The New York herald., 1922-07-24
NOT PYRENE,
| BLAMED IN SUBWAY.
Hransit Commission Report
Wants Extinguishers
Back in Cars.
FUMES FROM THE FIRE
Public Asked to Trust
/ Trainmen to Protect
Them.
HIGH PRAISE FOR CREW
Ideas of Mayors Committee
on Cause Of Accident Are
Rejected.
HIGH PRAISE FOR CREW

Gen. Lincoln C. Andrews. chief ex-
ecutive officer OF the Transit Commits
sion. recommended to the commission
yesterday that the Interborough be
directed to resume the use of Pyrene
fire extinguishers banned by the man
agement since the short circuit fra
and panic in the Lexington avenue
tube on July g.
1t is the most interesting recon-
mendation in Gen. Andrewss complete
survey of the accident, though others
were offered to improve the safety of
the public.
Pyrene is exonerated completely.
The engineers and the medical experts
OF the commission are satisfied thai
the collapse of several score Of pas
sengers after they had escaped to the
street, IS feet above the subway ex-
press tracks. was due not to fumes
from the tetrachloride extinguisher
but to the smoke and fumes from
burning insulation, paint and other
substances, and to their rapid climbing
of 70 foot stairway through which
fumes were escaping No evidence of
phosgene poisoning existed.
Reject City's Report.
This report is directly contrary to and
sunlmarily rejects the conclusions Of
the Mayors committee report about Py-
rene and. too, about Grover A. Whalen's
idea of trying to cut off any particular
car Of train by throwing main switch
while the current is on. a thing ex-
pressly forbidden. Gen. Andrews's re-
port adds dryly that it seems to have
been this very thing that caused the
Lexington avenue accident.
Highly commencing the train crew
Tor good work, the report notes that one
serious error of Judgment was made In
not running the train out of the smoke
and fumes as soon as the fire was
smothered, but the passengers brought
on their own discomfort by not remain
ing in their seats, since the. only reaa
danger was from panic.
Il interviewed nine members Of the
crew of the train on which the accident
occurred" says the physician of the
SOIIlfIlSSlOH, all OF WnOm re-
manned in the tunnel. None Of the train
crew showed any symptoms of poisoning
by phosgene gas"
Seven quart bottles of the fire extin-
guishers were used. but it was ascer-
tanned that conditions for forming phos-
gene gas In appreciable quantity were
absent. as was the case with chlorine
except to a slight extent. 1t was the
ordinary smoke that made the trouble
hpf n nd f11o hvao = hi <~g-
passengers.
The subway tube was not such a con-
fined space as pyrene should not have
been employed in, says the report. The
side door of the car was open and all
car doors, windows and ventilators were
open. The duration Of the fire was
four minutes. which was as long as the
short circuit lasted. The instant the
power was turned off the fire was easily
and quickly extinguished. The report
adds: The conditions within a subway
car in tunnel in no wise can be con-
sidered close confined space"
Pyrene is the best extinguisher that
has been found for such service, insists
the report. Sand, such as the Mayor's
Committee recommends, would not do
Gen. Andrews says that with the assis-
lance OF the Bureau of Mines. every
effort will be made to find a better
substitute.
High Praise for Train Crew.
The engineers Of the commission also
are studying the insulation of the cleo
tric wiring, the material which causes
the dense smoke and fumes In the short
circuit fires, to see II some material
can be found which will not break down
IN emergencies. Regarding the train
crew the report says:
80
fine sense of duty to the public and m
their company. None left the scene of
the accident until the last passenger
was out OF the subway. Four did not
leave at all but proceeded with fheir
train to the yards. They are ALI IN no
commended for their faithfulness and
intelligence under this emergency"
AS regards panic, something always
ir tne minds or passengers In case of
serious accident. the report continues:
With the modern all steel car eouin
ment in the subway service the danger
from fire is practically negligible. The
danger OF panic is the real danger that
we have to face.
I'm almost every conceivable situation
the safest thing for the passengers ia
for them TO remain quietly in the cars.
Meantime the train crew. instructed and
trained to handle these various situa-
tions, are best equipped to handle the
situation. The moro quickly they can
10 this and get the train under way
again the better for all concerned.
1T Is highly desirable that subway
travellers be made familiar with the fact
tfet all precautions and safety devices
practicable have been installed through
out both systems. The travelling public
should be familiar with the fundamental
rules for the conduct of trainmen in
emergency and regulations for the con-
duct of passengers. 1t is therefore
recommended that such rules be con-
s5.cuously placed In -s,n subway car.
- .,-re passengers may become familiar
with them through daily reading"