The New York Rapid-transit Subway

Proceedings.] DISCUSSION ON NEW YORK SUBWAY. 59 anticipation of the Central London tube for a great part of SiMViliiam its length, but it never got farther than the House of Commons. In New York the gneiss rock was blasted out in the public streets in the freest possible way. Probably the Author would say he might have chosen the night to do it in, which could scarcely have helped the slumbers of those who lived in the neighbourhood ! Sir John Wolfe Barry had spoken of the Traffic Board, but in New York the engineers had behind them the power that created the Traffic Board, namely, the local authority, and he believed the Author had been practically a despot during the construction of the line. If those conditions could obtain in England, even for only a short time, English engineers would probably be able to do many tilings which they were not able to accomplish at the present time. With regard to the electrical equip- ment, tlie party saw enough on their short visit to realize the great ingenuity whicli had been bestowed upon that section of the work; in fact, they had experimental proof of the remarkable ingenuity of some of tlie electrical arrangements. He mentioned the fact in public with fear and trembling, remembering what might happen to him afterwards; but the party had had explained to them, before descending into the subway, the arrangements that had been made whereby if a driver were seized with illness, or died suddenly at his post, the train would stop automatically and the passengers would be safe. The party started out on the voyage to tlie north of Manhattan, and he could not say how many proofs they had en route of the capability of stopping. They stopped in the most unexpected places in the most sudden manner, and he was afraid the Author used very forcible expressions in regard to this demonstration. It was only fair to say that these things happened before the line was in complete working order. When he went back to New York about a month afterwards, the Author insisted upon his going over the line again. He did so with very great pleasure, so far as having another chance of going on the Subway with Mr. Barclay Parsons was concerned, but at considerable inconvenience to himself, because he was leaving for England almost at once. On that occasion the automatic electrical appliances were in perfect working order, and there was not a hitch from first to last. He understood that the subsequent working of the electrical appliances had given great satisfaction, lhere was one ques- tion he desired to ask the Author. After looking through the Paper, he could see no allusion to the question of ventilation in any detail. He remembered seeing in the newspapers, after the party came back from America, and the line was opened, complaints that the ventilation was not all that could be desired. He knew the difficulty had been