New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-08

tho day wore on. Uptown regular
patrons were still scary. and the sals
Of tickets at the stations above franc
Central was way below the regulaI
figures. Downtown the subway are"
its customary throngs H.,
The elevated and surface lhes
struggled with the crowds IN Ite
morning. but in the evening the SUI
way had won won back most OF IL
regular trade, and the STRAIN on III
other arteries Of travel was gIea'ay
relieved. In Brooklyn travel was d.
smooth as il ever has been.
Prompt Action Needed.
The vital parts Of the letter sent
- Wayor Mitchell by Fire Commission
or Adamson are given here;
0Cortain aspects Of this fire, from tne
.,,ndnoint Of the Fire Department
,oint 10 the need Of energetic ana I'M
rordiate investigation and acton 70
nrovent the recurrence Of another SIch
fire which next time may easily De lar
moro disastrous in its consequences.
"The fire was caused by the snort CIR
cutting Of the cable feed wires Wh'ch
supply the great volume OF power re-
ouired TO operate the subway trains.
There are indications that there was
trouble with these cables TOT nearly -"
hour and a quarter before the hrsI no
tifcation Of the fire at Broadway anu
55th street reached the FIRE depart
mcnt. C. g., o.
switchbox at the Spring st. station OF
the subway caused by the snort or
cutting, as car men were tod OF tne
mower cables. Two firemen put out .nt is
+ re with two extinguishers. FROM thlS
time on the movement CT trains seehs
N have been interrupted, though noL
cntirelv halted. 10 was not until 9;l4
m however. that the first word OF
the fire reached the Fire Department
and that by telephone from citizen
Almost at the same moment patrol-
man in citizens clothes walked INTO
tho quarters of Engine Company -,
in 58th st.. Just off Broadway ana
asked that two men be sent around 70
56th St 10 a subway fire. Fortunately,
Lieutenant Hotchkss had the good
sense 10 take his entire company. Nnen
the fremen arrived they found smoke
mourning out of the subway yentllator
gratings at 55th ST., three blocks from
the fire. and the subway hiied WIN
strupgling. panic-stricken passengers.
"The fire had evidently been IN prog
ress for some time, perhaps half an
hour. even, and why no alarm was sent
in before | have been unable to dis
cover. II required all Of the men who
Iespond on a third alarm in that sec
ton and 200 extra men brought out on
special call to extinguish the fire and
rescue the panic-stricken passengers.
~. n..Lt:. Dr,toctaJ
Frank Hedley, general manager Of
the marlborough Company, is quoted
this morning as saying that short cir
cutting cannot be prevented and that
such sn accident may occur IN the
future.
"Whether or not such accidents can
be prevented, or whether this one re-
suited from carelessness or overload
ing of the power wires, are matters
which can only be determined by cleo
trical experts, and should be deter
mined bv them under proper official
direction at the earliest possible mo-
ment. One lessen, however, Is per-
fectlv clear from yesterdays expe
rience. That is. that provision should
be made to enable passengers, in case
of fire. to escape from the subway De
tween stations. But for the fortunate
circumstance that the two trains near
est the fire happened TO stop opposite
a large ventilator shaft. sunk in the
side Of the subway tunnel and covered
by a sidewalk grating, these must in
dubitably have been a serious loss OF
life. As it was, this providential ven
tilator shaft. almost a block in length,
served not only as means or ventlla-
ton but as an avenue of escape. Per
hans more than $50 persons escaped by
this shaft. many Of whom were brought
out unconscious.
This fire points out emphatlcally me
need Of more such openings, not only
for ventilation but for use as fire eS-
canes. Apparently the subway was
built on the theory that a fire could
not occur in it. We now see that hres
can occur in the subway, with all the
circumstances Of panic and horror
heightened by the fact that means OF
escape are not at hand.
Safety Needs in Subway.
1.-TWO months ago the subway fire at
l45th st. and Lenox av. pointed out the
need Of such shafts as vents for smoke
and heat and as means OF escape. rms
lesson is now brought home TO US with
emphasis by yesterdays experience,
and no time should be lost in provid-
ing openings at frequent intervals
ALONG the subway, equipped with iron
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