New-York tribune., 1906-06-03
SUBWAY TRAFFIC LIGHT
DUE TO FRIDAYS FIRE.
Rapid Transit Board Expected to
abolish Wooden Cars.

the travelling public more than any accident
surface, elevated subway lines in years. AL
though Subway trains usually crowded on Sat-
urday afternoons, the traffic much lighter than
usual yesterday. 1t Is authoritatively stated that
on Thursday the Rapid Transit Commission will
adopt resolution calling the Interborough to
run no more wooden cars in the Subway. 1t was
generally commented yesterday that cars sup
posedy hreproof with copper sheathed Sides should
burn like tinder. Two cars were completely de-
stroyed, and of two others only twisted and warped
steelwork remained. The supposed freproohng
caused much discussion yesterday in which Off
cials OF the Interborough Rapid Transit Company
talked as freely outside engineers who criticised
the Subway.
The Subway accident in Paris about two years
ago. when nearly hundred persons were killed,
nearly all being suffocated from smoke.
called, and the possibility of such accident in
this city discussed. Another point raised was that
the lights in the trains went out almost stimuli
taneously with the short crcuiting that started the
fire. Although this denied by August Belmont
and E. P. Bryan, president and vice-president OF
the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, Deputy
Fire Chief Binns and many other fremen, police
men, and even passengers. affirmed IT Mr.. Bel
mont In his denial sad
One thing ought to be clearly impressed upon the
public and that is that the independent lighting
after the collision That means that the Subway
not left in darkness as persons would b. 5eevs ,v
that no matter what may happen In the M Nay OF an
have light enough. to enable them to make their
way in safety to the nearest station The impress
ina tat hos I soS ShSav 1 tbaf section was imediatev
IN o ttn @ Gaptness The fact is that for thirty min,
utes after the accident the independent lighting
dte Sody an R o get out The
system kept on until things got too hot down there
and the wires melted
E P Bryan. vice president. said:
lighting system failed to work. The independent
lighting system continued for thirty minutes. and
caused caused its discontinuance.
August Belmont the only official OF the IN.
terborough Rapid Transit Company who practi-
cally acknowledged that the cars burned were not
properly fireproofed. Deputy Chief Bnns of the
Fire Department was emphatic in his assertions
that they not freproof. while Frank Hedley.
general manager, stated the opposite emphati-
cally. An expert engineer said yesterday that the
cars burned Friday night. while called copper
sheathed cars, are really wooden cars with a COP
per sheathing the sides no thicker than q
piece of paper" and wh.vA. the expert said. are
absolutely useless in hot fire. Mr.. Belmont, in
discussing this feature Of the fire. said:
I am willing to say, that we shall never put any
cars that go into the subway Will be made Of stee M
and will be absolutely treproof.
why not take out the wooden cars before there
is any serious accident" Mr.. Belmont was asked
What are going to do with the wooden cars?
Couldn't you utilize them for elevated trains ?"
They are too heavy for the elevated structures
''why couldn't you let them the surface
somewhere"
I'VE don't own any other roads on which they
could be utilized. and from the present attitude of
the public mergers it seems that it wouldn't be a
good thing for to own any railroads"
Asked if the wooden could not be sold to
some other road for surface use. Mr. Belmont said
it might possibly be done. But. ne said, it takes
bIlild StaaIC
When we first started 10 build cars for the sub
way there We're no steel cars in existence The first
We built IN Altoona. Penn, We're too heavy. We
steel cars that, were both durable and light. But
m eeope ars the qGnF os t9e sba 6s we 70 n give
world. think it is wrong 70 exaggerate any acci-
occurred last night is exaggerated, the passengers
would get into such frightened state of mind that
time the lights went out
| Chief Engineer George s Rice of the Rant5
Transit Commission did not discuss whether or
the cars that burned were freproof but argued
yesterday that all cars, freproofed or not would
burn under the excessive heat Of a short circuit
Mr. Bryan. vice-president of the Interboroneh a q
| emphatcally denied that cars We're entirely cor
sumed as others said they were He said:
Naturally there was a considerable ouantitv .,
stun burned i as a result OF the short circuit The
around the wires and other infammabie stun
caught fire and caused great deal of smoke -rba
motors and general equipment of the affected arv
however were found to be in very GOOD co,,.S cSEs
( The damage to the cars has been very nlurb ey
aggerated OF the copper sheathng on the two
cars injured the most Is still there, and can 10
and examined by any who wishes to Jo
It is nonsenscal to say that it was destroveS
completely. on the whole 1t be said that the
two steel acted very well The WOOD vvcril
was naturally very much charred by the flames and
the enormous heat. No matter what the material
may be. ii cannot stand the heat generote cd ~ -
! powerful short circuit. - -
| one of the best known expert engineers in The
country yesterday spoke Of the loss of life which
,,g1 racy,It Gva -{v
! night should in the neighborhood of the
16Sth street 1S9th street tation on the r2road
way line. At l6Sth street the subway ia III fee+
below the street level and is reached bv two lsrr
elevators. both slow moving, and a long Winding
! stairway At 1s9th the subway is abopt q
; hundred feet below the street level. The exnert
| said:
| II a fire similar TO that of Friday night shonld
| bound 10 he loss OF life The volume Of smote
which would pour Up through these outlets would
! suffocate any one about; II would be impossible
| in OF crowd such attends the baseball
| games and gets off at l6Sth street 10 get out ~
the subway before many were overcome and slfro-
: Gated. IL would be a repetition the Paris suh-
way horror of two years ago Smoke Sof the deD
sity OF of Friday night would take ke abent ben
! fifteen minutes 10 ascend to the ana ascoya
and in the mean time many would be killed ''e'
Many thousand passengers board and leave train.
at 1ssth street and 1s9th street each day ana ao1
| cording 10 experts the loss OF lie I'm caaa =, .
! fire at either of these points. would be great
| Alexander T. Orr president OF the Rapid Trans,,
| Commission said
! When the subway was built there were no such
things as steel cars: We got copper sheathed care
| which the most durable and the safest or am,
| at that time. and thought had done n eraatt
I<uf HaT a tbara antt1