Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-16
The Commissioners Make a Report
to Congress.
THEY SUGGEST NEEDED LEGISLATION
Experiments With Various Devices
Made by Railroads.
NOW BEFORE THE SENATE

After thorough investigation of the
subject of street car tenders the Commits
sioners this afternoon transmitted to the
Senate District committee a report upon
| the resolution Of the Senate dated March
| ~, 1894
When the resolution was received by the
Commissioners 1t was referred to Engineer
| Commissioner Powell, who in turn de-
tailed tCapt Fiebeger to investigate the
tenders in use and report. His report was
submitted several days ago and adopted.
| The Commissioner report was based on
| this and is as follows:
The Commissioners of the District of Co
| lUmbia have received from your committee
the following resolution OF the Senate,
| dated March TO- 1884:
Resolved, That the committee on the
District of Columbia be directed to investi-
| gate and report, as promptly as may be,
whether in their opinion the street rail-
ways of the city of Washington, propelled
| by cable and electric power, have adopted
and are using the most effective tenders tor
| the protection of human life and limb. and
| If they are not so using the best available
| appliances, what remedy should be invoked
| to compel them to do so?'
And in pursuance of your request for their
examination of and report upon the same,
| have the honor to inclose an extract from a
report upon the subject by Capt. G. ].
the Engineer Commissioner. and to add
| the following remarks and recommen1a-
| tions:
1t is doubtful in the opinion of the Com
miSSionerS whether any of the street rail-
ways I'm this District have adopted and are
| using the most efrectual fender practica BILE
for the protection or human life and limb.
All the tenders in use are of the fixed
| kind. and consist of shields either placed in
| front of the forward wheels or inclosing
| the wheel base. The defects in this kind of
| fender are, first its rightly, and second,
partly necessitated thereby, its height above
the track level and its position well un-
| der the body of the car, instead of be-
ing close to the rail and not projecting
beyond, or inclosing, the whole body of
the car; In consequence Of these defects.
a person may be caught under the car be-
fore the fender touches him, or may be fore
ed under the fender when knocked down.
The heisht of the rigid fender seems to be
unavoidable on account of the oscillations
of the car when moving rapidly. and of The
| existence above the track level of proiec-
tons in the roadbed. Even on certain as
phait streets there are inch and a half pro-
| )ections above the pavement of iron con-
| structlons pertaining to the cable conduits
A frst step toward the use of a more ef-
ncient fender is the depression of these and
an other similar projections. to the level of
| the pavement
| The Commissioners for the mast six
months or more have given much attention
TO the subject of Tenders and other safety
| n
| quirfes about tenders to officials of other
| cities; have obtained and examined conies
| OF all specifications of patented tenders and
suarus sn.,a, IN the patent ofiice. and have in
speeted numerous models or designs for
| tenders presented TO them in accordance
4 WIN, q general notice issued by them
| NNe devfce has been found which is re-
| garoed as sufficiently merftorious and sure
ly practicable to warrant the Commisss., y.
ers In requiring the street car comnanies
even II authority therefor existed. 10 eouin
their cars with it. SP
several OF the new devices appea red r,rom-
lsing, some of which have been commendad
70 the attention of the companies using me-
euahicai motive power for cars With a
rs, aa.W 70 actual trial. the Commissioners, in
early March, invited the managers Of sncb
companies to conference on the subject
anu there formally requested each comnony
10 equip one car with an improved fender Of
| Eckington and Soldiers Home Comnany an
| nounced an intention to try the Cra,yfor,
| Ienoer and wheel guard. Upon the offar Of
one noch Creek Railroad Company to try
any iehuer the Commissioners might desig
| nate. fender was named to In for ,hat Sc
pose. The manager of another road statad
| tnat ne believed his company alreadv bad
.ne pest available fender on its cars. but
MouIa change to any fender proven to bis
satisfaction to be better declininr ban
ever, 10 make any other change or experi-
ment unless the District would assume a.,
| obngations in case of damages. "''
| subsequently the lexington comnany ,r,o,
sne CRAWFORD fender and wheel guard and
| nave very lately informed the Commission-
eas ea6 .nat the company has adopted this
! leiioer Ior use on all its cars and will soon
put II on. The Rock Creek connan,, En
4 given notice that II will change the fonder
!. nrst intended to try by taking one of its
own selection. but uD to latest sdvicas ,h;
| trial has not been made ''''S
AS 70 wnat remedy should be invoked to
| SSouipei lne ,Street car companies to use the
ness ,s,s. a.9ilaeie safety appliances. the Com
fhot
ieylsiation which will authorize the Corn
! nlssioners to establish and enforce the fol-
| lowing requirements:
| 1. That street car companies remove pro-
jections above the pavement belonpina 70
their constructions and which are unneces-
sariiy inconvenient and obstructive to the
| public, and, ~
To use on cars those safety appliances
which the Commissioners may find salts
| factory or desirable
Laid Before the Senate.
The letter from the District Commission
ers, accompanying the report to the Dis
trict committee. was today laid before the
senate. The Commissioners i'm the letter
say: The Commissioners have the honor
| to report that in their opinion the street
railway companies operating cable and
electric lines in the District should be re-
| quired TO equip their cars on said lines
without unnecessary or unreasonable delay
with the best available tenders which shil
! be satisfactory to the Commissioners in
! order to afford the greatest practicable pro-
| lection to life and limb on the public
streets. A comprehensive report on the
! subject of car tenders and safety appli-
ances on street cars, with recommendations
relative to their adoption upon the street
! cars in use in this District, has been pre-
| pared by the Commissioners and transmit
| ted today to the chairman of the commit
| tee on the District of Columbia"
Senator Gallinger Pleased.
Senator Gallinger, in moving the reference
of this letter to the District committee, said /:
! 1T Is a matter of extreme qualification
/ to me and to the Senate, and / have no
| doubt to the people of the District, that the
| Commissioners have SO promptly answered
1 the resolution of the Senate, and have so
| frankly stated their opinion that the COM
panies ought to lose no time in equipping
! their cars with appliances that should have
| been put upon them long age. / trust that
a way will be found by the Senate IL the
companies neglect to do their duty in this
respect, to compel them to do so.'
| Another Fender Tried
Several days ago a practical illustration
of the workings of fender invented by Mr..
Eldridge T. Smith was given in the corridor
at the District building A full-szed work
| ing model was put together and after the
simple mechanism had been explained a boy
! lay down and the car was propelled at him
with great force, but the boy was picked up
out of harms way.
| The Commissioners were pleased with the