The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-10
TENDERS THAT PROTECT.
MAYOR >sCMEREs FINDS THEN ON
THE CARS or BALTIMORE.
oss OF Than Has Never Fsiled-It Has
Two "Pickups," and IN OBJECT Psss-
Ing One Is quickly Caught

have solved the fender prontem an"
have coma N see what you have done
Mavor ratrohe took the visitor from
BROOKLYN under his personal charge ana
showed him everything, taxing nini ~
the various authorities anu piaU."e n,is' -
direct accommodation with Mendes Cohen,
the ENGINEER of the Fender Commission
Raltimore hogan TO work on the render
question more than a year ago. Wlthin
two wears the slow horse-car lines had
been changed TO cables and trolleys' az
gregating a total length OF more imam w
miles OF track There were NUM- Gus
intersections Of lines, ana from tiie
collisions and wrecks were OF Do
currence The first legislation was PR
posed by a man who had peer, W
five years in the street-car worn, -.
that all cars should stop on 'ne n
side of the street. snouid sup oii W., IND
side of every street railway erosslng' anu
Should stop in frcnt OF ire enei.ie -e, ac-
II tool, tho neople some time 10 get ac-
customed tn this change, but there Is ho
doubt that II has saved hundreds Oh aC-
cidents and everybody likes II now.
This precaution, however, did not pre-
vent the worst disasters. Within year
the deaths aggregated more man IN tne
whole preyious history OF street railway"
In paItir,ore Sometimes there wouli DC
onA or more every day, and the average
was large Public sentiment became
aroused and demanded Legislation. IN
ordinance was passed By the C'ly Couilo-i
compelling the companies 20 put Ieiiu' -
on their cars and placing the matter IN
the hands of the Mayor, the City Oo"'
missioner and the city Register.
Tfen the question arose, what IS
fender?r and the officials appointed SAID
very candidlv that they were not coinpe-
tent to decide. Some OF the companies
declared that the usual boards III ron
of the wheels were Tenders. The mat
ter went hack 10 the Council, and anoth-
er ordinance was passed creating ieIiuer
commission. and this commission appoIn1
cd as its engineer Men les COheh, LOT i ~
~ President Of the Society OF amer lca''
Engineers and an authority on su'i ''''
ters. r,1.
toear IN descend upon these gentlemen.
m ere ,.,re more shan one 1undfcd OF
tnfm ana eighty were carefully eNimih-
ed tfter What seemed Ions delay me
rapOrt was made, and idh resume u -
vs. nutliebad II was an abstract report
Giving the negative qualities Oh Ieh4etS
and dividing into three groups ieiiuI.
that might be efficient 80 far tio w
had sUcut time and money, anu St'i NV
question was not settled o.t.
The decisive action was taken Oclop s,
6. 1894. The City Council passed an olu orr
nance requiring all cry pdSs''.e 49,,
vav compaules using the streets Oh 'uc
.tt,, "a provide "for each car OF Tram %
,ars a oar fender or Tenders with poth
frort and wheel guards OF design Whlch
tbo Mayor Register, and city Cohlh''S-
-, ebou have certified In writing over
their signatures TO, in their JuuSI,ieu,s
conpIv with the requirements set loi III al
the report made to the commission az
nointad under the provisions OF the tesO-
iuticn Of the Mayor and Cily Council
apDroyed April Is. 1891, by MemoeS O''o'''
engineer to said commission, nsourro
rhe law further provides tnat -,
on the part of SAID com ~. orIt,arco
nl,, With the provisions or TINS olulilait y.
P;y,t,in tbroA months after the date OF us
o,nro,oI shall subject such company 80 III
defauIt TO a fine or penalty OF - "a u~y
for each and every car operated "l.nOse
eotd fender or tenders; sald hles " 90 ~
ooiIaoted as other fines and pehallleS LOT
,,iolatious of city ordinances arc
ed" . oov,rl,ined that
Some Of the companies compidiheu . NO.
tho time was entirely TOO shol,' pus ia
yrere made to understand that thelo r.,
be- no further postponemeulS' az, - Tho
bad hotter Prepare themselves or taAe '.ne
no,,.oouences The time was up JahualS
ctt 81 mis- wear. but as that day was Suii,
~, no action was taken until the iIeAl
a., Of the 500 cars in the city olly aDou.
on were equipped on tnat DAY MAJ 9iia.
Frov sent out special men 10 take aeSou
- H. cars run without tenders, ana the
nov, dav the arr csts of the general man
acors Of the four lines which had not
rompIied with the law followed Ihelr
CAGES are still pending, but as Tue IN IN
NAMES have shown an anxiety 10 pIUElue
The necessary protection II - mo- iIno'y
that the fines Will he lmposeu uPo" M, a.
che cars violating the ordinance. Inc
public has carried It's point anu 10 S"'''
ned that il has succeeded.
zach company has its own particular
fordcr INT the one that has found the
most favor and that has never ialed 10
save a life when used to pick up care
less pedestrians, is that used by the Ceil-
traI Railway, the smallest system or al
the street car lines. 1t was the nrst 10 DE
annlied. and was the invention OF the
President, George Blackstone, VINO Is a
lawyer. Il IS the one Mayor Schlereh
liked best. 1t is "A combination OF two ZEN
ders, one in front of the car ana one III
front of the wheels. under the platform.
iccting metal rods i'm front, joined by a
network which completes the front pick
m device. Ii Is so pitched that II throws
any obstruction encountered backward
into the net so far IL has always acted
I'm this manner. If however, 1t should not
so act and the object should remain pros
trate the front pickup rises slightly pass
Is over it. and by automatic action lowers
the second pickup or wheel guard. But
10 make this action even more certain
there is another device suspended between
the two pick-ups a swinging board when
Immediately on coming in contact with
the obstruction, puts additional force
upon the wheel guard or second pickup
This fender makes II practically impos-
sible for a person TO get under the wheels
The Fender Commission has helped to
perfect it, and, by general consent. 1t is
the best fender i'm the city. one Of the
important Washington lines is to be
equipped with IL.
The Baltimore Traction Company has
another device. The front pickup is
somewhat similar to the Blackstone de-
sign, but the wheel guard consists Of Il
seriess Of parallel curved springs. which,
when thrown hard down on the tracks
by the gripman operating his lever will
scoop up whatever the forward pickup
has passed. This fender picked up wo-
man weighing over 200 pounds In Charles
street last week, and the only injury
can be inferred from the question she re-
turned to the frightened motorman, who
asked her IL she was hurt: rs my hat or
staghtT' This will be better under
stood when It is remembered that Charles
Street is the fashionable promenade and
that part of It was crowded. The hat was
not on straight, but otherwise the woman
was all right
The most cumbrous device seems to be
thot nf ba fsfttr tSa ccpngnF fnfonarNy an