Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-02
Color Blindness.

A Meeting EOf Railroad Engineers-The
 Action Taken = What They Ask-An
 Appeal to be Mnde-Some Remarks by
 Engineers.
 A meeting of railroad engineers was held yesterday morning in Brewster building in reference to the recent examinations for color blindness Representatives of all the roads centering in the city, and from the Nauga- tuck and Housatonic railroads, were in attend ance It was large meeting, and deeply in. teresting Engineer John 0. Baker, of the New York road was chairman The recent examination for color blindness was pretty generally discussed, and in fair-minded spirit, but the feeling was strong for test which should be practical, and such as any level-headed man would stand by The test of different colored worsteds was talked over considerably, and the feeling was that engi- neers whose sight qualified them fully for their work ought not to be sacrificed and cast out for mere theoretical presumption, based on the worsted yarn test. However, a per fectly fair minded spirit was manifest. They appointed committee of engineers of the lead ing roads centering in New Haven to go before the State Board of Health for such modifi- cation of the tests as would stand the test of practical application, or at any rate to get stay of proceedings until a chance can be had with the next Legislature for hearing on the subject of repeal or modification of the law on the subject. The committee were author ized to secure counsel in case of an unsuc- cessful attempt to modify the tests. All the engineers were perfectly willing to stand practical test.
 As yet none of the 15O or more men ex- amined on the NewimY York road, engineers, firemen, conductors, switchmen, etc., have been discharged. All told but two or three engineers failed to pass, and they will be re- examined. The railroad company are not re- quired to take action on the result of the ex- aminations until October 1. The companies will obey the law, as long as it is law. Vice President Reed rode down the other day with Engineer Fisher of the New York road, who failed to get a frst-class certificate and found nothing the matter with his sight The trouble was that one eye was stronger than the other, but with both yes he could see just as well as any one. Engineer Close, of the New York road, is said to be color blind, but his work has always been of the best kind. President Watrous, it is said, charac- terizes the examination as piece of foolish ness. Practical tests were the correct thing. Engineer Bullard of the Shore Line, was of fered second-class certificate, but refused it. He told friend that he could readily see from the East Lyme drawbridge signals 8 mile distant, and yet because he failed to read letters three-eighths of an inch long 15 or 20 feet away, and with one eye good as an- other, he was refused first-class certificate. Conductor Fowler, the old popular Shore Liner, who has worn glasses for years, failed in one test. Engineers say they think it sheer absurdity to be examined with small letters and figures when the smallest they have to see in actual work are those on the time boards, eight inches long.
 The Hartford Post, which has been looking up the subject little, says the railroad com missioners of Massachusetts, after @ careful investigation last year, reported that they were not able to find that a single accident had ever been clearly traced to color blind ness. The directors of the Swedish State railroads, who have given special attention to the subject, say no accident traceable to color blindness, so far as they know, has oe- cured on their lines. The Railway Age in vestigated the subject and received answers from thirty-seven superintendents and man. agers of railroads, not one of whom ever heard of an accident resulting from color blindness.