,
The people don't to mind the ar. me
traffic of the subway is large and groWlng'
The neopie seem highly satisfied with the Whoie
subway If they did not like the ar Woulu
they patronize the road or submit TO croWulhS
in the cars in the rush hours? The acton OIL
the peopIe has made it clearly evident what
they think about impure subway ar
patron of the subway said yesterday;
= ,,i+a of the oniuions of Professor Chandler
and commissioner Darlington, the subway ar
gives me a dull, heavy feeling whenever Ilue %
in it-and I am compelled to do so often In
the winter the air wasn't so bad. The ar oedoM @
ground seemed to be warmer than OUTSIDE ana
tended to rise, creating draught AT TINS uIIe
of the wear it is generally cooler than the out-
side air I believe. All the heavy. foul air thaC
is breathed out by the thousands OF patrons
g;pIyS and stagnates. Talk about your germs
sIliH' s 1icrohesi %rl~ am wondering what the at
noosphere will be down there when real not
weather sets in. The city will nave to get
| hncket brigade and take the atmosphere out pI
the pailful if it expects fresh pure an
! and wholesome-to move down there
with the protests a Tribune reporter yester-
day sought George S. Rice, chief engineer OF
the Rapid Transit Commission. He said:
know that the air in the subway is bad Al
| several of the downtown stations, notary a
! the bridge and 14th-st.. the atmosphere is dead
| II is a strange thing that these downtown sta
tions all of which have four exits, shoula naS -
stations have only two exits each, the air Is
very good. .....o.+;,,o.
| THE commission will soon make an inVestlga-
+ton INFO the poor ventilation in certain parts OF
| Tho subway 1t is then going to order changes
| where necessary. What these changes Will p'
am not yet in a position to say. Those are
| matters which the engineers must decide