The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-03
Annual Report of the Board of Rail-
road Commissioners.
Progress of the war Against the
Deadly Wood Stove.
Lessons Taught by the Accidents
at Oakland and Kingman.

tension is completed and in full operation /
the Somerset has been extended to Cara
tunk Falls, and across the Kennebec river
to Solon, and permission to run passenger
trains to that point been given; the Lime
rock road in Rockland has cen nearly fin
ished; the Dexter & Piseataquis road is sub
" somplsted and leased to the Maine
Central; the Bangor street road Is m run
ming order. Two new railroad corporations
have been organized during the year-the
Kennebec Central for the purpose of build
ing narrow gauge road from Randolph to
the National Soldiers Home, and the Georges
Valley Company, which will build and oper-
ate a road from the station ON the Knox d
Lincoln at Warren up the Georges valley
to Union village. distance OF eight miles,
SAFETY HEATERS.
Concerning the heating and lighting of
passenger, mail and baggage cars, the report
says;
string to be informed as to the methods in
use for heating passenger, mail and baggage
cars in this State, caused to be sent to the
several railroad corporations operating rail-
roads in the State, a circular, asking informa-
tion as to the methods in use for heating. In
answer to said circular, returns were received
from all said railroad corporations. From a
summary of returns received, the following
facts appeared;
THAT of $50 passenger cars reported in use in
this State, sixteen We're heated Ey steam from the
locomotive; that of 1877 mail and baggage cars, AZ
were heated in like manner, rs by what is known
as the Baker and johnson (hot waterl heaters and
four by the spear (hot air. heater. All of the cars
In use were heated by what might be termed
common wood and coal stoves.
"The board upon investigation, found that
the statutes, similar to the one enacted in
this State, had been in force in the States of
Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and
that the railroad commissioners of these
States had approved of all methods of heat
ing cars, other than what might be called
common stove' AS the railroad system
OF this State is so connected with those of
Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and as
being exchanged, it did not seem to this
board to be wise and expedient to adopt a
rule or regulation, as to approvals, differing
from that adopted in those other
s@s Saies acting The under besrd like
feeling that as the method of heating cars
was necessarily in transitional and expert
mental state, and that the best methods OF
heating may not yet have been devised, de-
termined to temporarily approve all meth
missioners of the above named States. and
such other heaters as railroad corporations
might desire to use other than common
stoves. Accordingly notice of hearing of
the board, to be held at their Office in Au-
ousta on the 2Sth and 29th of Augusta, was
given to the railroad managers and all other
persons interested in said subject. At said
meeting hearing was giv5n to inventors
and all other persons and parties interested
who desired to be heard relative to the same.
After the hearing a circular was sent by Or
der of the board to the several railroad cor
pOrations operating in this State.
I'm response to said circular applications
were received from the Maine Central, Bos-
30. q Insr q. DAAl @
Lincoln, Rumford Falls q Buckfield and
New Brunswick railroad companies, asking
an approval of the Sewall system of heating
together with other heaters (not common
st0ve), to be used as auxiliary heaters, in
Guiding the Baker & johnson, Edwards,
Spear and others. The Grand Trunk, Can
adian Pacific and other railroad corporations
not mentioned above, operating railroads in
this State, asked permission to use some of
the last named heaters, solely, in all Of such
carsl0elonging to them. These requests were
granted, and the several heaters mentioned
mission given to each company to use the
same until July l, 1890, at which date all the
said approvals expire by limitation.
"RallToad companies, which have at
tempted the use of steam from the loco
motive, as a means of heating their pas
senger, mail and baggage cars, have been
greatly delayed in procuring necessary
equipments and skilled mechanics to do the
work. They have, too, been greatly
hindered in the application of their steam
heating system, by reason OF being obliged
to couple and haul cars coming from other
railroads not so equipped, especially the
Pullman drawing room and sleeping cars,
which, until very recently, were all warmed
by the Baker Heater" so called. SO far,
the efforts made to heat trains by steam
rom the locomotive, have shown it to be
feasible; and the methods used have been
generally satisfactory to both passengers and
railroad officials. We trust that the expert
mental stage of testing methods of heating
will soon have passed, and that steam or
some other method will soon be universally
adopted, so that inside heaters now used,
many OF which are little better than the
common car stove, can be wholly discarded.
AUTOMATIC coUPLERs.
while satisfactory progress is being
made IN the operation of railroads and
trains in most respects, little, if any. is
being made in the coupling of freight cars
in this or other states. Statistics show that
the seemingly unnecessary mutilation and
loss OF lie OF men engaged in coupling and
uncoupllng freight cars, still goes on. The
action taken. by the Master Car Builders
Association, in the adoption of the 'Janney
type of coupler, has, we believe, rendered
more to hinder than to promote the general
adoption and use of the automatic coupler
AT the time of the adoption of that type
OF coupler, by said association, so far as ap.
pears from reliable reports. no coupler of
that type had been invented which, when
subject to practical or physical tests, would
meet the requirements of the service. For
that reason, we believe, the attitude of prac'
tical railroad managers was adverse to its
adoption. AS many improvements have
since been IN made mad upon the type of coupler
selected by that association, it may now be
more generally adopted. The freight traffic
on railroads, in this as in other states being
interstate, few attempts ii any have been
| made by our legislature to enact laws rela-
tive to safety appliances; neither has this
board deemed it wise to urge legislation in
that respect believing as we do that all at
tempts on the part of individual states to
| legislate as to character or kind of safety
appliances, especially on freight trains.
hindrance and loss to railroad corporations
and failure to accomplish the object desired
RAILROAD EMPLOYEES.
"As means of promoting the efficiency OF
| railroad employees and to stimulate them to
| faithfulnesS in the discharge of their du.
| ties, we believe it would be wise for railroad
managers to adopt a system of grading in
each department., with corresponding com
pensation for each grade. Where the lives
| of the travelling public and the property OF
| the corporation depend, for their preserya
| tion, upon the experience, care and faith
| fullness in the discharge Of the duties with
| which almost every employe is necessarily
| tDbEuSlbu, uOnO bOV 6iOoeSulC CuIl DE pNe1ClS
| ed in their selection Neither is il lust to the
| employe who has for years exercised skill
| care and faithfulneSS in the discharge of ey
| cry duty entrusted to him, to have nothing
| held up, to which he may attain, as a reward
| for exercising such skill and faithfulness. by
| way of increased pay or promotion. We art
| con 6dent if some such policy, as above out.
| lined should be adopted by railroad officials
| and managers greater efficiency would be Sc.
cured and a better feeling would exist be
tween employer and employe.
ACCIDENTS.
"While we have to report two serious &C.
| cidents that have occurred to passenger train,
| during the past year, we are pleased to be
| able to state that no passenger on said train,
| was seriously injured and so far as the
| board is concerned no accident of a serious
| nature has occurred in the State. which
| could be attributed TO defects or want of re
pair in tracks, bridge structures or rollins
| stock of any railroad"
The bOald reviews at considerable lengtl
| the testimony given at tho Investigation q
the accident at Kingman on March 23l las
| and says:
| From the examination of the PREMISE
and the evidence elected at the hearing ~,
were and are fully convinced that the aeei
| dent was caused by the misplacement of ;
switch by MI. Bither the person left il
| charge Of the same. n0twithstanding the fac
| that there was some testimony tending 4
| show that the switch had been tamperp,
| with by some person unknown after bein.
! set by Bither.
| HVhiie wa Gnd that want Of cnra a., N,