Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-04
THE RAILROADS.
THREE NABoBs OF THE TERMINAL
ARRIVE FROM THE EAST.
They Spend Last Night at the Raymond.
Automatic Couplers to be Placed on
Southern Pacific freight Cars-Notes.

Mr.. Richard Kerens, Judge JEFF Chand-
Ter and Mr.. George Parke, all of whom
are largely interested in the Terminal
railway enterprise, arrived from the
east last evening via the Santa Fe route.
Their cars were sidetracked at the
Raymond hotel, where they put up for
the night. They will arrive in this city
this morning.
General Manager Burnett, of the Ter
minal road, went out last evening to the
Raymond to welcome the arrivals, and
to arrange for their movements today.
1t is understood that a. great many i'm
portant projects in connection with the
Terminal roads development here, will
be decided during the visit of the gem
tlemen, who, to large extent, pay the
bills. This has been their first visit,
since the work has been in charge of
Mr.. Burnett, and while they are sure to
be more than satisfied with what that
experienced gentleman has done, it is
hoped that they will authorize the ini-
tiation of a stilLmore ambitious policy.
AUTOMATIC FREIGHT CAR CoUPLERs.
The Southern Pacific company has de-
cided to equip 10000 freight cars with
the Fox automatic car couplers.
When railroads were first operated
cars were coupled, says the San Fran
cisco Examiner, by means of large iron
hook on one end of the car and link
on the other, the hook being point
down to prevent its falling out OF place
when the train was in motion.
In 1860 this was supplanted by the
iron drawhead and detachable link
and pin. This change inaugurated the
era of man-killing among railway en-
ployees, and since that time over 5000
patents have been taken out for i'm
proved and automatic couplers.
The introduction of the automatic
brake on freight trains was another OBJ
lection to the link and pin coupling,
while the frequent complaints of large
stock shippers because of the jerking OF
cattle from one end of the car to the
other in starting and stopping trains,
and their consequent loss in market
value, was factor in railway transpor-
tation which called loudly for change.
The new coupler is very serviceable.
It's parts are all interchangeable, and
are so strongly made as to resist even a
greater shock than the wroughtiron
drawhead. Mr.. Fillmore, of the South
ern Pacific, said of the proposed change !:
"Of course, the primary reason for the
Southern Pacific's adopting an automat-
ic coupler is the very much less risk to
our employees in their work, and that
alone would of itself be more than suffi-
cient to warrant the large expenditure
necessary. But there are other good
reasons. In using the automatic brake,
with the link and pin coupling, there is
so much slack or space between the cars
that when the brake is applied strongly
the train will almost always break in
two, and frequently cause wreck. With
an automatic coupler this is impossible,
as the cars move all at once, and when
one stops there is no slack to cause the
parting of trains. We did not decide
upon coupler until we had obtained
the results of severe tests on several
roads. Last month, on the Burlington,
the reports on automatic couplers. where
there are seven in use, gave the one we
selected an average of So per cent. better
service than the others. This new
coupler will also enable us TO run our
freight trains at a much higher speed
than formerly, and with greater safety,
AID trains can also be made up much
more quickly than before, and when
uncoupling the men will simply pull the
chain leading to the top of the car, and
not be compelled to go between them at
all. Then, too, in handling fragile goods,
the shocks so liable to cause damage are
done away with, while in handling live
stock the loss to the shipper will be en-
tirely obviated."
NOTES.
Secretary of War Proctor returned
from San Diego last evening and went
north on special train. He was joined
here by Assistant Superintendent Pratt,
j. H. Wallace, assistant superintendent
of maintenance of way, and G. j.
Wilder, general freight auditor, all Of
the Southern Pacific company, who
arrived here yesterday morning.
A. N. Towne went north yesterday
morning.
The transcontinental association, in
its passenger rates from Los Angeles to
Chicago via St. Louis, has made differ
ential rate in favor of the Santa Fe OF
from 75 cents to $3.50 over the other
roads. The Santa Fe has line from
st. Louis to Chicago. This is new
line, opened up in December. Other
roads selling from points in Southern
California sell to st. Louis, where, If the
passenger takes train over the Santa
Fe to Chicago, he gets the benefit of
this rate if over one OF the other roads