The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-19
sArxrr FOR TRAIN MEN.

Among the last of President Harrison's
official acts was his signing Of the bill pro-
viding that after July 1. 1895. automatic
couplers and continuous brakes shall be
used on all freight trains engaged in inter
state commerce. This was true January
1, 1891, of 15O. 600 freight cars in this coun-
try out of about 1. OOo. 600 At present out
of /. 200. 600 freight cars about $4,000 to
10000 are thus provided. Railroads own
ing 700. 600 freight cars had two years ago
adopted the policy of applying automatic
couplers and continuous brakes to all new
cars.
1t has taken ten years of steady agita-
ton to cast this reform into a Federal
statute. whose passage President Harrison
urged upon congress in three of his mes
sages. The experience of the Brotherhood
of Railroad Brakemen shows that a brake
man has only one chance in five of dying
. natural death. Connecticut led in this
legislation by requiring an automatic
coupler in 1882, Massachusetts, followed in
1884 and New York in 1856. This was sue
ceeded by legislation in other states. In
1854 the Master Car Builders Association
committee on the subject reported at Sar-
atoga in favor Of the vertical plane hook
coupler, and after three years of patient
experiment the contour lines were adopted
in 1887. In 1889 the great railroad systems
began adopting steam brakes and auto
matte couplers for all new cars, and for old
cars as fast a. it was practicable. The appli-
cation of the automatic coupler alone to
the freight cars of this country will cost
$25, 0OO. 900, and steam brakes still more.
The utmost capacity of the car shops of
the country is not over 600 couplers a
year, and yet four years ago there were
agitators urging legislation by congress re-
curing the equipment of all the ,0OO 900
cars in the country in three or four years.
The United States senate took the bill
which had passed the house requir-
ing the compulsory use of air brakes
on locomotives In one and on freight cars
in two or three years. and of automatic
couplers on the latter in three. and adj
vanced the date for the adoption of both
needed reforms to January 1, 1898. Crate
irons are required on all cars by July 1,
1895. The American Railway Association
is given ninety days to designate the
standard height of drawbars. and when
the interstate commission has certified to
this, notice must be sent out by July I.
1894, and after July 1, 1895. no freight cars
can be used in interstate commerce which
do not comply with this standard. PEN
alties are provided for the vio ation of any
of these provisions, In 1890. 1863 trainmen
were killed and 7,S41 injured while
coupling cars. a slaughter and manning
which the automatic coupler and stand.
ard draw bar will save. In the same yesr
SAT trainmen were killed and 2 .34S injured
by falling from cars. The greater share
of these casualties will be prevented by
CRATE irons or hand-holds and continuous
brakes. The latter will also save the col
lisions, which are steadily increasing. In
England. juno 30, 1891, 81 per cent. of the
passenger stock was equipped with con-
tinuous brakes. after four years. effort.
1t has taken US ten years to get this re-
form adopted on Is per cent. of the freight
rolling stock, and the law now gives the
railroads five years to equip tho remain
ing three-quarters. One consequences will
be that an inferior class of men can be
employed compared with the present ser.
vice.