The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-11-27
By a New Device All the
Cars Of the Chicago Lin
tied Are Sterilized After
Each Trip.
WAR ON GERMS AND MICROBES
ROAD SEEKS TO so CLEAN ITS
CARS THAT ALL DANGER OF
CoNTAGIoN MAY BE ELIMINAT-
ED.

y &
NEW YORK. Nov. 27, 1905s--The
Chicago Limited over the Erie Railroad
now leaves Jersey City every day conn
pletely and thoroughly sterilized train. a
device has been perfected by Chemist
Landon of the Mechanical Department
by which all the cars ON this vestibuled
train are thoroughly sterilized at Jersey
City after each round trip between Jer-
sey City and Chicago, run Of about
two thousand miles. The daily routine
of sterilization began on Wednesday
of last week.
Experiments looking to this method Of
so cleaning cars as to kill all disease
germs and destroy all bad odors. have
been in progress nearly month. The
Pullman Company has investigated the
method and has given its consent that
all bedding, clothing and hangings in
their cars used on these trains shall be
submitted to the sterilizing process, as
they are satisfied it kills all disease
germs, Injuries nothing in the ears and
makes travelling in such sterilized cars
absolutely safe in preventing disease in
fection.
The process devised by Mr.. Landon
consists of the mixing of two chemicals
so that sort Of Formaldehyle gas bath
is given to each car. which is tightly
closed for the purpose at the end Of each
trip. After the gas has been permitted
to do it's work, the cars are thoroughly
aired, swept, washed and later on dust
ed, SO that each car leaves the station
| guaranteed to be absolutely free from
germs of La grippe, tuberculosis, feyers
or other contagious diseases, that any
passenger may have left behind him.
This sterilizing process will be used
for the present on trains No. and No.
4, and as soon as arrangements can be
perfected, will be extended to other
through trains on the line.
"A deodorizing apparatus has also been
devised. that for the past two weeks has
been in use in fifteen Erie club, parlor
and commuters cars. This apparatus
| is placed under the seats in the cars, out
of sight of passengers, and gives off an
odorless gas, which combines with the
stale tobacco smoke, or other offensive
odors which may accumulate in the cars,
and serves to completely nullify them.
This treatment has been so effective that
| it will be extended to all the passenger
cars in the Erie service. 1t is an en-
tirely new service and one that has never
before been attempted in railway SER
| vice. The cehmicals used give off no
perceptible odor, so that after nights
treatment the air in the cars is as fresh
| and cleanly as that out of doors-a fact
| winch has Deen noted and commented on
by some Erie passengers within the past
week or two while experiments have
been in progress.
Under the State laws of Texas and
Kentucky the sterilization of cars is COM
pulsory at periods of from three to fifteen
days. The agitation Of such laws is now
going on in Ohio. The Erie manage
ment, believing that such laws will be-
come general, has taken an anticipatory
step to securing passenger equipment
that will be absolutely healthful as well
as comfortable for its patrons.