The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-13
RAIL AND CRossrIR.

People get alarmed because there is an
occasional railroad accident. They should
remember that there are in this country
loo,Oo0 miles Of railway-enough to go
arou the earth six times It would Be
miraculous If there were no casualties.
The Central railroad farmers excur 81 on
TO Macon Sept. IA promises to be large one
Extensive preparations are being made for it
and very long train will be run over. tt
will leave here at 6:40 o'clock in the morning
and arrive IN Macon at 40 O'clock in the
afternoon. The fare from Savan lah to
Macon will be 50 so, good until Sept II.
The biggest tug-boat ever construct ed is
now nearing completion in PHILADELPHIA
She will be owned by the Red Star line.
Her dimensions will be: Length, 40 feet;
beam, 20 feet, and depth of hold, II feet.
The house will be IS feet long aud will be
made Of iron. Triple expansion engines
will be used. Steam will be supplied bv
two boilers. The bunkers will have a car
rying capacity Of 800 tons, or sufficient T.,
cross the Atlantic. The tug will be used
for West Indies and Transatlantic tow
ing.
A monster petition, containing o.6S2
names of railroad employees, was presented
last week to the interstate commerce com
mission, praying for the adoption of la W
requiring automatic brakes aud couplers on
freight cars. This is petition of more
than usual merit. The sacrifice of life bv
reason or deficient arrangements for coup
ling and braking cars is frightful. The
railroads and their managers deny RESPONSE
hlllty for this merciess slaughter by wuich
thousands OF lives are sacrificed annually.
and insist that the trouble lies in the want
of practical coupling and brake.
The Roadmasters' Association of America
is In session In Denver, Col The duties of
roadmasterS are confined to track. bridges
and buildings. They are the foundation of
the railway system and their work is verv
difficult. They never get chance to CON
Ter with other men In the same business
and the necessity for an interchange of
ideas was the origin of the Roadmasters'
Association of America. Its mem
bership has now increased to about
900, and this year large acces-
| sions are expected. About the time
the Roadmasters' Association of America
was formed, another of a similar character
was organized. 1t was called the New Eng
land Roadmasters' Association. They too.
had seen the necessity for these important
railroad officials to exchange methods, and
their organization has grown to be a power.
full body. They meet annually in Boston
but hold their meeting month earlier than
| the American Association. These two are
the only roadmasbers associations
in North America. The Denver
NelCs, speaking of the convention, saws:
The question that will agitate it is "Who
viii he the next presidentg" President
Craig, of the Charleston and Savannah
railway. according to the rules of the asso-
citation, ca not be reelected, as he has
already served three terms. He has made
| an exceedingly popular president. He mas
been with the organization five years, and
every year has been honored with an office.
thrice having been president, once second
vice president and once first vice prasi-
dent. The association has had but two
presidents. Mr.. Burnett was the
first and served four terms. Then came
Mr.. Craig, Inquiry among the roadm asters
and supply agents elected the information
that strong effort would be made to place
Mr.. Craig in the char again, not ithsta adj
ing the laws. An effort will be made to
change the three-rerm statute and thus
render Mr.. Craig eligible to reelection.
The president is entirely ignorant of the
plans that his friends are laying for>his re-
election. E cry member Of the association
is his friend"