The San Francisco call., 1895-10-09
LETTERS FROM TIE PEOPLE.
comMoN-sENsE CAR-rENDERs.
CONDITIONS WHICH MUST BE Met, OR FAILURl
Is INEVITABLE.

CONDITIONS WHICH MUST BE NET, OR FAILURE
Is INEVITABLE.
To the Editor of the San Francisco CdIE-SIR:
"How Not to Do IT, would seem to be the
policy of the streetcar companies in the ap-
parent effort to secure an effective bartender.
To make it appear to be impossible to find one
which would meet the required conditions,
and to weary the public by delays and oc-
casional trials of absurd devices might lead
the public to the conclusion that nothing can
be done, and that they must submit to let the
subject drop or be content with the double
scoop" from Baltimore, which is said to be Mr..
Winnings preference, and which l am informed
is used in Baltimore as a makeshitt, or a sort
OF an excuse TO appease the public, and this
msy prove to be the purpose in view in intro
dueing 1t in San Francisco.
a common-sense bartender will meet the fol-
lowing conditions: 1t will be wide enough to
cover the entire front OF the car, including the
projecting steps on each side of the car, as
nearly ali the accidents prove that the person
struck is seldom run down in the center OF the
track, but is nearly always near one side of 1t
and not quite quick enough to escape. In
such case the car-steps are apt to prove fatal
In the next place the fender must be far
enough in front of the car to prevent the per
son from being knocked down by the car and
thrown with great violence upon the track
causing fractured skull or conclusion OF the
brain. If the victim should happen to fall in
side of the rails the Baltimore scoop would
pick up the remains for burial in fairly good
condition.
AS third requisite the apron must be wide
and high enough to receive and hold the form
thrown into 1t and not permit the head to
strike the car in falling toward 1t, for nine out
OF ten, as the records show, are in standing
position when run down by the car.
A fourth requirement is that the part of the
fender which strikes the legs of the person
must have instantaneous reflex action and re-
coil sufficiently to reduce the force of the blow
struck, so as not to break the bones and 1t
should also be sheathed in soft rubber to avoid
bruising the flesh.
near the ground-say within two inches or
less-so that PROSTATE form will be simply
rolled over into the apron and not be pushed
along on the ground or under the fender This
will require that the tracks and adjoining two
feet OF the street on either side shall be put in
such order as they now are on Market and
kearny streets, where an effective and reliable
fender could be used at once.
4 sixth condition is that the whole frame
work and mechanism of the fender must he in
dependent OF and detached from the car BODY
which oscillates or bobs up and down and 10
depressed when heavily loaded so that NO
rigid device could be kept in place, but wouId
be pounded on If near enough the track to he
OF real service on the first trip OF the car. 1t
propelled by the truck of the car
Such bare outline is q common sensa
tender and In the end it must be adonted if
human life and lin bs are to be suecessfnIfI ,lro
tected from the trolley juggernaut NAV ADA
tnat such fender has been tried nv rho
authorities and was not accepted becnnse Ger
tain portions OF the streets and only very small
SUCH fender, too, could not depend for its
suocess upon the ATTENTION or agility of the
m9IoIman- JOSEPH A. JOHNSON
IL Essex street, October 8, 1895