The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-06-16
SAVE THE BRAKHMHN.
Powerful Coalition of Rail-
readers in the Interest
of Human Life.
REFORM OR A BIG STRIKE.
The Stemwinding Brake and Link
and Pin Coupler Must GOA
Proposed Law.
REFORM OR A BIG STRIKE.

- tQE5Vtl4QA
have been SO terribly destructive to life
limb will soon be laid aside among the
relics Of barbarous ages. Such an appli-
ance has long since been discarded by the
majority of railroad companies for fasten-
ing together passenger and other coaches
and safety automatic couplers and air
brakes controlled by the engine substi-
tuted in their stead.
A small number of freight cars have, of
late, been equipped in this way too, but
the great majority still use the old FASH
ioned links and pins, and the slHugh ter
caused thereby well nigh passes belief.
1t may almost be said not a day passes
but one or more men are victimiz ed on
one or other of the roads in Jersey City
to this old fashioned and deadly appli-
ance. Everyday, 1t may be said, one or
more such entries as this appear on the
blotter at Police Headquarters:
= p. M Tor a. MI
-, age =, brakeman, while coupling
between the bumpers and terribly crushed Not
expected to live. Taken to ---- Hospital Re-
ported by Patrolman 49,.
Or like this:-
-p. m. Cor a. ND
- -, age =, - R. R. brakeman. fell be-
killed. Both legs were severed from the body
skull crushed. Reported by Patrolman
Sometimes the injuries are lighter than
these. In some instances 1t is merely
hand mashed, arm crushed, etc., ETC.;
but above two are nevertheless typical
cases.
So common do these "accidents'' be-
come that sometimes reporters when
rushed glance hurriedly at the wording,
mutter only brakeman run over, = and
run for less Commonplace news. Indeed,
the public would tire Of reading the STE
rotyped phrases in the reports of brake
man killed.
TRAINsEN AROUSED
The trainnen in the freight depart
ments Of the various roads throughout
the nation have become aroused at the
enormity of the slaughter caused by the
old Link and pin coupler and also by the
old stemswiuding brakes, another deadly
appliance of freight trains.
In some State Legislatures they have
already succeeded in having laws passed
compelling the companies to abandon
such old fashioned relics and equip their
rolling stock with more modern safety
appliances. New York has passed sucha
law and so have several Western States.
1t is an expensive improvement and
the railroads have everywhere opposed IL
more or less strenuously. The big roads
which had no valid excuse to otter for be-
lag behind the age have always pushed
forward the weaker one, as an excuse ror
resisting legislation. The alteration in
the rolling stock, they urge, would be
vastly expensive. and the cost would
bankrupt all the minor roads. This OBJ
lection has been met by allowing year
or two in which to make the change
setting future date, after which the old
appliances shall not be used.
But now the trainmen are taking the
matter in hand themselves. They are
tired Of the slaughter of their comrades,
not one of them knows whether he Will
return alive when he goes out to work.
and they have resolved that the thing
must stop.
PLAN OF CAMPAIGN
They are a powerful body and they
have resolved to exert all their energy to
secure reform. All the organizations
which exist among railway men are prac-
tically agreed ugon the policy to be pur-
sued, aud only details are to be arranged
before active steps are taken. The en-
gineers, firemen, conductors, brakesmen
and yard hands of all classes are united in
the movement and conference committees
have been appointed by their organiza-
tions to arrange joint plan of campaign
These committees are now comforting
daily and within this month probably
plan will be reported back to the organl-
cations for confirmation. After that due
notice viii be served on all the companies
brakes and couplers must be abolished by
a certain date not yet fixed. but probably
July l, 1898 The companies will be
asked to agree that no new rolling stock
will be bought unprovided with the re-
quired appliances, and that they will be
attached to all cars sent TO the repair
shops. A certain percentage of the roll
ing stock, too, will have to be altered
every month so that the realization of the
reform in the specified time may be a
matter of certainty. The men recognize
| that the completion of the change will
render fewer men necessary to run trains,
| but they say the death rate and traffic ex-
| tension will, in the time allowed, prevent
| any great number of men from being abb
| ruptly thrown out of work.
| Some OF the trainmen of the PennsyI-
vania Railroad, when asked about this
movement by a reporter, denied that they
| had entered into it, But they say
the proposition has already been sub
mitted to the managers of other roads.
! 1t is likely tina Pennsylvania's brakemen
| will be influenced by the Brakemen's Ma
| tional Brotherhood.
A FEDERAL BILL.
A bill for the protection of property,
| trainmen, and other railroad employees in
| handling locomotive engines, freight
| trains and freight ears engaged in inter-
| state commerce, drawn by l.. S. Coffin is
now before Congress. 1t provides in Sec
| tion that on and after January l, 1892, it
shall not be lawful for any corporation,
! company, person or persons operating
any line of railroad to use any locomotive
! engine in the work of Interstate COM
| merce upon any railroad or in any rail-
road yard that is not equipped with a
| proper and efficient power brake, or what
| is known among railroad men as driver
| brake"
Section provides that it shall be I'M
| lawful for any corporation, company or
! person to run any train on a road in the
| work of interstate commerce that shall
| not have enough cars equipped with
! some kind Of power or automatic brake.
| so that.the engineer upon the locomotive
/ can control the train, as passenger trains
| are now controlled by the engineer, with
| out requiring brakemen to go between
| the ends or on top of the cars to use, as
| now, the common hand brake.
| Section imposes a fine of not less than
| five hundred dollars nor more than one
| thousand upon a company managing a
road for violation of the act, and declares
| that any employees injured by the neglect
/ to provide such safety automatic couplers
| and brake, shall not be considered as
| waving the right to sue and recover for
| damages by having remained in the en-
| ploY of the company, even If 1t be shown
| that the plaintiff was careless; but the
| fact that one car or engine not provided
| with the automatic safety coupler and
| brakes was used shall be deemed sum-
| cieng evidence of gross carelessness on
! the part OF the defendant