New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-15
WOULD PUT FRESH
AIR In SUBWAY
Form of Ventilation De
vised by Foundation
Engineer.
GRATINGS USELESS
AND DANGEROUS
New System Would NeceSsitate
InclOSing Each Track
in Tubes.
BY the Advisory Council of Real Estate
interests.

BY the Advisory Council of Real Estate
Interests.
There are two matters before the
Public Service Commission which are
of vital significance to the real estate
interests of the city. II is essential
that their solution be made along prop
or lines, and therefore real estate own
ers should observe with more than or
binary caution the deliberations of the
Public Service Commission upon these
problems.
The first relates to subway ventila-
ton. There has been no more annoy
ing or discomforting element IN the
construction and use of our subways
than the lack of proper ventilation, for
the present system of gratings upon the
sidewalks does not afford suitable VEN
tilation, while experience conclusively
demonstrates that they are detrimen-
tai 10 adjacent property. The Advisory
Council of Real Estate Interests is Civ
ing this matter careful consideration,
and through Daniel +. Moran, the con-
sulting foundation engineer, has de-
vised a form of ventilation which, in
the opinion of its technical experts, will
obviate the necessity of placing graf
ings upon sidewalks and simultaneously
afford "A pure and constant supply of
air The method employed will be to
use the public park places for ventilat-
ing duets, and between stations have
large outlet pipes through private prop
erty. This system would necesSitate
each subway track being incloSed so
that the movement of the trains would
act as a piston, forcing out bad air
through these vertilating shafts and
permitting fresh air to enter at station
entrances II has been learned that
private property could be obtained at a
small figure for the purpose of erecting
large ventilating shafts, which will be
from 4 to feet in diameter, and could
be well located through property on
side streets or in back yards.
The important factor in all subway
ventilation is to keep the air in con-
slant circulation. In the present sub
way this is impossible because the sub
way tracks are not inclosed in separate
tubes, with the result that the bad air
is never forced out through the graf
ings, but is constantly pushed back and
forth from one side of the subway to
the other The difference in tempera-
ture as we'll as in purity of the air
when tubes are used is very evil
dent in those sections Of the subway
where tubular construction has been
employed.
The disadvantage to property owners
by the system of ventilation through
gratings has been very explicitly set
forth by William Il. Wilcox, a member
of the board Of counsel of the advisory
council. who is acting as the attorney
for a large number of Broadway prop
erty owners. In the brief submitted by
Mr. Wilcox il is stated that the effect
of gratIngS has been to Obstruct the
use Of the sidewalk for the pedestrian
public. In view Of the fact that mu-
nicipal authorities removed the en-
croachments on Broadway to increase
the width Of the sidewalk, at great ex-
pense to property owners. it would
seem rather inconsistent that gratings
should now be employed which will
greatly diminish the space already too
small for the greatest thorouChfare in
the world. These gratings are likewise
a distinct element of danger in winter
because Of the accumulation Of ice and
snow on their surfaces, while the warm
and vltiated air arising from the open
iugs is extremely unpleasant. The in
evitable result has been TO press the