The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-11-29
HEATING PROBLEM
BIG ONE FOR DUR.
Various Plans Tried But All Have
Defects-Proper Ventilation An
other Difficult Matter.

WANTED--A combination heat
er and ventilator, or separate
contrivances, which will provide
heat and pure air for street cars.
Apply to Sylvester Potter, master
mechanic OF the Detroit United
Railway.
For several years the ID. u. II. has
been experimenting with heaters and
ventilators for It's cars. and Sylvester
Potter, the master mechanic OF the
company, told The Times, Monday
afternoon. that the problem Is not
much nearer solution now than at the
start. Ii Is about the hardest ques-
ton the road has to solve. he says.
"Just now. at this season OF the
year" said Mr.. Potter. 1.-The question
Of heating and ventilating the cars be-
comes uppermost In our minds. we
know that there are complaints about
the way the cars are heated and ven
tiiated, but II Is most difficult job
10 know just how 10 remedy the mat
ter. II Is much different than heat
ing and ventilating a house, where
there are only the members OF Fam
lily to please. With us. In one street
car, for instance, we may have repre-
sentatives from so or 90 families to
deal with.
What will suit one person Will not
do for another Yet, | think the air
in a street car is generally free from
impurity, as there is 80 much circu-
ation of air that diseased-laden at
mosphere could scarcely have
chance to remain In the car. The
walls, floor and roof OF street car
are very thin. The car Is twice en-
circled by glass windows. In cities,
the doors, front and rear. are opened
with great frequency. The cars, of
course, are used by people In every
degree OF health. The unusually lull-
blooded ones complain OF too much
heat and lack of ventilation; the un-
usually nblooded ones complain OF
too much cold and over ventilation.
We must confess great difficulty In
striking a happy medium"
However, the ID. u. r. Is apparently
making an earnest effort 10 arrive at
some solution OF the difficulty. At the
present time II Is experimenting with
two kinds OF hot air heaters and about
every kind of ventilating device OIL
the market. For seven years the com
pany has been using on some cars
system OF its own, whereby hot air Is
sent from the stove in the motormans
vestibule through an opening at the
front OF the car This device has been
in operation on many OF the double
truck cars. On other double-truck
cars, chiefly on Woodward-ave., the
company has been trying an artificial
system of forced hot air from front
vestibule stove. The hot air Is forced
by tanning process through galvan-
lied iron pipes along one side OF the
cars. This scheme, in operation since
last spring. also serves as ventilator.
the hot air being intended to force
the foul air through the open tran
SONS. While this plan appeared to be
giving satisfaction to a certain extent
in regard to heating at least, the COM
pany is now receiving complaints to
the effect that the heat Is objection.
able 10 passengers who happen TO sit
near where Ii Is forced through the
openings in the pipes. Seventy-fve
Of the 40 Woodward cars have this
system OF heating. while one Jeffer-
son and one Michigan car have the
same continuance. The other hot air
method is used on 4S3 cars. while up
wards of 800 cars are still heated by
the oldfashioned stoves.
In the matter OF ventilation, the
company has a system OF it's own, In
addition 10 the devices furnished by
manufacturers all over the country.
On most OF the double-truck cars
there is an opening above the rear
door in which is inserted screen OF
small wire squares. Then, besides
this, there are the transom windows,
which are generally open. The COM
pany, however, is anxious to find out
just what Is the best system OF ven
tilating, and II has cars on different
lines equipped with different ventilat-
ors. simply for experiment.
All the ventilating apparatus sup
piled works on the principal of draw
ing the foul air from the cars, thus
producing a vacuum. Some OF these
devices operate from two to eight
windows on either side of the car.
while others are OF the smoke stack
variety, sticking up through the roof
OF the car like chimney with hood
on It. Another make gives the car the
appearance of an aeroplane as IL
comes bowling along the tracks. The
ventilator protrudes from the top
windows OF the car like pair of
wings. The new ventilators are being
tried on the following lines: Fort,
Sherman. Fourteenth, Michigan, JEFF
ferson, Brush and Crosstown.