The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-05-11
Padgitt Bros.
Wholesale JooNerx In

ployiug leo men. The Rogers company
employ l,1O0 OF this nun Der. They start
ed business in 1887 and have turned on
since that time S,l77 locomotives. One
hundred engines are being constructed for
the New York, West Shore and Buffalo
railroad; also many for western and south
ern lines. When the works are occupied
TO their iull capacity one locomotive ne,
day can be constructed. The Grant work,
employ 100 men, and turn out an engine
every other day. At present they are fill
ing contracts for the New York and New
England, the Cincinnati, Hamilton and
Dayton, the Norfolk and Western, and Il G
Pennsylyania railroads. The Cooke, for
merry the Danforth works, employ 700
men, and built 1877 locomotives last year,
many OF them being of large size, The
works have over seven months orders on
hand. The impression among locomotive
men is that with that of all other iron and
steele, prices will rule lower, some even
placing the reduction at 80 per cent. during
the present year.
During the first three months of the
current year there were i9i railroad acct
dents, which resulted in the killing of 100
persons and injuring So, according TO Rail.
way Gazette statistics. This is a monthly
average of l65 accidents, as killed and III
injured during the first quarter of 1855,
which has been an unusually bad season
for accidents; yer, for the number, the
death results have not been proportionally
large. The average has been less than
Tour deaths to each accident
them no serious injuries have occurred
to any person. The unusually long aud
hard winter resulted in the placing of many
obstacles in the way of the running of
trains during Its continuance. With the
wonderful improvements in the construc.
tion of tracks, the adoption of steel rails
and the many additions that have been re.
Gently made to equipments, added to in
creaslng facilities in the running OF trains
the management hope the near future
may enable them to so operate the great
railway systems OF the country as to prac-
tically insure the movement of both pas
senger and freight trains with such free
dom from accidents as will result In al.
most absolute security from either injury
or delay from what are regarded as the
usual sources. While the management re.
greet the loss Of life aud injuries that have
occurred in the accidents of the past, they
will renew their exertions to divert disas-
ter of any kind in ihe future, the interests
OF humanity and OF themselves dictating
such a course, even though they as mana.
gers should be disposed TO take any other
view of the case. Unless some great disas.
ter should occur they are Of the opinion
that the report for the remainder of the
year will not equal the accidents of the
first three months.
An important work before the southern
railways is the change of their gauge to
standard width. Most of them realize that
the sooner this done the better it will
be for them, though some have reste d
quietly in the assumption that things were
well enough as they were.
Ever since the Chicago, st. Louis and
New Orleans narrowed its gauge, to con.
form with that of the northern roads, il
has been gaining steadily in earnings, and
its traffic has constantly increased. Con.
Meeting lines in the north have found Il
much easier to deal with this company than
with those whose track required that the
trucks on all through cars should be
changed.
We understand that all the larger lines
in the south have been quietly making
preperations for the impending change.
The equipment has been so constructed
that the wheels can be easily pressed back
on the a1les aud adjusted for narrow
track. The change of gauge OF any one line
can be made In single day, and there will
be no inconvenience or interruption Of traf-
fic, because of the wise preparations al
ready made.
1t is to be hoped that the raj ways of the
southern states will complete the work as
soon as possible. so that the entire railway
system of the United States will have u
uniform gauge. There will then be greater
economy of operation, and an extension in
to all sections Of the south and southeast
of the practice, now so universal in other
parts Of the country, of running through
cars. There must of necessity follow u
great increase in business.