Daily Republican., 1881-03-31
THE BRAKEMAN,S DANGER
Railroad Companies and Car Coup
Iers-HOw to Save the Lives Of the
Rrahesmeu,


BralGcsnen.
The Connecticut Railroad Commits
sioner's have taken important action
this year in regard to freight car coup
lings- They say in their report: "None
of the automatic couplerS for freight
cars have rs yet been adopted to any
extent in the country, nor is there much
reason to hope for it until the courts
shall, In suits by employees, have held
the companies liable for such neglect
as failure to have their rolling stock
in reasonably safe condition"
Mr.. George f. Adams, u prominent
railroad man of Buffalo, New York, in
Il letter to the New York Times, review
ing the ear coupler question says:
If we examine the present condition
of couplerS, and the laws governing
claims for damage, we find that the
courts hold that companies must use all
known means to protect the lives of its
employees. The companies find them
selves relieved from any claim for dam.
age by the statement that there is no
automatic coupler III use on freight
cars that they know Of, and to main
tain that position they rather diScour-
age any attempt to make any trials of
car couplers that would show that i'm
provenent were possible. But that ex-
cusc cannot be made much longer The
success of the Miller-Janney couplcrs
on passenger cars, the use of the Anes
coupler for the last two years on the
freight cars of the Lake Shore and
Michigan Southern, the reported USE of
the Mathews coupler on the Boston and
Albany, the Kansas City coupler and
the five hundred other automatic COup-
lers now waiting for Il trial, all show
that if the railroad companies wish
to find an automatic coupler they could
hardly fail to be suited with some of
these. 1t has been said that if Prcsi-
dents or managers had to couple cars
there would soon be- an automatic work
ing one in use. But if You touch a
man $ pocket you reach his heart much
quicker, and it is so with u corporation.
If they had to pay for the injuries that
brakemen received, they would soon
find Il remedy for the accidents.
At the last monthly meeting of the
car builders, held Feb. II, Mr.. Ray
mond, of the Western Railroad ASSoci-
alton, stated that he believed the cou-
pier had already been invented that
would in time be adopted. It he was
correct, and there is no one better posted
on railroad patents, why should that
time be put OFF, Must this unnatural
way of coupling cars, by which there is
an annual slaughter of about 900 men,
be continued indefinitely? Should not
Judges charge juries to award damages
in case of suits by brakemen, and are
the real interests of a railroad company
opposed to the uniform introduction of
an automatic coupler" The remarks Of
master car builders do not seem to
imply so. They say that the introduce
ton of standard, by lessening the
number of pieces they are obliged to
keep on hand with which to repair
foreign cars, would almost pay for max
ing the change. The car builders are
all anxious for standard and admit
the probability that an investigation
would unearth the proper coupler, but
say it would do no good, as they would
then lack authority to bring il into
universal use. a few roads would use
the standard; on others, where the SUI
perintendent interfereS, they would
have different kind. The only way Il
change can he accomplished is for the
people to show the companies that they
are interested, that it is time to have a
reform, and demand that the companies
send representatives to the next annual
meeting Of the master ear builders, to
be held in June, pledged to abide by the
decision Of that body As they are able
men, there can be no doubt that some
perfect coupler would be found
Mr. Charles W. Rowland Of this city,
in correspondence with Mr. Adams in
reference to the subject and no doubt
for the purpose Of calling Mr.. Adams
attention to "The Perry Safety car cou-
piles in which he.is interested, received
from that gentleman an answer dated
Mauh 10Th in which he says: 81 am
glad 10 notice the progress that is being
made in car couplings. 1t certainly is
time that something was done to stop
the horrible slaughter Of brakemen that
is now going on. During the year 1879
there We're 159 men injured coupling
cars on Il single road in New York. III
We had statistics from all the roads We
would be surprised and Mortified at the
total. am pleased to see that you
show there is no safety when men are
required to go between the cars as in that
position they are in continual danger of
being run over, often getting their feet |
caught in guard rails and frogs when
injury is certain