New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-07
$50 Cassed in Subway Fire;
Pyrene Extinguishers Blamed

the train crew in an effort to subdue
the fame and prevent the smoke, but
without success, as the arc was too
intense. 1t is mistake to place the
cause of the smoke upon the fire ex-
tinguishers.
They were adopted only after COM
paratlve tests and they were found to
be one of the most effective of those
on the market in extinguishing just
this sort of short circuit fires; they
are standard everywhere and are APP
proved by the Fire Underwriters AS
ISOLATION and by the United States
government, The electrical apparatus
which short circuited is the best OBJ
tainable, being the products of both
the Westinghouse and Of the General
Electric Company; the car was in
spected and tested last week and found
in good order in every respect, includ
ing electrical apparatus.
"The Transit Commission, the Fire
Commission and other public officials
are conducting Investigations, and
everybody connected with the INTERIOR
ough is cooperating with these public
authorities.
While such short circuits have hap
pened before they have always been
checked before any considerable nox-
ious vapor developed; we have already
started our electrical and other tech
nical men making studies to see what,
if any, improvements can be devised
to prevent recurrence of such an
event. regret very much the trouble
and suffering caused to passengers and
l hope that no serious injury may re-
suit after the immediate effects of the
ton develops any new facts they will
promptly be made public by me-"
Transit Board Statement
The Transit Commissioner, after
first hand inspection of the scene and
interviews with several marlborough
employees, issued the following state
ment:
To-day at 11:17 a.. m. on q north
bound train of the Lexington Avenue
line the panel box on the fifth car, con-
tanning switches and wires of that car
was burned out. This was apparently
caused by short circuit. The fire was
confined to space four or five feet
high by three or tour feet wide, the
panel box being within a steel con-
tainer The flames burned through the
door of this container, but was put out
by fire extinguisher, according to our
reports. The car was otherwise un-
injured.
apparently the injury to passen-
gers was caused by the smoke gen.
Grated by burning rubber and the
fusing of metals, possibly augmented
the fire extinguishes. This smoke.
more or less confined by the circum-
stances, coupled with the fear, natural
ly engendered in the minds of people
forced to make their way out of the
cars and of the subway itself, through
tho emergency exits, resulted in
number of people being overcome.
1.-THE records show this accident to
be the first Of its kind in the sub
way. The emergency exits provided
for just such occurrences were readily
found and utilized. They proved to be
in efficient condition.
"These are the salient facts at hand
at this hour. The commissions en-
gineers and experts are now at work
Investigating the details of the ac-
cident Until their reports and stud
les are received the commission will
not undertake to determine what addi-
tional safeguards, if any, it is possible
to devise and install in the subway to
prevent accidents of this character, or
whether a public inquiry will be ad-
visable."
Prial Suspects pyrene
Fire Marshal Prial said last night,
at is not known what caused the
short The fire, although
confined to small space, burned with
terrific violence. There was no expio-
sion, only puff -.
"The smoke from the burning rub
Der and fused metal drifted through
the train, made more noxious by the
close confinement the subway tnne.
Moreover, when the passengers In