Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-17
AIR OF THE SUBWAY
Cutting Holes in the Roof of
the Tube.
VENTILATION A NECESSITY
To Those Who Ride in the Cars in
Hot Weather.
CHANGE OF COLOR IN POSTS
White Was Having a Bad Effect on
Motormen's Eyes, So Black is
Substituted.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, June 16.-Workdng with all
the energy of a rescuing force seeking to
release imprisoned men from mine choked
by disaster, an immense force of iaborers
is cutting away at the roof of the subway
from the Battery to Harlem In an endeavor
to bring about living conditions in the great
underground road during the hot months.
1t Will ever be written of the subway that
despite It's remarkable achievements, in
Guiding the New Workers. dream of eff
teen minutes to Harlem. the tube was con-
structed with an utter disregard of the laws
of ventilation.
All winter long the necessary alterations
were delayed. and now that the first breath
of hot weather has brought the people up
in arms over the sitting air in the bore
the authorities have set to work In a frenzy
OF haste. The city is footing the bill for
the improvements. for it was the city that
advanced the money for the original con-
struction and the city will come into pos
session of the property at the expiration of
the seventy-five-year lease the Belmont
lines now hold on the underground highway.
The architects and engineers of the sub
way evidently took it for granted that the
openings at the various stations would be
sufficient to provide all the ventilation nee
eSSary, ana curing the greater pOTtiou Ol
the tunnels length no other air-giving de-
vices were arranged. In upper Broadway,
however the parking in the center of the
thoroughfare under which the tube runs
offered such unusual opportunity for ven
tilating shafts several were put in The
necessity of this additional means of bring
ing fresh air into the tunnel was made evil
dent last summer, for the upper subway
was from 10 to 10 degrees cooler than the
lower end, while the quality of the atmos-
phere in the different sections was not to
be compared at all.
What Engineers Thought.
The engineers explained In planning the
subway that the trains rushing to and fro,
especially the fast moving expresses, would
provide draught. which would blow out
the foul air at the station openings and
bring in fresh air at the same time 1t
has been demonstrated that this theory
would only have applied had the uptown
and downtown tracks been separated by a
solid wall. Then the air would have been
kept moving IN one direction AS it Is
under existing circumstances an uptown
express train starts the air whirling in
that direction when along rushes a down
town train to check 1t. There is sort
OF whirlwnd for time and when the
commotion is over the air hasn't moved a
foot
During the winter months the atmoS-
pheric conditions are not noticeable to the
subway habitue. People do not seem to
need as much air in the winter as in the
summer. When rain. snow and sleet are
blocking traffic on surface and elevated
lines the New Workers flock into the SUBJ
way with a sigh Of glad relief, and no one
notices the air in the feeling of security
which comes with the knowledge that the
old subway will get you home regardless
of the weather. The swelterng months of
summer. however. soon bring home the
subways defects, and after a few weeks
of hot weather travel during the crowded
hours of the day is wellnight unbearable
Wherever 1t Is possible to make the aper-
lures the city is cutting holes in the roof
of the tunnel. In the rush of the relief
work these openings are simply being COW
cred over with a wire netting and sur
bounded by rough board fences. Eventual
~ they will be given a permanent graf
ing and ornamental iron fences. Some OF
the openings downtown will be provided
with series of valves opening outward
The hot and foul air Is expected to force
its way upward through these and fresh
air must come in at the station openings
to take its place. Further uptown, where
the street space permits Of larger OPEN
ings, the necessity of the valves Is not
felt. Last year huge exhaust fans were
placed in a number of the tunnel stations
but the relief they brought was only local
in effect. Other fans are being installed
all along the line, and there is even talk
of a refrigerating system for the dog
days. Until something very radical is