Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-24
THE PILOT OF DEATH.
Presumable Safeguards that Add to
the Dangers of Cable Cars.
WHY MANY ACCIDENTS ARE FATAL
Rapid Transit Companies Looking for Some
thing Which
WILL NOT CRUSH THE LITTLE ONES

The recent fatal accidents to children who
have been crushed beneath the pilots of
cable cars has excited considerable comment
among citizens.
The solution of the rapid transit problem
for large communities is a subject which has
been agitating the principal cities of the
country for several years. Various schemes
and ways have been devised and put into
practice to effect satisfactory rapid transit
system. None of them, as yet, have filled
the bill with satisfaction to all parties con-
cerned. New York has been running ele-
waited roads for many years. Its people are
thoroughly disguised with the experiment
and are only waiting for favorable oppor-
tunity to throw the L roads overheard. Phil
adelphia and Chicago have adopted the cable
system for want of something better. From
these two cities there come frequent reports
of terrible accident caused by the cable cars,
and it is Immediately followed by howl of
discomfort and complaint from the people.
Within the last year the cable roads and
electric lines have been introduced into
Pittsburg. As question of getting to and
from their homes at a reasonable rate of
speed, both of these systems appear to meet
with no objection from the public in gen.
ersl.
THE LITTLE VICTIMS.
Bat the late unfortunate accidents on the
Penn avenue cable road within the short
space of one week, which resulted the deaths
of three small boys, have aroused the people
of the citv to the fact that some greater
safeguards for human life must be adopted
by the cable companies before the rapid transit
question can be said to be satisfactorily settled
in the city.
, The only safeguards with which the cable
cars are now equipped are the pilots attached
to the front of the cars like the ''cow catcher"
on locomotive. These pilots are raised above
the rails of the track from three to eight in
ches. Some of them are even higher. This
height above the track is too great to prevent
fatal accident in the case of any child who may
be thrown down in front of an approaching
car. In the three fatal cases which resulted
last week the pilots passed over the victims,
squeezing the life out Of them between the
pilots and the paving stones OF the street. Had
the pilots been closer down to the rails, death
might not have resulted. The unfortunate
boys would then most probably have been
thrown to one stde and escaped with perhaps
broken leg or arm
was killed last Friday on Penn avenue, between
Sixteenth and Seventeenth street, said that the
pilot of the car raised over the boy and crushed
his head and body down upon the stony roadbed
of the track. The wheels of the car did not
touch the boy. He was mashed into a bleeding
pulp by the iron pilot. Another boy was killed
on the same road near Elghth street the follow
ing day, Saturday. The circumstances of the two
deaths were similar. The second boy was
caught likewise between the track and the
pilot and in that position be was pushed over
the stones until life was ground out of him.
His fattened body was at length freed from
that narrow space and lay under the car be-
tween both front wheels when It was picked up.
KILLED BY THE PILOTS.
In both of these cases the boys would un-
doubtedly have escaped with less injuries had
there been no pilots on the cars.
Since the occurrence of these three accidents
there have been many complaints heard among
the people along the lines of the cable cars, and
several communications censuring the cable
companies for not providing more efficient life
guards on their cars have been received at THE
DISPATCH office. All of these communications
give praise to the griphaen for bringing their
cars so quickly to standstlll when they saw that
an accident was to occur, but they condemn Sc
yerey the management, which permits the car
pilots to remain at such height above the
level of the tracks
The writer of one of these communications,
Mr. James Miskemem, says there is no earthly
chance for a child struck by cable car, as the
pilot is more certain in its death dealing power
than the car of Juggernaut" Children, he says,
Gaping alive with the pilots of the cars at their
present elevation above the rails.
Mr. Miskemem is a mechanic and has had IL
years Of experience working on railroads. He
lines we're seen yesterday and gave their views
with reference to the question OF better life
guards in the cars.
II have railroaded II years" said Mr.. Miske-
mem land know something about the eff
cheney and ineficency of pilots. Councils or
the Humane Society or the Anti-Cruelty So
ciety ought to take this matter up and compel
the cable companies to lower the pilots on the
cars to ~ inches above the rail. 1t
can be done and it should be done at
once to save children from inevitable death.
The unmuzzled dogs in the city are not half SO
dangerous as those pilots. From four to eight
inches is the average height above the rails.
The companies might object to lowering The
pilots on the plea that the track is oval" con-
a little higher than the rails on both sides, but
the pilots could easily be made to conform to
that curvature.
NOT A GOOD EXCUSE.
ssThe companies might also object that il the
pilots were lower than they are now, the paving
stones might become loosened and jump up and
interfere with the running and construction of
the cars. 1t is the duty of the companies to
keep the roadbeds of the tracks in proper con-
dition The pilots should also come out more
in front of the car and should be made more
pointed, like the pilots on a locomotive. As
they are now the pilots are nearly square.
They have tendency to push an object along
in front Of the car instead of throwing it of the
track to one SIDE"
Mr.. Miskemer witnessed the fatal accident
on Penn avenue, near Sixteenth street last
Friday and he said that hadth car pilot been
made with a greater slant il would have thrown
the boy off the track with perhaps broken leg
OF al arm.
uue cable road. was seen at his Office at Thirty
first street and Penn avenue. When the sub
lect was broached he at once admitted the i'm
perfections of the present pilots.
I'VE don't suppose they are perfect life
preservers" he said. I'VE have now some
thing in view which may improve them. The
present dissatisfaction of the people and the
cable companies with the life guards is not con-
fined to Pittsburg alone. The same grievances
of the public exist in Philadelphia and Chi
capo Those cities have tried various plans,
but none has been found to work satisfactorily;
The pilots are not as effective as they should
be but they are as good as those on the electric
cars, and the best that have yet been found. 1t
is the effort of our management TO nnd some
thing as near perfection as can be. But il is
almost impossible to get anything TO run close
TO the rail and to conform to the surface OF
the street and to the line lald down by the City
''how near to the rails do you think the pilot
should comeG'
WHAT Is NEEDED.
"We have got to have something that will
come down to or IL inches above the rail to
be effective 1t must also be flexible to ride over
any obstruction that is met on the road"
What do you mean by saying that you must
conform to the surface of the road Mr. Rugg2'
Il mean that the roads are unevenly con-
structed. Ihe street paving is uneven. We have
to set our rails flush with the paving We have
also to provide for the crossing Of railroad
tracks"
.'Do you think the late accidents might have
been prevented with a lower pilotY'
POSSIBLY they might Those accidents