The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-13
RAIL AND CROsSTIE

Inc annual meeting OF the Savannah,
| Florida and Western and Charleston and
Savannah Railways Employees Mutual Re
| Lief Association viii be held at the COM
pany's general Offices tonight.
The Financial Chronicles table Of secu-
rites, listed in 1889, makes the absolutely
new capitalization S207, O00, 600 bonds and
$1O,OO0,O 900 stock. The listing of bonds was
50, OO0, 900 less than in 1888, but exceeds the
bond llstings In 1887 over II per cent, in
1856 over 153 per cent, and in 1885 over 80
per cent. The great listing Of 1888 was due
to the L, 900 miles of new track laid in 1887.
The railroads just now are busy getting
out their ANIMALS. The lists being sent in
are being closely scanned One of the
| requests Of this character recently came to
| Supt Sullivan of the Memphis route from
q railway in Louisiana. The circular read:
"Inclosed find our list for exchange OF
annual passes. On receipt Of the ANIMALS,
and your list, we shall be pleased to reclp-
rocate." The list was made up Of q presl-
dent, vice president, general manager,
| general superintendent. general passenger
| agent, treasurer, and master Of Transports
| tlon. On looking up the road it was found
that the company operated three miles Of
narrow gauge track, and that it owned one
locomotive and four freight cars.
The Railroad Gazette has received re-
turns from the car-build1ng companies,
] which enable it TO make a somewhat accu-
rate estimate of the condition of that indus
| try In the year just passed. Reports from
thlrty-sIx companies give a total of 70,546
freight cars built. Last year the Gazette
reported II, 719 built by forty-three firms.
Twenty-six firms, reporting in both years,
built $1,000 cars in 1888 and SO, 900 in 1889,
but, taking all who have reported in either
| year, the average output per firm was ,66S
| In 1888 and 1850 in 1889. II complete re-
ports were obtained for all of the private
| companies building cars, it seems probable
that the output for 1899 would be even
greater than it was in the preceding year.
A new schedule will go into effect on the
Savannah, Florida and Western railway
| to-day. The south-bound train leaving
here at 7:55 p. m, will leave fifteen min
utes earlier. arriving at Jacksonville at
| 1855 a. NJ. instead Of 1855 as heretofore
The fast mail leaving b ere at 100 a. m.
| will connect with the East Tennessee at
Jesup, landing passengers in Brunswick at
1880 a. m, instead of 1850 p. III. The
north bound tram No. 70, arriving here at
7.45 p. IN, will arrive five minutes later,
| and No. &C, arriving at ! :55 p. m, will ar
rive at II: 53 p. N. A number of changes
on arriving and departing time at other
points dependent upon terminal points has
been made, and appears in the schedule
The latest European railroad scheme is
for railroad communication from the north
| Of Ireland to Calcutta. A tunnel, ten or
eleven miles long, between Scotland and
| Ireland, at the Null of Cantjre, Fair Head,
| county Antrim, is proposed. TIE British
channel tunnel, of course, must be COM
| pleted. Trains then are TO run to Gibraltar,
| be transferred by ferry, thence to run along
the northern coast Of Africa, across Egypt
| and the Suez canal, and skirt the Persian
| gulf and SO on to Kurrachee, where the
road would connect with the system of In
| dian railroads. By this means Ireland
would be brought within twelve days
| journey of India, and by means of a feet OF
fast Atlantic steamers landing at Derry,
! New York would be but seventeen days
| from India. This line may be completed
before that byaBehring Strait
A new electric train brake has recently
| been tried at Birmingham, England. 1t is
| said that an entire train fitted with this
brake is being constructed for use in Russia.
| The electric brake works upon the inside
face of the wheel, or rather upon an iron
disk fitted to it. The disk or ANGULAR ring
| is large plate of iron, of considerable
thickness and several inches in depth, and
is securely bolted to the inner side of the
| wheel. Opposite this ring is another, which
| encircles the axle loosely, and is fixed by
stays in such manner that it cannot re-
| volve with the wheel, but can be moved
| laterally so as to comeinto contact with or
! recede from the ring attached to the wheel.
It's attached to a powerful magnetic coil and
constitutes large electro magnet. When
the electric current is applied to it, it is
powerfully attracted to the plate on the
wheel, with the effect Of arresting its revo-
luton, and so acting as a brake.
In order to collect opinions on the subject
of legislation for the safety of Crainmen,
the Railroad Gazette recently sent out q
circular asking the following questions
l. When should compulsory equipment
with air brakes and automatic couplers be
| begun? 2. At what rate should it proceed,
and should it be by percentage per annum
of all freight equipment, or as new stock is
| built or as cars go in for general repairs
| 3. Could the roads be required, after some
date fixed, to have enough cars air-braked
| in each train to control the trains 4. Dc
you approve of our suggestions as to the
| kinds of brake and coupler to be used
Gen. E. P. Alexander, president
of the Central railroad, replied
l. FIX no time for beginning, but not less
than ten years from date of passage of the
| law for completing the equipment. Twelve
years would be but reasonable because Of
| the enormous expense involved. The
amount of rolling stock will be doubled If
the next ten years, and the cost of tbs
| changes in the old stock and Of equippne
the new will be S150,000,0 900 or more. g
No rate should be specified. Details once
entered into would be endless, and cause con
fusion and litigation; would require an
enormous organization and would work
hardship to the weak roads, The mora
effect of the fixed date ahead al
which all cars must be equipped
would force as rapid adoption of good
standard patterns as can pracd
cally be accomplished. 3. Such require
ment would be vague, would breed litigation
| and be superfiuous and unreasonable. The
change once begun, the economyEand inter
est of each road would force it as fast as
practicable. There are many other neces
stiles for continued change and improve
ment in matters equally vital with this,
and if this one is forced by litigation there
will be danger of hazardous economy in
other particulars. For this reason depre-
cate any governmental Interference any
where 4. Legal requirements should be
limited simply to an automatic coupler anG
power brake.