Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-01
THE TIM E is UP
Commissioners Will Look Into the
Fender Matter.
POLICE MAY, PROSECUTE RAILROADS
No Further Extension ODE Granted
the Companies.
WHAT ROATS HAVE DONE


Paucity Of street car tenders was the
cause of considerable conversation at the
District building today. Sixty days ago
the Commissioners-whoh had for long
while been engaged in a desultory discus
sion of fenders-issued an order which in
sisted that on and after April l every grip
and motor car operated in the District
should be fully equipped with life-saving
appliances of approved patterns. Failure
to comply with that regulation would re-
suit in the imposition of a fine of SO day
for each and every unequipped car. An
other provision applied to distractions be-
tween tracks-projections that were wholly
unnecessary and that could not but pre-
vent the satisfactory working of even the
most ingeniously constructed fender or
wheel guard.
No Extension of Time.
Officially the Commissioners were un-
aware of anything that could be construed
into disregard of the order, but in their
capacity, as more or less distinguished in
dividuals, they knew that the percentage
of fender-equipped GAYS was almost in
visibly infiaitessimal. The first question
was, would the Commissioners grant any
an extension Of time? To this the first an
swer was promptly and strongly negative
What may be done in the course of 4 day
or so can only be guessed at. Maj. Powell
was emphatically of the opinion that an
extension would be improper; that ample
notice had been given, and that If any of
the companies had been needless they
should be required to pay the penalties.
Maj. Powell thought that the first official
intimation Of noncompliance would come
through the Police Court, for the order
was law, and any violation of 1t could only
be treated as would the violation Of any
other Jaw.
Chief of Police Moore, however. had made
no preparations for campaigning against
defaulting railroad companies; he had not
even been supplied with a copy of the
regulation which it may be his duty to
enforce. He talked it over with his SUI
pertor officer this morning and departed
for police headquarters to await definite
instructions before making any move in
the affair.
To Write Letter.
while later the board considered the
situation, and the debate resulted in a let
ter, a copy of which will be sent to each
street railway company employing mechan-
ical motive force, in which the company
will be asked If 1t has complied with the
regulation, and If not why not. When the
Commissioners have received the looked
for replies they will decide as to action.
The Police Not Notified.
Up 20 late hour this afternoon the po-
lice department had received no formal
communication from the Commissioners
with reference to the car fender matter.
and SO had no official knowledge of the fact
that the companies are in default.
Maj. Moore told Star reporter that he
would not take any action until he received
a notification from the Commissioners to do
so. The natural order of things, he said,
would be to cause warrants to issue for the
presidents. of the railway companies which
have not complied with the order Of jan
uary 81, and then let them come up for
trial. All that the police have done in the
matter was to furnish copies of the order.
two months ago, to the presidents of the
motors. This was done at the instance Of
the Commissioners, but since then they
have received no further communications
on the subject of car tenders. One prom
inent police official said that so far as he
could see from personal observation there
has been no effort on the part of the rail-
road companies to comply with the order.
What the Roads Have Done.
The situation of the various roads af-
fected by the fender regulations, as stated
today by officers Of the roads. Is as fol-
lows: AS soon as the Commissioners had is
sued the regulation. which was about the
1st of February, the Washington and
Georgetown began a correspondence with
Mr.. Blackiston, the inventor of a fender
which is in operation IN Baltimore. In
short time contract was entered into with
Mr.. Blackiston to equip the cars of that
road with tenders. Thus far but one car
has had a fender attached to it. That is
car No. 1 on the 14th street line. The
equipment is being pushed forward as rap
idly as possible, the officers Of the company
say, but there has been unavoidable delays
in the manufacture and in addition to
hat he n
must be main ntained and only few cars
can be withdrawn from the road at a time
In order to have the tenders attached. 1t
is expected that the entire equipment will
be completed in what the officers of the
company regard as reasonable time under
the circumstances.
In the case of the Columbia railroad the
new cars of the cable system, it Is claimed,
have fender, but it lacks the pickup at
tachment. 1t is stated that this fender has
not been approved by the Commissioners.
The necessary electrical changes are be-
ing made on the cars Of the lexington road
with the view of using the Claude fender.
An extension of thirty days has been asked
by this company in order to have time to
make the change. 1t is also stated that
they desire to secure the Commissioners
approval of the fender which they propose
to use.
The Rock Creek road has attached the
Claude fender to several of their cars, and
it is stated that they are attaching them
to the other cars as rapidly as possible.
director Of the Georgetown and Ten
leytown road Maid today that the company
had already entered into a contract with
Mr.. Blackiston to equip the cars with his
fender. 1t is stated that one car has this
fender and that the remaining cars will be
supplied as soon as possible.
The Columbia Road.
In an informal sort Of way the Com
missioners today made it plain to the CO.
lumbia Street Railway Company that the
wheel guard with which the Columbia's
new cable cars are equipped is insufficient,
and will have to be suppanted by "pick-
up" apparatus. Representing the Columbia
Company before the board were President
r. A. Baker, Director Z. G. Davis, General
Counsel Nathaniel Wilson and Secretary
Adams. The delegation was decidedly Of
the belief that nothing more in the way Of
life and limb saving mechanism was neces-
sary that now surrounds the car wheels
in the revolutions of which they are so
deeply interested.
They asserted that the cars could be
stopped from full speed in less than four
feet, and as it was nine feet from the
bumper to the wheel guard, the chances
for any damage other than that caused by
the first shock would be few indeed This
idea was not concurred in by the Commits
soners; they deemed pickup" essential