Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-03-31
THE CITIZEN
The new Law for Brakes and Car
Couplers.

De QOLlCeu Nlal 10 cpeNiaA 4AftALA'-H o41
selected, but the field is left open for the
introduction at any time of the latest and
best Improvements.
In respect to car eouplers it may be well
for inventors to bear in mind that. while
the link and pin variety of couplers has
many advocates, especially among the
brakemen, who have to handle the cars,
still the Master Car Builders Association
advise the throwing ont Of the link and
pins and the substitution of the knuckle
form of eouplers. The recommend ations OF
the association have made much progress
among railway companies, and the knuekle
couplers are now extensively used on pas
senger cars.
The following is the text of the new
law.
AN ACT.
To promote the safety of employees and
travellers upon railroads by compelling
common carriers engaged in interstate
commerce to equip their cars with auto
matte couplers and continuous brakes
and their locomotives with driving
wheel brakes, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives Of the United States Of
America in Congress assembled;
Sec /. That from and after the first
day of January, 1898. il shall be unlawful
for any common carrier engaged in inter
state commerce by railroad to use on its
line any locomotive engine in moving in
terstste traffic not equipped with power
driving wheel brake and appliances for
operating the train brake system, or to
run any train in such traffic after said date
that has not sufficient number Of cars in
it so equipped with power or train barkes
that the engineer on the locomotive draw
ing such train can control its speed with
out requiring brakemen to use the COM
mon hand brake for that purpose.
Sec. 2. That on and after the first day
of January, 1898 it shall be unlawful for any
such common carrier to haul or permit to
be hauled or use on its line any car used
in moving interstate traffic not equipped
with couplers coupling automatically by
impact, and which can be uncoupled
without the necessity of men going be-
tween the ends of the cars.
Sec. B. That when any person, firm,
company, or corporation engaged in inter
state commerce by railroad shall have
equipped a sufficient number of its cars so
as to comply with the provisions of section
one of this act, it may lawfully refuse to
receive from connecting lines of road or
shippers any cars not equipped sufficiently,
in accordance with the first section of this
act, with such power or train brakes as
will work and readily interchange with
the brakes in use on its own cars, as re
quired by this act.
See. 4. That from and after the first
day Of July, 1895, uutil otherwise ordered
by the Interstate Commerce Commission,
it shall be unlawful for any railroad com
pany to use any car in interstate commerce
that is not provided with secure grab irons
or hand holds in the ends of each car for
greater security to men in coupling aud
uncoupling cars.
Sec. 5. That within nintey days from
the passage OF this act the American Rail-
way Association is authorized hereby to
designate to the Interstate Commerce
Commission the standard height of draw
bars for freight cars, measured perpendic-
ular from the level of the tops of the rails
to the centers Of the drawbars, for each
of the several guages Of railroads in use in
the United States, and shall fix a maxi
mum variation from such standard height
to be allowed between the drawbars Of
empty and loaded cars. L pom their de-
termination being certified to the Inter
state Commerce Commission, said commis-
| sion shall at once give notice cf the stand
| ard fixed upon to all common carriers,
owners, or lesses engaged in interstate
commerce in the United States by such
means as the commission may deem prop
| er. But should said association fail to de-
termine standard as above provided, it
| shall be the duty of the Interstate Com
merce Commission to do so, before Ju ly l,
1894. and Immediately to give notice there
| of as aforesaid. And after July /, 1895,
no cars, either loaded or unloaded shall
be used in interstate traffic which do lot
comply with the standard above provided
for
Sec. g. That any such common carrier
using any locomotive engine running any
train or hauling or permitting to be hail
ed or used on its line any car in violation
of any Of the provisions of this act, shall
be liable to a penalty of one-hundred dol
lars for each and every such violation, to
be recovered in suit or suits 10 be
brought by the United States district at
| torney in the district court of the United
States having jurisdiction in the locality
where such violation shall have been com
mitted, and it shall be the duty OF such dis
trict attorney to bring such suits upon duly
verified information being lodged with
him of such violation having occurred.
And it shall also be the duty of tho Inter
state Commerce Commission to lodge
with the proper district attorneys informa-
tion OF any such violations as may come to
its knowledge: provided, that nothing in
this act contained shall apply to trains
composed of four wheel cars or TO loco
motives used in hauling such trains.
/ Sec. Z. That the Interstate Commerce
Commission may from time to time upon
full hearing and for good cause extend the
the period within which any common
carrier shall comply with the provisions of
this act.
Sec. 8. That any employe of any such
common carrier who may be injured by
any locomotive. car or train contrary to
the provision Of this act shall not be deem
ed thereby to have assumed the risk there
by occasioned, although continuing in the
employment Of such carrier after the un-
lawful use Of such locomotive, car or train
has been brought to his knowledge
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