Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-12

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roads by compelling common curiers en-
gagged in interstate commerce to equip their
cars with automatic couplers and continuous
brakes and their locomotives with driving
wheel brakes, and for other purposes.
| BE it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That from
and after the first day of January, eighteen
hundred and ninety-eight, it shall be unlaw-
full for any common carrier engaged in in
terstate commerce by railroad to use on its
line ary locomotive engine in moving inter-
state traffic not equipped with Q power
driving-wheel brake and appliances for OPP
Grating the train brake system, or to run
any train in such traffic after said date that
has not sufficient number of cars in it 80
equipped with power or train brakes that
the engineer on the locomotive drawing
such train can control its speed without re-
curing brakemen to use the common hand
brake for that purpose.
SECT. 2. That ON and after the first day
of January, eighteen hundred AMI ninety
eight, it shall be unlawful for any tuch
common carrisr to haul or permit to be
hauled or used on its line any car used in
moving interstate traffic not equipped with
couplers and coupling automatically by i'm
pact. and which can be uncoupled without
the necessity of men going between the end
of the cars.
SECT. g. That when any person, firm,
company, or corporation engaged in inter-
state commerce by railroad shall have
equipped a sufficient number of its cars so
as to comply with the provisions of section
one of this act, it may lawfully refuse to
receive from connecting lines of road or
shippers any cars not equipped sufficiently,
in accordance with the first section of this
act, with such power or train brakes as will
work ard readily interchange with the
brakes in use on its own cars, as required
by this act.
SECT. t. That from and after TIL first
day of July, eighteen hundred and ninety
five until otherwise ordered by the interstate
commerce commission, it shall be unlaw-
full for any railroad company to use any
car in interstate commerce that is not pro-
vided with secure grab irons or handh dds
in the ends and sides of each car for greater
security to men in coupling and uncoupling
cars.
SECT. 5. That within ninety days from
way Association is authorized hereby to
designate 10 the interstate commerce COM
mission the standard height of drawbars
for freight cars, measured perpendicular
from the level of the tops of the rails to the
cente rs of the drawbars, for each OF the
several gauges of railroads in use in the
United States, and shall fix q maximum va
ration from such standard height to be al
I Ix$,, fho horo of fv md
l,aded cars. Upon their determination be-
ing certified to the inter state commerce
&C commission, said commission shall at once
give notice of the standard fixed upon to all
common carriers, owners, or lessies en-
gagged in interstate commerce in the L nited
States by such means as the commission
may deem proper. But should said asso-
citation fail to determine STANDARD as
above provided, it shall be the duty of the
interstate commerce commission to do so,
before July first, eighteen hundred and
ninety four, and Immediately to give notice
thereof as aforesaid. And after July first,
eiphte en- hundred and ninety-fve, no cars,
either loaded or unloaded, shall be used 10
interstate traffic which do not comply with
the standard above provided for.
SECT 6. That any such common carrier
using any locomotive engine, running any
train, or hauling or permitting to be
hauled or used ON its line any car in
violation of any of the provisions of
dis act, shall be liable to a penalty of one
hundred dollars for each and every such
violation to be recovered 10 a suit or suits
to be brought by the United States district
attorney in the district court of the United
States having jurisdiction in the locality
where such violation shall have been COM
mitted, and it shall be the duty of such dis
t-ict attorney to bring suit. upon duly veri-
led information being lodged with him of
such violation having occurred. And it
shall also be the duty of the interstate
commerce commission to lodge with the
proper district attorneys information of any
SUI, h violations as may come to its knowl-
edge Provided, That nothing in this act
contained shall apply to trains compose of
four-wheel cars or to locomotives used in
hauling such trains.
SEC I. That the interstate commerce
commission may from time to time upon
full hearing and for good cause extend the
period within which any common carrier
shall comply with the provisions of this act.
SEC. s. That any employee OF any such
common carrier who may be injured by any
locomotive, car, or train in use contrary to
the provision of this act shallnot be deeme d
thereby to have assumed the risk thereby
occasioned, although continuing in the en-
plovment of such carrier after the uplawful
use of such locomotive, car, or train bad
been brought to his knowledge. (Approvsd
March 2, 1898 }
Methods Of Healing Passenger Cars.
While we view with pride the satisfactory
advancement that is yearly being made in
the sty lie of passenger cars, and also in the
adoption of appliances for the safety and