The New York herald., 1922-07-12
Lights stayed On.

the third rail current.
Lights Stayed On.
If the Mayor had gone into the tun-
mel as Commissioner Harkness and
did" said Chairman McAneny, 'hc
would have noted, as we noted, that the
tunnel lights were on throughout the
whole period Of the trouble, even though
the third rail was dead"
Frank Hedley, president and general
manager Of the Interborough Rapid
Transit Company. issued general order
In which he said:
Pending the investigation concerning
fire extinguishers and until further
notice all employees are hereby directed
not to use pyrene in tunnels to ex-
tinguish electric arcs"
In his reply to the arraignment by the
Mayor. Chairman McAneny said: The
general investigation the commission is
making with relation to the causes and
results of the accident will coverA every
element involved including that of the
use OF pyrene extlnguishers.
1T might be pointed out that the lack
OF either care or understanding with
which the Mayors Investigations have
been conducted Is indicated by his
recommendation that there should be
installed AN independent lighting circuit
for the tunnel lights so that IL the
power is taken off the third rail and the
cars darkened the tunnels themselves
would still be lighted.
Under orders of the Public Service
Commission. made more than five years
ago. exactly such system was installed
and is now in use.
THE Mayor adds something about
people taking to the tracks to reach
the station or emergency exits. AS a
matter Of fact, the exits are reached
through side paths running the entire
length of the subway and even in height
with the car floors.
Statements Of the character the
Mayor and his advisers have been ma X
ing are calculated TO increase unneces-
sarily public alarm. Repeated with
efficient frequency they are bound to
have a most hurtful. II not disastrous
effect. They are direct incitement to
panic" -
Mayors Conference.
>
conference Corporation Counsel John r.
O'Brien, Fire Commissioner Thomas j.
brennan, Dock Commissioner John II.
Delaney, Acting Chief Fire Marshal
John p. Prial. Commissioner Grover A.
Whalen, OF the Department of Plant
and Structures, DR.. Frank ]. Monaghan,
Deputy Commissioner of Health De-
partment. Acting Police Commissioners
Leach. and several city engineers and
chemists.
Morton Arendt. consulting engineer In
Commissioner Whalen's department.
characterized as "criminal' the use Of
Pyrene fire extinguishers In confined
spaces such as the subway. Naval of!i-
GERS OF submarines had been ordered in
191s he said, not 20 use 1t because OF
the noxious fumes of chlorine gas and
it's compounds given Off by It In cen
| fined spaces. In a fire in the Boston
Navy Yard. ne said, these gases had
caused the death of two perso.ss.
Or. Z. f.. Butterfield. city chemist in
charge of the Queens laboratories, also
condemned the use of pyrene In con-
| fined spaces. The extinguisher, he ex-
plained, Is OF the carbon tetra chloride
type, the decomposition of which re-
leases n small percentage of phosgene
| gas.
Alter FIRE Cniel MArtln nad sald tnat
water could be effectively used in fight
ing electrical fires when tho current
had been shut off. Dock Commissioner
Delaney suggested that the INTERIOR
ough be forced to install water mains
| in its subway tunnels
| Summarizing the results OF the con-
ference. Mayor Hylan provoked Chair
| man McAneny's retort when he said:
This investigation has brought out
that the cars are not properly con-
structed and that the use Of pyrene
| in the subways is absolutely danger
| Gus. az some have expressed IT, GRIM
inal. Something must be done to put
an end to this type OF extinguisher
An independent lighting system that
could function when the current in
the third rail Is shut off Is also needed
Lights are needed in the subway tun-
nels when the power Is off and people
have to take the tracks to reach the