New-York tribune., 1906-04-04
TO RENEW SUBWAY AIR
Mr.. RICE SUBMITS PLANS
Thinks System of Values and Fans
VII Accom- plssh Object.


zspid Transit Commission for its approval plans
sor renewing and cooling the air in the subway
,-orn the Brooklyn Bridge 20 9tth street. They
nrovide FOR the installation Of lOuvres or valves
md fans between the stations. u is estimated
.hst the cost OF renewing the air in the part Of
N. subway mentioned will be S255.oo0.
NJ Rice's report covers tests and observations
made for nearly a year From them he con-
llu5es that all the electrical energy used in
o,.rsting trains is transformed into heat in the
s,bvav. and that the amount Of heat generated
vb.n the ultimate train schedule is IN opera
80, will be nearly 100 per greater than that
-.,a,sted last summer. All who experienced
he ,,uplessant effects Of the superheated air
her win he GLAD that the relief problem may be
,rorSe6 out before the coming heated term.
Much q the heat is absorbed into the sur
rounding earth. but enough remains 20 make the
air IN the subway approximately l., 20 and l5
dssrees higher IN winter. spring and summer
-ssncctively. than The temperature before op-
Grafton.
The motion OF the trains renews the air at the
s.o,ions but not between them. The renewals
- ,o- enough 10 remove the fms particles of
.-o- sr,st Que 10 friction. nor DO they materially
-ssDce she heat in the subway. Mr.. Rice refers
=, n. fact that Dr. Soper's report showed that
e regards purity the air in the subway was
10, materially different from that in the open
ar. and he says
The proslem OF improving conditions is mainly
,,ra ~ heat disposal ana not ventilation. There
fo-e 10 improve materially the conditions. the
-, ,,,rsr he renewed more frequently than at
7,-eseut throughout the whole subway. and al
~ same time recourse must be had 10 some
method II cooling H.
- cooling hy artificial means no method
has been fxed upon, ana cannot be until expert
-psr-s have been made In the summer. Three
,ne-bo5s are suggested. First. by evaporation or
water: second by refrigeration, and. 1hird, by
absorbing hest by disposing relatively cool
water throughout the subway u some manner
10 be determined upon-
a. for renewing the air Mr. Rice says:
TIE mos, desirahl manner Of renewing the air
,ln6er the conditions which exist in the subway
"a fo exhaust the air points midway between
The stations. thereby causing the infow OF All
,tro,lrl, the station openings. BY this means the
freshes4 air IS always secured al the station.
and such iron dust a. may be liberated IS also
f-swn into the interior ana our ihroush me eA-
hsust openings there provided
There are TWO mechanical means available for
.1bsusiinr the air-hrst automatic louvres, or
,sivss. second fans operated by electric motors
The louvres sre SO balanced that they will
open outward when the air pressure inside is
greater Than thar without which viii he when
trains are passing. There is an outflow IF air
until The train has passed. when the louvres
close automatically. The air 10 replace that ex-
hsus.ed can come in only through the stations
BY this means a how Of air tmore or less inter
TnittsnO is produced through the station open
sngs into the stations. and thence through the
subway 10 the interior outlets. This air re-
nswal would. OF course. be entirely dependent
upon the movement of The trains. The report
sdds.
From observations made upon those installed
between Columbus Circle and 65th street sta
lions, il was found that approximately twenty
thousand cubic feet per minute we're discharged
through one hundred square feet Of lOuvres dur
ing the hours Of maximum train movement
IRON a. m 10 . a. m when very rev trains
were moving. only about i've thousand cubic
feet per minute We're discharged through the
same area
Il the air is 10 be renewed only for the pur-
pose n ventilation, the instalment Of = sufTi-
cient number II louvres would unouestiona bly,
bring about the desired result, rs the volume
- air renewed is nearly directly proportional
- the number # trains operated, or proper
uonel - the number of passengers carried
When, however renewal is desired for cooling
purposes ana not for ventilation onlv-ss this
5 commonly unoerstood-train action should he
NApplemented by other devices such as fans
especially should this be done during the night
hours At this time the outside temperature is
- us lowest, and the benefit from air renewal
''I cooling purposes would be the greatest.
Asslll ~ The present tine there is no pro-
Hlslon Whatever for renewing the air In case the
N1oNaN should become filed with smoke. Under
such Circumstances the signals would be oh
hcured and trains become stalled: the louNres
h,e hsnerelore would not be operative. Fans should
10 provided for such an ernergency
Louvre chambers are considerably larger thar,
rsn chambers of an equivalent caps CITY: in con
Ne4eenc@ their cost of construction will be
Efester- II requires additional power how
70 operate the louvres while the operation
~ fshs consumes considerable power
From Brooklyn Bridge 70 Columbus Circle II
Is pu1posed 10 build fourteen iouvres and fan
'hsrnoefs under the sidewalks Mr. Rice sus-
F@sts mat they he made large enough 10 serve
~f exits 10 the street In case of emergency. The
.opFres are 10 be operated all the time and the
"ns only 81 night during The summer. Be
'"een columbus Circle and sSth street the sub
LAY mas been found 70 he invariably cooler than
'oTiher oowntown on account OF the ventiiating
openings already installed. II is designed 10 in
Slsii iouvres AZ these openings and emergency
ans IN the openings along the parkway. The
report concludes:
y hel ne above plans are carried out the con-
.lloL ~ me subway next summer will be i'm
lIoNeo 70 marked degree All the work out
.inS1 except tho fans between Columbus Circle
- - .To'h street should he proceeded with at
fflce COprlefed f--F