The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-22
TROLLEY GAR TENDERS
The Acceptable One Not Yet
Invented-Fun at a
Trial.

10 t
b ideal fender has not as yet been IN
vented. The managers of the Consolidated
Traction Company are in receipt daily of
letters offering tenders which the inventors
claim are perfect, and ones which they say
pedestrians would take pleasure in expert
menting with, especially when in that way
they may get az 'unobstructed view" dur
ing the journey. The Greenyille man, Mr..
Routh. is perfecting his invention, and an
other trial will be held in a short time.
SOME OBJECTIONS TO TENDERS.
The objection to many Tenders in the eyes
of railroad managers is that they extend so
fer in front of the cars that they are likely
to hit people who would otherwise escape.
Tho railroad men want q fender which
runs close to the trucks and acts
only as q wheel guard, not taking
into consideration the fact that it is as bad
to be knocked down and have a skull frac-
tured against a pavement as it is TO be
manned under the wheels. The cushioned
scoop-fender, which will strike on elastic
blow and catch the victim, is to be COM
mended, but for the fact that In most Of its
forms it presents a grave danger to q re-
Ginning body Ii there is room to get O hand
or arm under The edge and o chance for the
device to roll up over the body, or drag it
along tho pavement. Mr.. Samuel Darrach,
Of Newark, has taken this point into con-
sideration in q fender he has invented. His
cushion fender is made of elastic steel
scrolls, protected by arubber-covered buffer,
which rides several inches above the pave
ment and bears upon its under side a series
Of small wooden rollers which do not ouch
the ground or tracks. If the fender strikes
q standing person, the victim falls upon a
soft spring couch as comfortable as a spring
mattress. Should he be lying on the track
IN any position this first fender rolls up
over him, and as it is raised it releases a
latch which permits @ secondary fender to
fall from its place of suspension under the
car platform. This fender is a light scoop,
constructed of steel. with an edge of elias
tic cord which never fails to pick up a per-
SON who is run over by the first guard. By
the time it has completed its work the motor
man has hut off power and brought the car
to a stand with his brake.
FUN AT A TRIAL.
Mr.. Darrsch has had some amusement
with his fender, if there has been NO other
return for his outlay of time and money.
He equipped q car OF the Consolidated Trac-
ton Company with his earliest device, which
has since boon improved in many respects.
Following the equipment Of the car came
the necessity of trying it. Trying it upon
Z UCS IL u Aitl6 -HOlu phrase. MI. OdiI6Cn
made a dummy first by filling a suit Of
clothes with sand and sawdusta until it. had
the weight Of the average man. This efigy
his fender caught in ali sorts of positions.
1t was propped upright n tunbled into the
cradle with the car running at O
rate Of eight miles an hour. Then it
was laid upon the track at different
secondary fender, after the cradle had rid
den lightly over it. Mr.. Darrach was
pleased to find that the dummy was unhurt,
and then resolved Upon q living victim.
There wore q number OF employees of the
road on hand, watching the trial. and he
tried to hire one of them to make the test.
Offers Of IS brought no response, and an
open bid Was solicited by Mr.. Darrach, but
nome Of the men would fix q price or seemed
TO care to take the risk. Then Mr.. Darrach
said THAI he would be the first to undergo
the ordeal To his surprise he found that
there was still q difficulty in the way. Tho
|. motorman refused to knock him down or
run ever him. MIR. Darrach pleaded with
him, and promised before witnesses to
hold him free from blame in case Of
an injury being inflicted Finally the
motorman was induced to run at
him with q three mile speed on. Mr..
Darrach stood up In front Of the car end
was caught neatly by the spring cradle. He
said that the sensation was thrilling but de-
lghtful withal. He was lightly struck
above the ankles and fell into the scoop
with nc perceptibls jar. The motormaa
was induced to go at him still faster, and
still NO harm was done. Then Mr.. Darrach
threw himself down upon the rails, and the
motorman rather gingerly ran the feuder
over him. Mr.. Darrach says that eli he
felt was q tickling sensation as the wheels of
the front guard struck and rolled up over
his body. Then hs heard the fall Of the sec
ond fender, the click OF the pawls
which locked 1t close down to
the pavement, and q second later
the elastic cord whipped under his body and
he was slid upon the life guard. He says
that he was not pushed along the ground an
inch either by the first or second lenders.
He tried it again and again at varying
speeds without sustaining any injury either
to his clothes or body. He wanted to try it
upon q dog, and offered IS to the owner Of a
large Newfoundland, but he could not be in
duced to submit his pet to the test.
Mr.. barracks second tenders are intended
to be permanently fixed under both plat
forms Of a car, while the light cradle is to
be removed from end to end of cars which
do not pass around a loop track.