New-York tribune., 1919-12-06
HeatIess Order
Quickly Obeyed
|. r. T. Passengers Say
Company Neglected to
Turn Current On Again

New York did not mind riding to and
from work in heatiess cars Yesterday
but it complained when the transit
companies did not turn on the heat
for the non-rush hours. Acting on the
written complaint of an al" passenger
Secretary Walker, of the Public Serv-
Ice Commission, last night sent a let
ter to the Interborough Rapid Transit
Company calling attention to the fact
that Commissioner Nixon's order al
lows suspension of heating service only
during the rush hours of 6:30-9:3O in
the morning and 4:3O-7:3o in the
evening.
According to the reports turned in
by the inspectors of the Public Service
Commission it was not until after
II o'clock in the morning that the heat
was turned on in most of the cars
In the subway the heating current was
not turned on at all. 1t was explained
at the offices of the I. r. T. at 165
Broadway that this was In keeping with
the usual practice Of running the cars
heatless in the tunnelss
But guards on the train said they
did not switch on the heat eveuA when
they got out on the elevated extensions
in the Bronx or on the upper West
Side. No complaints were turned in by
the passengers on the subway, however,
tor the cars were crowded enough to
keep every one warm. This seemed to
bear out President Hedley's theory that
the latent heat in the human body is
sufficient to heat these cars"
Brooklyn Suffers Cheerfully
Brooklyn residents did not get their
taste of travelling in unheated cars
until the evening rush hour. Commits
sioner Nlxon's order did not reach the
offices of the Brooklyn transit COM
panies In time to be put into effect dur
ing the morning. But arrangements
had been completed to carry out the
new n edict, and employees on both the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit and Brooklyn
heat at 4:30 p. IN. The home bound
Brooklyn public took the change good
naturedly, joking the conductors, but
making no complaints.
1.-The public must be warned to dress
more warmly" said Health Commits
sioner Copeland. THAT warning must
be conveyed to people who ride in the
suhways, u and surface cars as prompt
~ as possible. The heatless cars will,
of course, have their effect upon the
public health. That is inevitable. 1t
',eAS, NV" we, iulpICoScQ upon me LnaC
the sacrifice must be made somehow
and must begin Immediately, and 1
would infinitely rather there should be
shortage of heat in transportation
than in the homes.
Commissioner Nixon sent repre-
sentative to me to talk over his pro-
posed order for heatless cars. We went
over the circumstances, and l was re-
gretfully forced to agree that the heat
less cars were inevitable.
Change Not Noticed in Subway
~ think the discomfort will be less in
the subway trains than in the elevated
trains and surface cars. 1t has been
my experience that it is difficult to
detect, upon entering q subway train,
whether tho electric heaters are sup
plying heat or not. Probably it is just
as we'll to make the heatless hours dur
ing the rush service, because it is quite
true that considerable degree of heat
is given off by the human units closely
crowded in any limited space, such
as a railroad car"
In discussing coal conservation in