The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1922-07-07
THREE INQUIRIES STARTED
TO FIX BLAME FOR ACCIDENT
Cause of Fire, Deadly Gas
and Emergency Exits Are
Lines Being Followed hy
Investigators.
Guard on Short Circuited Car
Describes at Fire Depart
ment Hearing, Barred to
Public, What Happened.

The three Investigations being
made OF tae near-horror on the ex-
press track level of the Lexington
Avenue subway. ninety feet under
the street, worked along these three
main lines OF inquiry to-day:
How can short circuits of n sort tu
start fire best be prevented and
mlnlmized, and how can insulation ~
high power electric wires be prevented
from throwing off suffocating smoke?
Docs fluid filling of the Pyreue or
other tetra chloride of carbon ex-
tinguishers generate phosgene gas or
any quantity OF free chlorine when
put In contact with fire to causs
danger TO persons shut in with the
runes?
Are there enough emergency exits
from the subway between stations.
and especially frori the lower levels.
to permit passengers TO get safely t0
tho street In the event OF danger be-
low? And does the use Of these exits
as auxiliary ventilating shafts defeat
their purpose by drawing asphyxiat-
ing smoke and fumes up into the very
channels through which fugitivcs
from trains must Ass?
The three investigations are that dl
rected by Mayor Hylan. subdivided
into Inquiries by the Fire, Police.
Plant and Structures, and Water, GaS
and Electricity Departments, and pos
sibly later by the Health Department
that undertaken by Chairman Nc
Aneny of the Transit Commiss' n. and
that OF the lnterborough.
In the Fire Department inquiry
Martin Mullany of No SS3 Fast 1s5,h
Street, and Michael Jacobs of No. AN
East l47th Street testified this morn.
ing. Mutually was the Interborough
guard on duty in the vestibuIe OF ,li
cur In which the short circuit fire
burned out all the inflammable ma
teriul within Its reach. Jacobs was in
the vestibule next TO the rear.
The hearing was not public. Al
torneys Arthur G.. Peacock AM
Michael IF. Daly represented the l..
terborough. Outside they describe
the testimony after Deputy Chief Fir
Marshal Prinl had said it would 8.
improper for him to do so in advanca
Of his findings.
According to the lawyers. Mullally
said he heard u noise. indicating the
motor WAS out of order, AT about hSd
Street. He slgnalled for Conductor
James Dwyer to come to him to look
into the cause OF the swapping and
buZzinR.
1t died down and with a few pre-
liminary snaps as the train was about
under 59th Street there was sharp
crack, the hanging lid OF the switcu
and fuse box blew off and there was
burst OF intense blue-white dames
reaching half way across the aisle.
followed by billowing dense black
smoke.
Mullally said lie seized a Pyrsn~
extinguIsher and played IL on the
burning box and wires without much
effect. A passenger did the same
Before they had emptied their cyliu
ders the lights went out. Not until
then did the sharp shafts OF blue
white fame subslde. There was still
a fiickerlng and sputtering Of burn
ing fibre and tape.
Asked regarding the action of the
guards in refusing TO open the doors
at the first alarm. Mutually said he un
derstood It to be rigid rule that pa
sengers were never TO be let out OF
subway train between stations while
ths power was still flowing: he under
stood the rule was mnde because II
was regarded as better to subject pas
sengers to smoke and fright than 60
allow them 10 electrocute themselves
by wholesale on the third rail.
Mutually asserted the doors were
opened prom pity In his vestibules AL
on the rear vestibulo as soon as thv
lights went out.
The fumes OF the liquid and gas
(Continued on Twelfth Pags.)