New-York tribune., 1907-07-18
FOR SAFER TRANSIT.
CITY CLUBS INQUIRY.
Committee Recommends appliances
to PreUent accidents.

One portion of the investigation which the CITY
Club has been making into transit conoiuohS III
this city deals with the appliances for the preVeI
ton Of accidents of all kinds, collisions between
cars and other vehicles, persons and other car
The committee which has had the tnvesugatloh -
charge makes numerous recommendations IN i'S
report to the club for better brakes peter "ee
guards and improved Tenders.
"One OF the most serious aspects or transit ''
present is the number and cost of accidents says
the committee According to the state hailro%"
Commissioners report for 1905, on the surface
waited and subway lines in greater New YORK tle @
total number OF persons killed was S2l against 80
for 1905 an increase of Al per cent The total dam
ages paid amounted to about $3.4604Ze asaiils
s3193,9O3 for 1905. increase Of 111a per cent:
I'm proportion to the traffic the number OF killed.
in New York is eight times as great as IN Liver
pool and the cost of accidents about forty times as
great as in Hamburg. in proportion TO car nlleaee
Even without such comparisons tho ngureS ioi
New York alarmingly large and the precaU-
tions clearly inadequate.
The study of the causes of accidents shows that
the number and expense might be reduced largely
by the Introduction of better brakes tenders car
maintenance training of employees" etc.
The committee thinks that the absence of power
brakes accounts partly fer the appalling ire
ouarc,, of collisions with persons and vehicles
Air brakes were tried the Third avenue !ih9
with success, IT is said but we're taken OH VII W.,
tho road was absorbed by the ~ NIeIlopo roi,s
reason assigned being that they were aahge.Ius 1s
and caused accidents. II has been suggested that
the real reason to avoid the extension ol ple
brakes to all cars in the city
The voluntary adoption of power brakes. say say
the report by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Com
many on new cars is Ii marked contrast 10 their
absence on cars in Manhattan and The Bronx
The excuse for many accidents Is slippery rams
This is an admission of defective sanding or a lali-
this precaution.'
are used extensively in Europe and little In this
country. These brakes. 1t is said are erectlve on
both dry and slippery rails. At ordinary speed
they have been found 70 be twice as effective on
slippery rail as the hand brakes are on dry rails
Their great success in London, say the lnVestga-
tors is a strong argument for their adoption III
this city.
The magnetic brake acts on the rails and as
much contact as desired can be obtained by ncreaS-
ing the size Of the contact shoe II does away with
the hattening OF the wheel which has been one OF
the chief objections to the air brake An inexperi-
enced motorman, transit managers say can put
car out Of business in one hour with an air brake
But even II this is So says Henry c Wright
secretary OF the City Club. we'll as secretary OF
the investigating committee, 1t is no excuse for
not using air brakes. If it is found that no others
ore satisfactory If It comes TO a choice of fat
tening men lattening wheels am sure that the
majority Of the people will decide In favor OF the
wheels
But 1t is in regard TO tenders that the committee
has most TO say about safe operation Many OF the
cars Of the New York city Railway have no fem
ders, although most Of them have fairy good wheel
guards Projecting tenders add 10 the danger, ac-
cording 10 the Investigators They trip mp people
and lessen the distance in which car has 20 stop
10 avoid n accident and give less time 10 get
out OF the way In Berlin, II IS pointed out a
heavy wire mesh. covering the dashers and protect
ing all sharp corners and edges, has been success
full In minimizing accidents. II affords TO the man
hit plenty OF opportunity for grasping II and thus
saving himself from going under the wheels.
Most Of the wheel guards used in this city are
not good It IS held. They too high from the
ground and really hold a man down once he Is
under the
Some wheel guard at least good as the type
used IN Manhattan the committee continues,
should no required all the surface cars OF the
four horoughs OF New York. but even this wheel
guar "a al n 90 wheels
There Is one well known type OF wheel guard
which has failed in six years OF service, and
that IS the plough type in use IN Liverpool Eng
land. II Is nm unpatented device adopted by the
has attracted vide attention because OF its
broken perfect Tecord-3SS persons have been
pushed of the track usually without any serious
injury. Should not this wheel guard be required
throughout the city, so as 10 put stop to the
killing ot so many persons, especially children?
nature OF their pavement Will permit OF such a
wheel guard. This is really excuse, other
portions Of the cars are even closer to the pave
ment'
Then. too" says Mr.. Wright the pavement be-
tween the tracks would not be rough II the COM
panles used asphalt wooden blocks
Along the same line are the reCommenda tions OF
the committee TN regard 10 the subway II is point
ed out that emergency stairways have been pro-
vided in some OF the Ventilating chamb.rs This
should be done in all OF them il is said Without
them II would be necessary in case OF accident
for passengers 20 walk four hve blocks This
would make suffocation likely in case OF Quick
burning fire such as caused the Paris subway dis
aster.
Water hydrants with hose attached it is pointed
ment would have serious difficulty in reaching a
subway blaze