Page:New York subway ventilation.djvu/19

Rh

Before leaving Diagram F attention is called to the extreme liability of this divisional wall complicating the operation of the subway and becoming a fresh scource of danger to at least the employees who are compelled to work within the subway on foot.

It will be noted that this plan is nothing more nor less than an extension and elaboration of Diagram E and the construction and scheme provided for by Mr. G. S. Rice back in 1906, and that again no real advance is made since there is omitted entirely any control of the points of admission of the air drawn in by the fans and hence there must result in consequence the "short circuit" objection to which the scheme shown in Diagram E was open. In addition to this, the holes through which these fans would discharge are the same sidewalk gratings already referred to, but to which the Broadway Association so rightfully objects even when the air is expelled only by the casual "piston-like" action of the trains. One might also ask how much more will they, and the public, object when the air is expelled by a huge blower with a powerful motor driving it?

For its own guidance and protection the Broadway Association had retained as its technical adviser, Mr. Henry G. Opdycke, Consulting Engineer, who presented a definite alternative scheme as depicted in Diagram G.

It is now in order to critically examine each of these plans in detail, for inasmuch as they are the outcome of more than ten years agitation upon this subject, and are seriously offered by engineers of undoubted ability and prominence in their respective fields, they are entitled to stand or fall strictly upon their merits.