Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-12-13

10 there in New BnslAnd any type Of auto
matte coupler IN use today. Whether the
Aforesaid action OF tie Master Car Build
ere Association vas premature or not, no
sufficient excuse rsmsins today for still
using the cid fashioned draw bar and Ink
pin couplings thereby suhjecting tfalnmen
to the dangers incident - coupling cars
with that device. Among the thousands
Of automatic couplings which have been
invented. there are now many, which upon
tests and trials, are shown 70 BE- practical.
This too 10 true - to the type OF couplers
recommended BY the Master Car Buildefs
Associ stion, BY reason Of invention and
Improvements made since the adoption OF
that type By that association. therefore
this slaughter Of trainmen should cease.
Railroad corporations should Immediately
select and adop. some one Of ,hsse safety
appliances We have mentioned. without
waiting to be compelled to do 90 BY Law.
II delayed longer il will and ought to
arouse in the people Of this country, .
feeling Of intense indignation.
Heating Passenger. Natl and Baggage
Cars.
In obedience to Chapter 275 of the Pub
lie Laws of 1889. railroad corporations
have generally discarded the use OF what
would be reasonably termed common
stoves. for heating passenger, mail and
baggage cars, and steam direct from the
locomotive, has been generally substituted d
as q meapa Of heating. though other
mt thods of heating but little safer than the
common stove, are still in use on many
railroads in this State. While this fact
would seem to be violation Of the pro-
visions of the statute, which 10 being per-
mi,ted by the Board we can only give as an
excuse the one We gave in our last annual
report, viz. that the Board upon investigs.
ton, found that a statute. similar TO the
one enacted in this State. had been in force
in the states of Mass. and New Hampshire,
and that the railroad Commissioners Of
these states had approved all methods of
heating cars. other than what might De
called common stoves
As the railroad system Of this State is so
closely connected with those Of Mass. and
N. H., and rs passenger, mail and baggage
cars are daily being exchanged, il did not
seem to this Board to be wise or expedient
to adopt rule or regulation, ss to approvals.
differing from that adopted in
those other states acting under
like or similar statutes. The Board.
therefore, feeling that Ms the method OF
heating cars was necessarily in transition
al and Experimental state, and that the best
methods of heating may not yet have been
devist d. determined to temporarily spprove
all methods which had been approved by the
commissioners of the above named states,
and such other heaters as railroad corpora
tions might desire to use, other than COM
mon stoves,
On Investigation the present year, the
Board found that practically the same con
dition of things still existed. No mate
Ii4l change in the laws of those states had
been made. nor in the approvals of mc'h
eds of heating. Accordingly feeling thai,
it would be unwise to attempt the enforce
meDt Of different rule from that adopted
by the commissioners of these states, while
cars were being exchanged aud passing
daily from the Jurisdiction of one state to
another, we have again temporarily
approved the methods Of heating above
mentioned.
That heatiog by steam is the safest and
best method yet devised, we have little
doubt; but in many particulars as now
applied and regulated, it is far from being
satisfactory. How to distribute and reeu-
late such heat, so as TO make each pa'sen.
ger in the car comfortable, 10 not 80 well
known.
We are pleased to state that the Consol.
dated Car Heating Company, whose system
is generally in use In this Safe and in New
England, recognize the Importance Of a
perfect circulating system and are con
stan,ly making improvements thereon.
Electric and Horse Railroads.
Under special charters, several com
paDies have been created. and electric and
horse railroad. have been constructed and
put io operation in this State, within the
past two or three years Much of the gen.
eral statute law respecting railroads, is not
applicable to these roads, and having BEEN
granted special rights and privileges, said
companies. in some instances, have claimed
to be exempt from all the statutes enact
ments. which have been deemed necessary
for the protection and safety of travel on
steam railroads. That the above mentioned
roads are railroads within the meaning of
the term, there can be no doubt; but being
located on other located ways all statutory
enac,men,s relating to location and cross
ings of other ways, by rsilrosds cannot
apply. BY the construction of these rail
roads across the track of steam railroads at
grade, such crossings have become doubly
dangerous TO travel The Board Of Rail-
road commissioners having limited ju'is-
dictioD, have no power to make or enforce
any regulations re expecting such dangerous
crossings. As many Of these railroads are
now being constructed in our cities and large
villages some statutory regulations should
be enacted for the better protection Of the
public.
New Railroads.
During the past year, about forty-two
miles have been aided to the railroad mil.
age of the Safe as follows: The Dexter
and Piscatsquis, now a portion of the
Maine Central. line running from Dex'ei
to Foxcroft, . distance Of 1G "a miles
The Kennbec Central, narrow gsage line
Of railroad running from Randolph, oppo
site the city Of Gardiner, &, the National
Home for disabled Volunteer Soldiers. in
the town Of Chelsea. q distance of five
miles. The Augusta. Hsllowell and Gar
diner an electric street railroad, a line run
ming from and through the city Of Augusta
the city of Hsl,se.l, the town Of Farm
iDgdale and to the city of Gardiner, dis
tance Of seven miles. Also an extension
Of the Bangor Street Railway. through
several streets in that city and to and
through the city Of Brewer, a distance oi
2 80 miles. The Somerset Railway exten
sion from Embden to Bingham 10 OF
miles.
| Legislati0n.
Section Il of Chapter 81 Of the Revi.et
L.. 81, -. ail "a
| ton. for the location, construction, repai
and convenient use Of its road, may pur
Continued on I'd psge.l