The New York herald., 1922-07-08
SUBWAY INQUIRIES
BLAME PANIC FEAR
Show Few Collapsed Amid
Fumes, but Many in
Terror Later.
ONLY SIX IN HOSPITALS
Rapid RecOveries Indicate
Effect of Chemical Was
Not Serious.
NO THIRD RAIL DANGER
Guards Say Passengers Did
Not Leave Cars Until the
Power Was Shut Off.
NO THIRD RAIL DANGER

MANY Investigations or the cauS
and peculiarities Of the short circuit
ing and subsequent smoke and fume
danger to 400 persons in the Lexington
avenue subway on Thursday wer
actively under way yesterday, all aim
ing at constructive recommendation
which would make such menaces t
travel upon any of the city transporta
tion lines impossible, and all with al
eye more to the future than to tn
past. These are the inquiries bein,
conducted by the Transit Commission
various city departments, the Inter
borough and the New York Board o
Fire Underwriters. None has pro
to point at which conclu
sions are possible. though the Transi
Commission, the Interborough and thu
Fire Marshal virtually agree on thes
points:
i. Nervous apprehension or actual
fear was probably more responsible
for many persons being overcome
than smoke or fumes.
2. There Is as yet no evidence to
warrant putting the blame for the
partial asphyxiation of many persons
upon the type Of chemical extinguish-
er used in the subway.
3. The tube was not at any time in
darkness, the emergency lights, one
In each end of every car, fed by
storage batteries. continuing to burn,
as did the lights along the walls of
the tubes between stations. lights
served by different circuit than
that which supplied the third rail.
No Third Rail Danger.
4. Nobody fleeing from the train or
the tube was required to cross tracks
or to be exposed to the third rail. A
sidewalk runs all the way between
stations and this was used by the
passengers. The third rail power
was killed before anybody left the
train.
.. The passengers were not forced
to climb sheer ladders through mar
row manholes but emerged by means
OF circular stairways at the several
emergency exits.
s. No blame seems attachable to
any person, since the subway en-
ployees seem to have acted well and
to have done their duty, and 1t is not
yet discernible that blame can be at
tached to the system. Of operating
trains or the system of power trans
mission.
z. There need be little apprehen-
sion on the part of the public as to
a recurrence of the accident of
Thursday, since 1t was the first of
its kind In seventeen years in mil
lions of trains that have been oper-
ated. Such smoke and fumes trou-
BILE could not occur in the open air
on the elevated systems.
These points represent the main fact
that have been brought out by tn
three serious Investigations, all thre
of which promise thorough inquiry int
al the circumstances of the acciden
and a complete report to the public
The Transit Commissions inquiry
being prosecuted through it's engineers
The Interborough is at work with 1t
technical experts. The Fire Marsha
Is questioning many witnesses, includ
Ing the crew of the train involved Il
The accident.
Guards Used Extinguishers.
Deputy Fire. Marshal John p. Pria
had before his yesterday J. j. Dwyer
conductor of the train, and Marti,
Mullahy and Michael Jacobs, guards
The conductor testified that he an,
the other guards refused to opel
the doors until the power was turne,
off. but that he and most of the other
were forced to open them by the clamo
II the passengers. 1T was his opinion
hat the power had been shut off b,
The time the passengers started to leav
he train.
Mullahy. guard OF the car In whicl
the fire started. said that it was on
of the passengers who first turned
chemical extinguisher upon the fire II
the motor vestibule. but that he ais,
seized an extinguisher and emptied IL
contents. The flame promptly disap
peared. he said. though smoke con
tinued to come out of the vestibule
Mullahy said that no passengers lef
The train while the third rail was alive
These statements were corroborated b,
the testimony OF Jacobs. who said h,
used an extinguisher. He said Con
itStCT DNyCi save 10 open INT
doors as soon as power was shut off.
The Investigations indicated that few
Z any persons were overcome by smoke
,r fumes while aboard the train itself
ind that very few needed any help In
the stairway emergency exits
L was after they reached the open ali
Ind the reaction from their experienc,
1it them that many felt weak and had
% have restoratlves applied Appar.
sntly nobody was in danger at any
lime from the third rail, nor did any.
body have to walk In darkness. The
ight was dim, but sufficient for rapid
along a perfectly smooth side.
walk leading from the side of the train
% the emergency stairways.
Only six Left In Hospitals.
The Investigations show that some
people were knocked down and bruised
N the general scramble from the train
.hough no one was seriously hurt just
rs no one was for long incapacitateo
BY breathing the fumes of burning rub.
Der and metal. Only six persons were
eft In the hospitals last evening, and
III were on the point of being dis.
The Mayor. who Is conducting severa
different kinds OF Investigations of tho
ccident, called on Commissioner OF Ac.
counts Hirshfield to summon all per.
sons who were passengers on the train