Evening star., 1893-09-06
DIS TRtCT AFT AIRS.
Captain Derby Discusses the Subject of
Street Car Tenders.
His 1nvestigation Of Different Plans
quarters-Sewer Appropriation.

During the day a number of prominent
business men and citizens called at the Dis
ulct building to inquire about the condi-
tion OF Commissioner Ross. At a late hour
TINS AFTERNOON he was reported as doing
nicely. The accident was the chief topic Of
conversation among the clerks this morn
Ing, and they all sympathize with their
chief and friend
The injury to Commissioner Ross has
brought out the query: What are the Com
missioners doing about getting up a new
fender for the street cars Can't Fiebeger.
who has charge of the matter was seen bv
a reporter of The Star this afternoon, and
asked what was being done in that direc-
ton.
The captain said: Letters were first writ
ten to the principal cities in the country to
learn If there was such thing as a satis-
Factory fencer upon any street railroad line
IN the country. The answer showed that
practically everywhere in the country they
were using tenders consisting simply of
vertical boards placed just In front of the
wheels, either at right angles to the wheels
oblque or chevron shaped. A type of these
tenders is that used by the Washington and
Georgetown Railroad Company.
In Boston the West End Company had
partially equipped its cars with a comb,na-
tlon fender, platform projecting in front
or the cars, known as the johnson plat
form, and a fender under the body of the
NshAo IA iIoul VI lfle WneelS similar TO those
described. but which could be forced in
close contact with the rail at the will Of
the motorman. Some of these Johnson
platforms were afterward seen by me in
Cleveland. Ohio. where they have been
adopted upon two of the street car lines
They might save life, but they would not
save person struck by the cars from Sc
rious injury. and therefore are not a salts
factory solution of the problem.
Quite a number of models and drawings
OF other tenders have been submitted to
this office for examination. None of them
appeared very satisfactory, and We in
sisted that a working model should be nut
upon one of the cars in the city before we
would recommend any of them" p, -
thoroughly good fender should not
only protect the life Of the person struck
by the cars. but it should. in addition. pro-
tect him from serious injury This would
reject all tenders such as are now used in
the city, and are only useful in preventing
a body from getting under the wheels II
you VIII run over the list of accidents IN
this city on the Washington and George
town line, you will find few cases where
the tenders have failed to move the body
of the track, but very many where the
person was knocked down and seriously IN
tured by the car
"A fender which recently examined
might be described as a cow-catcher of
chain work, so arranged that a person
struck by it falls into and is held in a
chain mattress. which protects him from
injury. This fender is being tested"
For Failing to Report.
The Commissioners today ordered that
any person or persons in the District of
Columbia having the care, custody or con-
troll of any animal affected by glanders or
other contagious or pestlential disease
who shall fail, within twenty-four hours
after the fact comes to his. her. or their
knowledge. to report the same to the health
officer of the District OF Columbia. shall
upon conviction be fined not less than s.
nor more than s25 for every such offense, TO
be recovered as other fines and penalties
are recovered.