The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-09
RAILROAD MEMS PERILS.
A PLEA ron THE NEGLECTED DRAKE
MEN AND SUITCHMEM
The Chances Beuer In War thnn In Twis,ira
BrnLes aud Coupling Cars The Link aud
Pin In Use Het-The improvements Needed

The Chances Better In War thnn In Twis,ira
BrnLes aud Coupling Cars The Link and
Pin In Use Het-The improvements Needed,
To THE EDIToR OF THE SUN-Sir: Thoro
nrc mon employed by the railroads whose in.
forests and welfare arc but lttlc considered
They are the brukemen and their mntcs the
switchmen. THOR occupation In classcd by tho
insurance companies as extra hazardous"
and it would tako nearly all thor wngcs TO pap
for insurance. mans chances in war ARE
better than in braking and switching. ~ the
following will show: road terminating in the
state Of Now York had six killed md ten in.
Jured out Of force Of twcnty-onc brnkemen. on
seven trains. in six months. That proportion
in a ak months campaign Of an ARMY Of 81 900
men would be 5000 killed and 10000 wounded
The men must DO picked mon-young mon,
active. quick. and cool. Danger is always with
them. A man running on the top OF freight
train going at tho ratio Of from twenty TO forty.
1--WE miles an hour is in much greater danger
than men meet in ordinary occupations. and
switchman making Mp freight train is In
more danger than 0cn. Grant sherman. or
sheridan would choose to meet. There IS ne
glory connected with being crushed or crippled
by freight car. Often persons say. seeing, 2
man 40 between the cure to couple, would
moi do that for the whole railroad.
Railroad managers boast TINT millions Of pas.
scngers have been Carried without loss ~ litt
or injury. ~ mn inducqmept to tho public 70
travel on their Respective lines and ANYTHING
that will add to the safety and comfort OF travel.
lcrs they put 10 use Passenger coaches havs
NIL convpnienctS and arc richly painted: loco
motives are tAarvels W mechanism. and in the
repair shops and In tho Offices no expense 10
spared for eonvenience and comfort; put 10
tho connecting Of freight cars and the discon:
Meeting OF them no Improvement has been pui
10 use. The same link and pin that wore In use
fifty year, ago in coupling cars are In use now,
liundrces OF men gre injured every ycnr ~
coupling cnrs In New YORK. which has 34ot
miles 81 railroad. IN 1874 twenty-three railwaI
threo Injured in coupling cars in 1876 twelve
vera killed and one hundred and thirty,two In;
Iut,i. and in 1877 seventeen were killed and
oto hundred and twcnty-four injured, making
"a aggregate OF hity-two persons Killed ana
Apparently. no effort is being made to avoid
! tho frighuul amount Of suffering ana sorrow
| Societies are formed for the prevention OF cru;
| Magistrates chair ut Washington has enough
consideration for tho dumb behSts IN trans.
poriation TO tho sea board to mention II In his
| message to Congrcssi but II never once has
| Occurred to his mind that there is large mum
| Der " human beings in peril on the trains
taking tho cattle to market. BY q few l?yeri
| and n little simple machinery that men OF lesl
| inventive genius than nn Edison, HOWE or
Morse could produce. II the railway manager,
| would ask for II. or MS may be- hoped; public
| sentiment may soon call for. cars could be con
| nortcd and disconnected without II being noces
| snry for men TO 40 between them.
| Rnilroad men should also be relieved from
another frightiul source OF danger-that Of ial
Ing between the cars while in molion-n.i INC 80
| ducion Of tho distnncJ from car to car 10 six
| teen inches. Now. the distance Ia from three u
| hvo ipct, and tho men must jump over the spacei
| to get from car TO car. Tho tops OF tho cars mr.
| often made slippery by snow and ice, but tn
! yawning gaps must be jumped over, and wo'
| to the poor fellow whose feet slip Tor should ~
fall beneath those rolling. grinding wheels h
would be crushed out OF all semblanco to u hu
man being. One OF the saddcst duties OF rail
road men is that Of gathering uD the remains o
| n compan ion and carrying them IN tho heart
! broken loved ones Mt home. II comes too Qitol
| in the experience Of railroad employees. WIN
not give n part Of the sympathy that Is hestowe'
| upon dumb beasts and induce ralrOnd mana
| gers to take measures to reduce the dangers o
railroad service to tho minimum2 Why not EN-
ploy little OF the boosted American inventiv
ii. J. N.