New-York tribune., 1884-01-15


question of freight transportation and rates for further
consideration and for special report to be suDm'eu Us
soon as practicable
RAILWAY AND WATER COMPETITION.
On the subject of railway and water competition the
report says Whatever may be said for or against ran
roads competing with each other there can be no ques
ton but that IL il Of vital interest to the people of
jealousy guard great waterways In this connec
tion the Board impressed with the necessity OF careful
SeTss Of on tho at sa so S lines Of
tation and boats that navigate the canal Io,ar are
owned controlled by any railroad corp0rau,un ,
In the of the examinations Of the Board mas d M
severed pasce on me p1 oI General threatens TO
efectuay destroy all competition by these s
mess have adopted form Of contract for yearly
shippers, making large Ted9cIom ION irc ao 70 so per
rrn,uon tbe Ho etpress condition, as developed by
the evidence OF the officers OF the rOad tat the snip
Of canal navigation under the penalty of being
charged by road the full tarif rates whcn WeIe M
80 TO per cent more than the speci ra'e uu'i 'o
Every citizen Of State has an undCnbtsd right to
the benefits of the canals he Ia taxed TO maintain Any
contract on the part of railroad which depyes citizen
canals of the state questionable and Is strongly urged
to be against wise public policy
QUESTIONS OF SAFETY AND COMFORT.
The subjects of engineering and inspection, the report
SAYS "have been given conscientious attention. ana all
that the time would allow, but with the multifarons
duties imposed on the Board, much remains still to be
done When any serious defect discovered 1t was
Immediately reported to the Board and by 1t TO inc ra
road with recommendation to remedy the same same, ana ~ ga
notice that hearing would he given on tne suect ue
sired tg W ndec RE a the to 'S Board 'er IS Of the PnoS
that uniform system should be adopted.
Unless very much larger force OF engineers II put at JUS
diposa than at present it will be mpracticahle to make
ucb tests and inspections that would insure perfectsaf
II proposed however TO relieve railroads. or ead
them 10 suppose they are relieved of the responsibility
now resting upon them in this respect would seem
better to Mold them to an undivided reSponsiR ariS
such as to see they had fulfilled their duties
As general rule, however railroads adopt means Winch
they believe will insure safety to travellers nt are so
times adopt those that conduce to comfort pai'c
ularly IN the matter Of ventilation, than whch n9At 10
safety nothing is more importnnt proper odnta,Un n
be secured, however, by any OF the ncInous Itco
mended by the Board in its circular NO. ~. Inc phc%G %
consists simply in introducing through sctee, H. co,9 9
fresh ar from the outside into small furnace al the end
of the car where is heated TO moderate temperature
and thence Transmitted mo tne car hore rho m
the angle between the floor ana SIDES, Wnere tne
ordinary steam howater pipes now run. me IattGr
can he left AZ hey now are as the Pennsylvania road
thus serving to keep the air warm during us nsnl3Sl3 on
I'm this way the air in the cars constantly chahgeu lhe
fresh air coming in forcing the foul air ou UNIFORM
temperature maintained and railway journey; nsleau
irritating, tiresome, unheahful pehanSe becomes
an invigoranc and heathful recreation Next IN I'M
portance fresh air. so far as the comfort OF the ave
smoke The proper baasting OF the road to great ex
tent does away with the first in ordinary Wcahei'
dom from cnders and smoke Is a subject whlch
has engaged attention of railroads for long time en-
terug does not only the question OF comfort 10 rav
ecrs but very largely that Of economy in combustion.
CindcTs and smoke il is needless 10 say are simply un
consumed fuel Anthracite or hard coal burns without
smoke but il emits a somewhat dsagreeable gas and s
generally more expensive and difficult manage, many
Sgays than sort coal Could the latter be entirely con
sur1cd il il doubtless more desirable fuel than anthra
cite" The Board believes the problem of complete com
bson of coal been solved in device now in opera
ton the New York and New w-England Railroad.
SAFETY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY.
"Thc subject of better protection of life and property
the report says has engaged much of the attention OF
the Board Its short experience has satisfied the Board
that an active exercise of supervision on the part Of the
state in this direction is essential. Unless the state
ergctcay insists upon the adoption by railroads of rea
sonahle and practical safety appliances they VIII run on
in IGNORANCE of ANYTHING better than they have, until
disasters and damages wake them up, and until sorrow
and suffering planted IN homes never to leave them
II il moi the hcaressness of managers which leads them
to neglect the devismg OF greater safety so much as the
myeldng pressure 10 make every thing pay under when
they labor and struggle to the extent OF their capacity
II here that tine state do good well to the rail
roads the public Its chod must be TO gather aud CON
dense correct information, and to compel universal accep
tance OF practical measures of safety ne found
in actual successful operation upon one or the other or
the railroads in the Stat, having due regard always Tor
the fact that no universal should Pe nsd
Last september the Board ln"e the ioHoWnG recon-
mendaOns grade crossings: That so far as prac
tcaDc safety gates be erected aud properly tended by
competent men at all grade crossings over highways and
i'll cities Villages where safe view OF the track
is prevented by curves or Obstructons Ihat at Ond or
Obstucted mghway CROSSINGS III lne couS, tnt IIlioau
either remove the obstruction or Eauon competent
"eIt ~, ,, a. ~ hotl 5a and nigh rsn and
that regularly tended by competent mem thar stop
signs be erected and maintained at such crossings tha
before crossing not more five hundred feet less
than one hundred and fifty feet from the crossing, and
thcnronly to cross on signal until approved inter
locking system Of signals and switches Is put in opera
by such crossing, by which train which attempts
10 wrongfully cross in the face OF a block must be
switched to side track that at all places where street
tracks steam tracks safety gates be erected and
properly tended during all hours Of street ear travel
Tile replies the Board" the report says, "wOud md
general disposition on the part OF the railroad COM
pancs of the state 10 comply with the a3oVe Ieconnen
daOns. DveSling the question of all considerations OF
sentiment and humanity, in an endcavor TO arrive at an
answer 70 the question as 10 whether IN the end would
pay the companies better TO AZ once protect the pub
lie aud themselves against such danger was found that
III the space OF five years lS3 suits Tor damages arising
from accidents at grade crossings had 6Gen brought
against In" connanies OF the state OF which lmry-nSe
had been determined IN favor OF We delehda,S Inc
total expense Of defending and settling such SUITS pay
ing damages and and making repairs to property
S"iJis % 1t Is quite clear tiat on ls pass sat
isfactory conclusion could not be reached Taking the
and the New York Central, which paid damages TO the
amount of $50 1000, would be put 10 an expense
of more than tnat amount, or T906O0; but the
average cost of erecting gates at single cross
ing, as reported to the Board, is $3.50, which would
600 II is obvious that 10 require the eating OF all cross
ings wond tc suddenly impose greater burden Of eN-
practicable is ask that dangerous and oh~tructed
crossings be gated or protected ny ignen as recon-
ought TO prevent the establishing Of @ly more grade
crossings by railroads yet TO he built as RUE unless N
exceptional cases, where too great expense or dhcuy In
"A prolific source of destruction of life and injury to
limb In railroad employment" the report says is the
coupling and mcOupng of freight cars by hand Forhe
tembcr is found that p have been killed and III
injured while performing this duty or 200 killed on injured
1t is believed that the number Of accidents from this
cause is largely the carecssuess Of the employees
themselves The true and only real remedy lies IN an
automatic coupler. Hundreds Of patents have been
issued aud yet railroads slow to even practically
test them Automatic coupling well as hand coupling
to ears without the automatic device seems TO he attain
able under various forms patented. A statute
which will compel earnest endcavor on the
part of railroads To solve this question IN the
interests Of humanity ought 10 he paSscd, win
such provisions as to the time Of its becoming impera-
tive a. would protect railroads from being required To
adopt mpracticac devices their pccuary dsadN an
tagc and to the detrmcnt of their business AUTOMATIC
air brakes have been generally tested and thclr uny
for the protection OF life has been often demonstrated
that the Board does not hesitate to recommend saiut"
their upon all passenger cars Their use
upoIi freight cars even being seriously considered
LEGISLATION however tending TO their general use upon
freight cars would be premature ana iHDu>t