We recently commented on Dr.laoikester's startling utterance concerning the state
of the atmosphere in the Underground Rail- way. Soon as the evening shades prevail, the Globe takes up the wondrous tale, and has published daring the week a series of admittedly "sensational" articles on the subject, garnished with typographical " effects " which we cannot pretend to reproduce. The Underground Railway is affirmed to be " a dangerous mine," the existence in its tunnels of " choke damp " is asserted, and that of " fire damp " predicted at no distant date. On Thursday the Standard ventured to express a doubt as to both the facts and the science of the Globe, whereupon the latter returned to the charge, and while admitting that it had originally adopted a sensational tone in order to excite public attention, reiterated all its alarming statements. On inspection, however, they lose much of their ter- rific aspect. That carbonic acid gas exists in the Underground Railway nobody ever denied ; that it can possibly, in the midst of such constant agitation of the atmosphere, and such numerous outlets, ever attain the dense and undiluted masses in which it is called " choke damp " we do not believe. As to the fire damp, which is to blow up half London, we want at least a little more evidence as to where it is possibly to come from. Gas pipes are carefully kept away from the tunnels, the unconsumed gas escaping from the burners is so infinitesimal in amount as not to be detected by smell even, and carburetted hydrogen is certainly not evolved from brick walls.
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