The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-28
RAIL AND CROsSTIE.

The Brunswick Times says The Way
cross AIR Line is making rather slow prog
ress at the St Msrys end of the road, but
1t is expected that very large force of men
will be put to work there as soon as the
contractor has completed his part of the
South Bound road.
A bill is before the Michigan legislature
prohibiting railroads from issuing passes TO
legislators under penalty Of fine of not
less than 81 900 nor more than $4,000. The
law also applies to ell state officers and
Judges of courts of record. If the pass is
accepted the recipient is liable to like fine
or one year imprisonm ent, at the option of
the court.
A spark from locomotive on the South
ern Pacific railroad in California caused
the burning of wheat crop. The COM
pany, being sued for damages, showed that
the fire was caused by a locomotive of the
Santa Fe company, lessee Of the road, and
the United States court sustained the posi-
ton that the lessor was not liable for the
acts Of the lessee.
The South Florida Sentinel says: "The
prospects for the building of the Orlando
and Oakland railroad during the present
year are said to be good. The committee is
getting in shape for action, and from what
we have been told by some Of its members
there is little doubt as TO the completion Of
look to It's completion with no little degree
of pleasure. Orlando never makes O prom
Use unless she carries it out; she will yet
build the road.
The vestibule car litigation. in which the
Pullman company has hitherto been unis
formly successful, has apparently reached
its limit, the United States circuit court at
Chicago having denied the motion of that
company to enjoin the use Of vestibules in
Wagner cars. The Wagner company bad
already discontinued the use of the COM
preston springs and buffer plates which
were declared by the courts 60 form essen
tial features Of the Pullman patents, and
had adopted new device. making continu-
Gus connection between the car platforms,
which is said to be satisfactory.
A prominent railroad man in speaking of
the popular belief among passengers that
by riding on the right-hand side of the mid
die Of the car they are more safe in case of
wrecks, said: THAT is an erroneous idea.
Passengers ride in the middle of the car be-
cause the riding is more easy. If you don't
believe it take seat directly over the trucks
and see how rough the riding will be. Try
sleeping in berth in sleeper on the end of
the car and see how rough the riding is.
You can hardly sleep. But just get berth
in the middle Of the car and you will sleep
well. II is no more safe to ride in the mid
die Of the car than in the ends"
A characteristic instance of foreign rail-
road management is reported from Tiflis
by the Boston TrGveJer A freight train
arrived from Bakoo at Astafa. The super
intendent Of the station examining the
train before allowing 1t to start heard peo-
pie talking in car for combustible mate
rails. He decided that there must be stow
aways or thieves there and ordered the car
"a tra0 nd IN
tightly. The inmates begged to be let out,
but the natchalnik citation superintendent
was deaf to their prayers The car was
boxed up tightly for thirteen hours. At
last when it was opened, nine Armenian
passengers, one Of them a woman, were
found in it half dead from want of air, for
the cars for combustible materials are air
tight. The passengers had be en- put in the
car for want Of better accommod alton.
Annual conventions Of railroad commits
sioners have now become a permanency.
The next convention will be held on March
3, when, according TO q circular issued by
the committee in charge, the following sub
jects Will be considered, viz. : How harmony
IN railway legislation may be attained
what further Is of Importance to be done in
reference to uniformity in railway account
ing; whether the territorial assignment Of
statistics Of operation Is not practicable,
and what principle should control In group
ing railway statistics, what reasons there
are for making an apportionment OF ex-
penses OF freight aud passenger traffic, and
what rules should be adopted in reference
thereto; what legislation, if any. should be
mad by congress relative to safety appli-
apces for railroad cars, and what are rea.
| sonable rates and what are the elements to
be considered In the determination thereof.
The RGHW0y Age has commenced a Sc
ries Of statistical reports from DR.. W. B.
| Outten, chief surgeon of the Missouri Pacific
| railway and president of the National AS
| socation of Railway Surgeons, in which he
gives the statistics Of 9, 34S railway injuries,
which he has carefully classified into num-
Der of very important tables. 1t adds: III
every railway in our land could produce a
classified report of injuries on it's lines in
concise form like this, what an advantage
| it would be TO the company in getting re-
/ liable Information for defense in cases OF
| nahgners who are scheming to rob the
company fer alleged injuries, as we'll as be-
ing valuable aid In estimating the aver
age cash value of any particular class OF
injuries. These figures may appear unin-
teresting, at first sight, but they are exceed
iEgly valuable, and have saved the Mis-
souri, Pacific thousands of dollars"
G. W. Stiles of Charleston writes to the
4NStVo O3Lb COWTtET dh lutoT6sUluR Dlb Oh
! railroad history: He says ''the first loco
| motive in use on the South Carolina rail-
| road was not built In England. 1t was q
| genuine native American. Its form and
shape were first conceived in Charleston,
| and it was called the Best Friend, and was,
| in fact, the first locomotive built in this
country. On page 172, volume IA, of Ap-
| pleton's American Cyclopedia," we find
that "Mr. Detnold, civil engineer, in 1922
! 30, made the drawings of the locomotive
Best Friend, designed by E. L. Miller of
| Charleston, which was built by the KEN
| bles of New York aud was placed on the
| Charleston Is. CT railroad late in the sum-
mer of 1885, This railroad was the first to
use the important arrangement of two four
wheeled trucks or bogies for engines and
| passenger cars At the time this locomo-
tive was sent out yellow fever was prevail
ing in this city. and no northern mechanic
would come out to put her on the road for
| duty. The late Julius D. Petsch, a young
man then just out Of his apprenticeship in
| the shops of Mr. Dotterer of this city, was
called upon to perform that duty. He took
| two of the apprentices from the same shops
IN. Darral and Henry Rowarth-to assist
him. After getting her in order, Mr..
Darral continued as her engineer, and Mr..
| Rowarth as his assistant, at least for some
time. Mr.. Petsch was some years after
engineer and superintendent of the South
| Carolina railroad, and Mr.. Darral wac for
many years master of the machine shops.