The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09
GN7I.NOISE SOCIETY FORMED.
MIS-. RTCE mas ~ .iDVISORY AND
DIRECTORS HOARD.
And shes Reed, to ESQ Ahead In Her plan
10 kccp the streets Around Hospitals
GulrI Many Doctors With Her In
Ser ErOrts-TO shut or Automobiles.

lfI SNuN Oh
Mrs I-aac l.. Rice of Riverside Drive, the
romyp who won ont in her crusade against
.,pprauous harbor footing, has rounded
INTO shape her new project, The Society
tor he Suppression of Unnecessary Noises. =
I,s first meeting will be held, il possible,
horore the holidays. TIL directors and
advisory board are all named, And get
,bem Al the top of your story" Mrs. Rice
aid. "for those names mean n great deal.
Every one represents "a personal call. and
I'm proud Of them.'
A. the top Of the list of the advisory
hoard j. President Butler of Columbia,
and among the twenty others are DR.. Oar
lngton, DR.. Charles l.. Dana, president of the
academy Of Medicine; DIR. j. W. Brannan.
pr peafeld, William Dean Howells. Con-
rre--mcn Olcott and Bennett and De Lancey
Nicoll.
The board of directors consists chiefly
If hospital superintendents, plus two mem
bar. " the Columbia faculty and John H.
Girduer.
Vow. please notice carefully our title, ="
MIR, Rice said in setting forth the ambitions
Of the new society. Notice that it is
unnecessary noise we are going to try TO
have EJllelCDeI. tnlH Is no ITeHklSn move
mont. We are not freaks-at least we don't
think we are. We are not anti-all noise.
We admit at the start that there are a great
many noises that cannot be avoided.
Rat Oh. the ones that can!
Relief for the hospitals is to be our first
rallvirg cry. 7 have thought of three
Ways in which life can be made less miser-
able for the patients-and for the nurses
and doctors as well. who have to sleep
phon they can and who tell me that the
POUNDS of the street are sometimes I'M
uo,rablc.
First. I have in mind 81. Vincent's Hos
rItal. on Seventh avenue between Eleventh
and Twelfth streets. In order to get its
franchise the street car company that
operates there had TO agree that no bells
should evey Re rung in front Of the hospital.
The hospital folks are saved discomfort,
tho company loses nothing. We can ask
that the same custom he observed all over
tho city and | think the traction companies
vii readily consent.
Next vel visit the automobile clubs and
az them TO have their members abstain
from passing hospitals, if they can go
around without too much fuss. Or. if they
have 10 pass, they can go at reduced speed
and $50 that their horns ha We a rest.
After that, We propose to call on Com
missioner Bingham and ask hin to assign
y policeman TO every block where there IL a
hospital The head of one of the hospitals
tod me that he considered this all important.
Nr Tovnley. superintendent Of the J. Hood
Wright Hospital, told me that he sometimes
had as many as nine policemen around TO
match a man nbn haI ,hro..aNl ...-,l-
hut couldn't for the life Of him have one
rsgularly assigned 70 the block. 7 am
quite confident, = Mr.. Rice continued. that
We shall be able 70 get this part Of tho plan
through
In Mrs. Rice's collection Of letters from
persons promising cooperation is one from
DIT Gregory, alienist at Bellevue. He saws
No one will deny the annoyance caused by
noise 10 a healthy. normal Individual, but
Few realize the baneful influence IL has on
persons sun erlng from nervous and mental
diseases. Ny experience IN the treatment
- mental diseases has called 10 nv attention
most Horcibly the influence Of noise as an
exciting II not causative factor and IFS harm
I'll effect during the course of such disorders
y Is obvious that the activities of a large
o!ry ike New York must be productive Of
Tleh noise, but IL must also appeal to every
Nv A4idb LIuNh VI II utINr ulsLIaCtlnE noise
about US is unn ecessary and can be done away
uith.
The resident physician at the Sloane Ma
'Arnity Hospital writes
This INSTITUTION, situated On the corner IF
F'fty-ninth street and Amsterdam avenue.
& particularly afflicted with noises Two
ines Of ~elT-tric cars pass the building. and
ne startin; and stopping of cars. the whirrins
~ motors, the grinding of brakes and the
pounding % fsttened wheels make a con.
F'nnops commotion night and DAY. More
over. the Elity-ninth street cars are started
~ This corner, and the whistle Of the starter.
ne SHOUTS and Jokes Of the idle conduct ors
md motormen. the alterations with drunken
passengers, put of at the end of the line. add
Erea'lr to the noise.
These continuous sounds are only part Of
me trouble Worse and more unnecessary
s-e The noises made by thoughtless psssersbv.
sweet vendors. drunken men, and children
WIN little effort on the part Of the police
these sounds could be prevented. Bur men
'le permitted 10 stand in front of the
.'srl'al. arguing. shouting. swearing. Chill
hT-n are allowed 10 set of fr~ecrackers and
10 bat on tin pans under the hospitsl win
a'Ts Only recently a pedler with stem
torlan voice kept the hospital inmates awake
or an hour While he shouted tho merits Of his
heap watches az 80 A. VI
lNess noises are not merely an ANNOYANCE,
'A"T arc a serious menace TO the health Of sick
uafients Within the year two patients. after
'hAdhlrth in this institution. have become
insane. rhls being partly due. in the opinion
~ veil known %alienist. 10 the constant noise
prevailing around the building.
When Silly nights and quiet days have
Heen secured for the hospitals, the society
Vii get after the milk wagons. Saws
Mrs Rice,
Everywhere in own you hear the plant
We can't sleep after : o'clock Why not
TX this, too2 Why can't we get an ordi-
nance requiring wagons doing business
before or 7o'clock in the morning to have
rubber tires? For that matter, horse 5
could have rubber shoes. Don't smile
'hat PRACTICAL. Dealers, too, could be
made 70 pad their wagons so that the cans
couldn't rattle. Why. suppose the people
night around here agreed TO boycott the
man with the noisy wagon. Wouldn't
mat bring him to rubber tires in a hurry?
Street vendors could be quieteu. also.
know Of a case where one who has learned
70 save his breath gets all the trade OF an
a7preciative neighborhood. Don't you see
what NAV be ACCOMPLISHED nv educatinO