New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-13
SUBWAY ACHIEVEMENTS
Wonderful Ingenuity in Solving
Complex Problems.
TOLD BY PRESIDENT SH0NTS

TOLD 81 FheSiUCNi SHUNlS
nevices That Have More than
Doubled the backgrounds
Estimated Capacity.
We had been discussing the much needed
p,,-sau OF Complaints for "kickers" re-
.a,,l, opened by the marlborough. and the
eo-castically humorous comments which
!. nod encountered from the newspapers.
nsen one Of our party. an eminent engi-
..or said TO the writer; Did it ever
a..ur 20 you that there's a side 20 this
-. ~ overcrowding subway trains that
- never been told? It's popular to criti-
- -be management. but how are YOU
lin, 70 keep the crowds out of the sta
80 and ont OF the cars? You could DO il
81, closing the stations and stopping the
.-oirs but that would scarcely meet the
-.,,,rements Of the case The subway
- built % carry four hundred thousand
..ssercers a day The public has poured
,,o II 10 the extent Of a million passengers
5av. The handling of this enormous
.-ssc two and "a half times greater than
-, one anticipated when the subway was
sosiencd. or even when IL was opened.
ID, promptncss and safety proves that
a., mon who manage the road have
.,oca-ive ability II the highest order
W., uon.t YOU look into that side of the
o,cstion and see what IL means TO carry "a
-.,rion passengers over line that was
o-irirarv meant for four hundred thou
sand.'
SENT TO PRESIDENT SHONTS.
Tho suggestion commended itself, and
.,e writer interrocated several officials
p,t the latter referred him in turn mp the
line 10 headquarters. and after much per
,s+srco Mr. Shonts the president of the
marlborough. consented 10 an interview
NJ sborts prefers managing "a railroad
10 being interviewed on the methods by
vsich he manages IL. But he received the
writer pleasantly and answered his ques-
sons readily enough.
II was in his Office on one OF the high-up
eoore of the tail building 40. 1853 Broad
rav that the president Of the INTERIOR
o,rn said. I'm his crisp, quick way. ana
earnestly. aa if De meant the impression
10 SINK D.
ayes know that criticism has become
so severe and widespread that there is
General idea that The Interborough has not
3ora everything that human ingenuity can
A. 10 increase the capacity OF the subway
i--, -r, fact is we are doing an that IL
within human power Co accomplish TINS.
co back little 80 the beginning. On
October ~ 1914. the subway was opened
.-,u prooklvu Bridge 20 l45th street on
t.. broadway nue and about q mohlh
s-.-.rre Lenox avenue branch was openeu
f~or lath street to l45th street
.rre traffic and en=ineerinG experts had
estimated tn, carrying capacity of the sub
oav ar nur hundred thousand passengers
lr. Rrt within two years. and before
,r. BROOKLYN extension was opened and
b.fra some Of the Bronx extensions were
completed. the daily average Of passenger
traffic exceeded four hundred thousand per-
SONS
CARS MORE THAN DOUBLED.
.v-Hen the subway was opened we mad
Il. cars At the time these cars were
brIt they we're the best type known for
the purpose. But even before the opening
tho necessity for additional cars was an
,...-4+ad. and orders were placed for the
tins. steel cars ever built for passenger
traffic. Since 1904 orders have been placed
.or esd additional cars. an increase OF l5'
Ter cent.
cot course. this increase in the number
Of cars has compelled us 10 increase the
capacity OF our power houses, electric sub
stations. transmission lines. etc. Ana De-
sides that the increase I'm the number Oh
trains has made necessary extensive
change in the equipment Of the rolling
uock-an entire change of couplers ana
a.r brakes. am extensive change i'm the sig
nal system and the lengthening OF the
station platforms The first consideration
Is safety
"The carving capacity of a railroad de-
rends upon two things. the number Of
passengers that tine cars viii accommodate
and The number Of cars that can bee got
past a given point In given time.
eve can't increase the capacity Of the
cas SD that they can carry more passen-
gers or give each passenger more room.
Were ve t1 have larger cars the entire
subway structure would have 20 be changed.
That. of course. is out of the question.
LOWERING The HEADWAY.
every WE'LL Then We come 20 the matter
o. increasing the number Of cars passing
q given point in given time. -Four fac
tors enter hero.
'1 THE length and time of station walt
t'une oT and taking on passengers.
3D. THE number of cars that station
platform wild accommodate.
% Tile time taken to come from safe
distance outside a station.
t Tire time taken o. leave station
30 as 90 allow the following train 20 enter
"You ask what has been done 10 reduce
'ha station stop Well the original cars
efre designed with end doors only
These doors were - inches wide. Before
ihe subway was fully in operation the
hfcessilv for charging these doors was
apparor,. They We're enlarged % IS inches
Ehie' was al that type OF car would
Saui without reconstruction. on March
1907 we ordered 30 steel cars with side
doors in the centre as well as AZ the ends.
Laier on centre doors were installed IN al
eafs used in the express service. and the
A" new st-e. cars were orderes with Do
men end side doors SIS being built with 90
-ea centre doors. and later on. the other
!'.cars were supplied with 5o-inch centre
Doors
Al automatic starting signal was IN
,lied .a a.I tle cars. This prevented the
way arising from the old method or
passing t.e he.r iu succession from the
'''f car to the mOt0rman AT the heavy
"nirolllue stations "a uniformed special