The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-07-23
Meeting Of Investigation
Committee Today.
Several Ingenious Devices Presented
by Anxious Inventors.
All But One Provide for the Use of
the Steel Net.

Mayor Olney, Commissioner OF Public
Works Smith and Councilman Vose,
chairman of the committee on railroads,
who have been authorized TO investigate
the question of street car tenders, met in
the executive department this forenoon,
and heard the argument and examined
the plans of several inventors who have
schemes which they wish the Union Rail-
road Compa ny TO adopt.
The first gentleman heard was stephen
Essex, who has invented a fender Tor
saving life that he considers would be
efficient for every emergency. III is oper-
ated by the motorman, who, by touching
a spring, may spread in front OF his car
big scoop net that would catch PERSONS
body, and prevent it from going under
the wheels.
Ex-Commissioner Coleman presented
scheme entirely different from those
already considered. There is no net or
screen in his device, but he claims that
the "friction wheel" is an absolutely sure
device for preventing fatalities from cleo
trio cars. This fender consists OF big
wheel, suspended by vertical axle from
the bottom of the car, and rotating in
plane parallel TO the ground. The con-
struction of the wheel is practically the
same as that of bicycle wheel, combin-
ing strength and lightness. 1t is raised
about four inches from the pavement,
and the circumfrence projects on either
side little beyond the car. The princi-
pie of its action is the same as that by
which water flies off grind stone at a
tangent. IL the wheel on front OF
rapidly moving car should strike body
on the track 1t would Immediately re-
volve, and the object would be whirled
off to one side at a safe distance from the
tracks. SO Mr.. Coleman claims.
Mr.. Horatio Finney, very old man,
showed the plans of a cal fender which
l.. k..... iii. los NNFh
claips absolute safety. II consists OF a
net and is very complicated affair. ii
also provides for side Tenders
The plans, which were very favorably
commented upon this morning were those
of Mr. Thomas Garrick. In addition TO
his fender on the front of the car there
| are side bars extending its whole length
and sufficiently low down TO prevent any
one from getting under the wheels, ana
| there is alaso an ingenious contrlvance
| by which the car step and the platform
| gate is combined. When the gate is shut
there is no step for drunken men or
newsboys to attempt to ride on.
The last inventor to be heard OF today
was Mr.. A. III. Jelly of Cambridge, and
he was introduced by General Manager
| Potter of the railraod company. The adj
vantage which his fender has over all the
rest is that II is always i'm position, pro-
| jectng from the'car and the dependence
/ vi tht Nikhdntt bttlNlAN VI hhN
torneer is reduced to the minimum. The
fender is always out and as the car moves
/ along its front edge may be anywhere
/ from one to five inches above the pave
ments, but on the least contact and be
fore any object can get beneath IT, the
end drops to the pavements and Is held
there fast and solid by strong springs,
making an inclined plane from the
| ground to the protection screen Inn
| pended i'm front OF the dasher For the
| purpose OF coupling cars the whole
contrivance may be run beneath
the cars and got out OF the way. There
is i'm connection with 1t n supplementary
fender consisting of wheel guard, sc
that two most efficient barriers are placed
between an object or person on the tracl
| and the wheels
After the plans had been submitted
| there was n brief discussion OF the genera
| subject. Commissioner Smith said tha
whatever was adopted for a front fendel
Il would be necessary to have guard rail'
around the sides, and manager Potter ad
vocated the surrounding OF both whee
trucks In immovable screens N r~Av,