The New York herald., 1922-08-05
CITY PRODS M ANENY
ABOUT 3 JULY TIEUPS
Wants Rearings Reopened,
Especially OH Fire in
Lexington Avenue.
O'BRIEN GIVES DEMAND
Tells Transit Head Reports
of SubOrdinates Are En-
tirely Unreliable.
ANOTHER PLEA FOR SAND
Pyrene Attacked Again and
Cutoff Switches Are Termed
Necessity to Safety.

sel. in 3 letter to George McAneny,
chairman OF the Transit Commission,
which was made public last night,
again demanded that the Transit Com
mission start without further delay
an open, public hearing into the causes
that led up to the breakdown in the
service of the Intcrborough subway
on July 10, the fire in the INTERIOR
ough subway on July s and the fire in
the 3. r. T. power plant on July 25.
Mr.. O'Brien said Mayor Hylan's ex-
perts had been ignored in the con-
ference of Mr.. McAneny with Of
ficials of the I. r. T. and 3. r. r., ar.
ter which Gen. Lincoln G. Andrews,
chief executive officer of the commits
sion, undertook ito whitewash the
situation"
Gen. Andrewss report, as adopted
by the commission, was characterized
as sophomore in style and entirely
unworthy of situation involving
vital concerns" The position of the
city's experts against the use of pyrene
In extinguishing subway fires re-
mains unchanged, he said
Finds Defects in systems.
Mr. O'Brien's letter refers 10 thc three
accidents previously mentioned and then
says:
"Ea i OF these calamites disclosed
serious situations in connection with
the design, construction and manage
ment OF the subway systems of this city.
They seriously affected the comfort,
OF people in this city, and they present
too grave and vital a situation to be
disposed OF by your commission with
merely star chamber conferences held In
your office with Managers Hedley and
Mcnden.
Public hearings on these matters
should be held at the earliest possible
date. The managers of these systems
and their immediate subordinates should
be subpoenaed and required to testify
under oath and public sworn record
should be made of all the testimony Of
those responsible for these calamitics
and of the witnesses produced by the
city.
Emphasizes East Side Fire.
Calling your attention particularly to
the fire which took place on July s in
the Lexington avenue subway, I recall
the fact that the Mayors committee of
experts made the following recommen-
dations in connection with that disaster:
y. There shall be provided at once
rome method of isolsting every car in
the subway from the current of the
third rail- by some controliable means.
mechanically and manually operated
from the inside of the car. This cutoff
control should be independent OF the
panel switches in the car. 1t should be
separated entirely from the central con-
troll in each car and be located in some
place other than in the panel box and
installed where 1t will be accessible to
employees.
y. That compartment containing the
automatic control for the emergency
lighting should be Independent OF all
other compartments so as to positively
insure light. There should be not only
an automatic device for furnishing such
light in emergencies. but also an addi-
tionai switch. operated manually. by
which motorman, guard or passenger
may throw on auxiliary lights in the
event that the automatic device for
lighting the car should fail. For this
purpose there should be installed in
every car an Independent storage bat
terry.
%. There should be eliminated forth
with from the subway cars all pyrene
fire extinguishers. and the use OF these
extinguishers and similar cxtingushers
IDeratinc toxic gases should be pro-
hibited in the subway cars and in other
confined surfaces or spaces within the
city
Insists on sand Boxes.
Further. in every subway car there
should be placed, either under the seats
or in some other readily available loca-
ton. boxes filled with sufficient quan.i-
ties OF sand to put out any electric fire
which may take place. and further. there
should be installed in every car such
other fire extinguishing devices as may
be prescribed by the Fire Commissioner
OF the city OF New York.
These recommendations were fol-
lowed by a report prepared BY your
Gen. Andrews In which he undertook
to whtewash the whole situation and
relieve Mr.. Hcdley and his subordinatcs
Of all responsibility in connection with
that disaster. Gen. Andrewss report was
nlost general In its scope and sopho-
moric IN style and entirely unworthy
of situation involving vital concerns.
Tho report was adopted by your COM
mission and given TO the press.
AS 10 the recommendations made by
the Mayors committee. which I have
above set forth Gen. Andrews took the
position as follows:
'tA) He contends that the cmer-
rcncy switch is desirable. but not
available. lie holds that Il is very
dangerous 10 throw main switch while
the current Is on lie attributes the
accident Itself to the attempt 10 open
the main switch on the panel which
was destroyed
"tB).-He contends that nothing
could he gained by having a battery in
each individual car AS = substitute he
suggests keeping the emergency lights
-1ninS All thea me
'C).--He S-dtcs further that our
study of the result OF the use Of Pyrene
IN this Instance conclusively shows that
Its use was IN no way dangerous or
even discommoding,' and he says FUR
ther. until better substitute IL found
u Is believed that failure to use the ex-
fingshers Is likely to result in moro
damage and Inconvenience to the public
through increased smoke and delav
than could possibly result from the use
~ extinguishcrsl
"tD) He further holds that the use