The herald., 1894-10-14
NEWS ABOUT THE RAILWAYS,
General Manager Wade Expert.
menting With Oil as Fuel.
Tracklaying for the Nine Months Of
This Year.
An Ofacial Inspection CT the Southern
Californis Railway-Protectionc OF
Fruit In Cars-Nsws Notes
and Personals.


made at Santa Paula. which may, in
CONS measure, rsvolutionize the present
methods on the various railroads Of the
country. General Manager K. Il. Wade
has long been studying this matter and
has commenced practical experiment.
ing. A locomotive is being converted
from O coal to an oil burner. Coal 10
expensive. and is brought all the way
rom British Columbia. New Mexico, and
even from Pennsy lyanis. The Santa Fe
mas for some time been contemplating
yhe experiment, and decisive test OK
che merits OF coal veraus oil will now ~
made. In Russia the oil from the Baka
ields is largely utilized on the railroads
and there seems no valid reason Why
che game success should not obtain here.
In such case the oil industry of Scrth-
eEn California world receive an Impetus
tbst would develop certain sections OF
the country vsiy rapidly. and Santa
Paula being in ths csnter OF the oil belt,
would be especially favored in that re-
Epect.
TO INsrECr 7lIE ROAD.
Yesterday Robert Moore. civil en-
gineer and expert in his profession, ar
rived from the east to inspect the line
of the Southern California road on be-
hall of the reorganization committee cf
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa is
road. General Manager Wade accom-
panied Mr.. Moore over the line yester-
day, and today tie rua will be made
down to San DieGo "a a.anager Wade's
private car.
PRoTECTICT ~ 1Er-T IN CARS.
In circular isslcd by the weathe
bureau, department of agriculture,
Washington. some valuable information
is furnished to shippers of perishable
freight. In making such shipments.
there are three principal objects to be
attained: First, protection from frosts
second, protection from excessive heat;
third, circulation of air through the car,
20 carry off tho gases generated by the
fruits.
The temperatures at which perishable
goods would be damaged vary greatly
with different commodities, their condi-
tion when shipped, how long they may
be in transit, whether they are kept con-
tinually in motion, etc. Injury can oc-
cnr from long exposure to temperature
but little below 80 degrees, or from a
shorter exposure to greater cold. Or
anges slightly frozen. when placed in a
cool room and thawed out gradually, are
sweetened. but when frozen solid and
thawed they have 'sckish" sweet
flavor. When oranges have been frozen
they can be thawed without injury by
putting them in cold water or tight bar
relH Immediately after arrival and allow
ing them to thaw out gradually.
Precautions taken in shipping are pa
pering, packing in straw or sawdust,
boxing, barreling with paper lining,
shipping in paper Lined cars. refrigera.
tor cars and cars heated by steam,
stoves and salamanders.
Extra precautions are taken with trees,
etc., when passing over mountains, and
10 shipments are made when the tenn
perature ia likely to be zero any where IN
5he higher regions. Cars containing
perishable goods are sometimes, when a
north wind is blowing on the prairie,
covered with canvas on the north side.
Fruit should not be subjected to
temperature lower than So degrees or
higher than 60 degrees. Wines should
not be subjected to temperature lower
than 20 degrees or higher than 70 de-
grees. In ordinary freight cars perish
sble goods can be shipped with safety
with the outside Temperature at 20 de-
grees and in refrigerator cars at 10 de-
grees. II perishable goods are put in
box car upon cold day, and they have
fadiated considerable heat before being
shipped, they will not be able TO with-
ytand as low q temperature. Fruit
wrapped in heavy brown paper will
stand Is degrees more cold than if not
wrapped.
In refrigerator cara perishable goods
may be safely ehipped with a tempera-
ture outside OF from zero to 10 degrees
below, the car first being heated. 1t is
not safe to ship olives in any car unless
heated artificially when the tempera-
ture ia below 25 degrees.
Tine better class of refrigerator cars,
such az used by the California Fruit
company, will carry all perishsble
goods safely through temperature as low
as 20 degrees below zero, provided they
are not subjected to such temperatures
longer than three or four days at time,
while with the ordinary refrigerator
cars temperatures of zero are considered
dangerous, especially ii the goods they
contain be of the most perishable kind.
In winter time refrigerator cars are
used without ice in forwarding goods
from the Pacific coast, and in passing
through cold belts or stretches of coun-
try the matches are closed, and the cars
being lined and with padded doors, the
shipment is protected against the out
aide temperature; but in passing through
warmer climates the ventilators OF the
snrs are opened in order to prevent the
perishable goods from heating and de-
laying. Manure is largely used to pro-
Iect perishable goods, the bottom of the
var being thickly covered with it, and in
Some cases it Is put on top of the goods.
To protect goods shipped in an ordinary
ear, the sides of the car should be pro-
tected by heavy paper tackled to the wall
ynd by the addition of an inner board
wall few inches distant from the other
one. A car thus equipped and packed
with produce surrounded by straw will
yetain Sufficient heat to prevent injury
Tor "a hours, the average air tempera-
ture OF all parts Of the car being at least
" degrees higher than that of the out
side air.
Oranges loaded in ventilated or COM
mon cars should be transferred to re-
irigerator cars when the temperature
reaches 10 degrees above zero. When
oranges are transferred to refrigerator
ears, or if loaded In ventilated refriger-
ators, and the ventilation is closed, the
gar must be iced sufficiently to pre-
vent heating. Ventilators on cara con-
saining bananas, lemons. and other
delicate fruits, must be closed at tenn
of