The New York Rapid-transit Subway

128 CORRESPONDENCE ON NEW YORK SUBWAY. [Minutes of Dr. Soper, which he had visited. The amount produced in the New York subway appeared to be but little in excess of the amount produced in the congested parts of the Metropolitan Railway of Paris. By the use of fibre brake-shoes the quantity of metallic dust had been reduced on the Underground Electric Railways, according to Mr. James R. Chapman, Chief Engineer, by about 80 per cent. The examinations of employees did not show that such dust, or any property of subway air, was producing injury to health; but Dr. Soper was strongly of opinion that these physiological investigations should be repeated, in order to determine whether effects might be visible after a longer period of exposure. The examinations of employees revealed an unexpectedly large amount of dry pleurisy. About 53 per cent, of the train-men exhibited this condition to an unmis- takeable extent. The explanation of this pleurisy was the most difficult question involved in the whole investigation. It seemed to have no connection with subway conditions; and he at length con- cluded that the condition of the men was due to attacks of pleurisy, sometimes mild and unnoticed at the time, which the men had experi- enced previous to entering upon their subway work. It was taken to be a significant fact that practically all of the men examined had served as drivers or firemen for many years on outside steam-rail- ways. In that work they had been much exposed to pleurisy through over-heating and chill. Much had been said about the odour of the New York subway. It was not to be denied that the subway had an unpleasant odour, as had all subways with which he had any acquaintance. The odour of the New York subway was due largely to the trap-rock ballast of which the road-bed was made, and to oil which had dripped from the machinery of the cars upon the road-bed. The peculiar odour characteristic of all electrically-worked cars was present also. Other odours existed, but those mentioned were the most prominent. Unlike most European underground railways— particularly some of the London tubes—peculiar musty odours due to excessive growths of moulds did not occur. The offensive odour of spent disinfectants, common in European subways, was not present. By Dr. Soper’s advice the extensive use of disinfectants was discon- tinued at an early date and several hundred so-called disinfecting- machines were removed from the New York subway as useless and offensive. The sprinkling of station-platforms with water, which was a common practice in Europe, was soon discontinued in the New York subway. The cooling effect of the evaporation upon the atmosphere was negligible, the moisture on the cement platforms made the foot-hold uncertain, and the escaping water-vapour added to the discomfort due to the heat. Ventilation took place through