The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-05
RAILROAD POSTAL CARS.
The improvements Which Have Been
Made in the building of These We
From Harper,s Weeklv.

From Harpers Weekly.
The postal authorities have put in opera
ton recently half a dozen improved cars,
which have become known as burglar
and collision proof" The construction of
these cars is such that robbers would find
it difficult 10 break into them in transit,
as frequently happens with express cars.
but they are not intended primarily to be
burglar proof" Extensive use of steel
plates i'm the framing at the ends and he
tween the stills OF the heavy timbers that
run the length of the cars has made them
much stronger than the cars in use here
to1ore, and they are practically collision
PROOF in smash-ups. They are not col
lision proof in the sense that they will
withstand any shock that comes when the
accident usually results in loss of life
The place of postal clerk is extremely
hazardous. Several of these clerks were
killed in an accident recently on the Penn
sNlVanla railroad. near Harrisburg, and
others were injured in a train WreC<fn Q.
accident on the New York Central rail-
road, near Utica, shortly afterward
whenever an accident happens to a
through train almost invariably one reads
mat the postal clerk was killed or injured
The reason for this is that the postal
cars are carried next to the locOmotive
as rule, to avoid switching as much as
possible: They are usually heavily load
ed and in making over the train at Juno
tons they are placed where they will
cause the least delay in getting under wav
again. BY strengthening them with steel
plates and stout angle bars the danger in
accidents Will be greatly Iessened
SIX OF those cars are now in operation
between New York and Chicago on The
/ Erie railroad. In a few weeks fifteen Of
them Will be in operation and from time
to time their number will be increased
Ihey are made from the design of p. W
Grleves, superintendent of the car do.
partment of the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road: they are sixty-five feet long on
the inside, and have no platforms The
absence or platforms gives the aDnear-
ance OF one long, jOinted car when three
OF -FOUR OF them are made up together
ihere are no doors at the ends: and fhiS
Iact, with the absence of platforms. gave
rise 10 the burglar-proof' idea The Mat
forms were taken off to get more room,
inside, rather than to prevent robberies
which rarely occur on mail cars
me internal arrangement of the oars
Is decided Improvement on the old style
Inc stove is in the middle of the "a
mis- lessons the danger from fire in tfne
OF accldent, and also gives a better heat
Inc racks and storage part of the car
are IN one end. These serve as a hufTer
IN eollisions. The cars are lighted bv iii
ana gas, and this makes careful sorting
OF the packages easier. Under each end
IS a slX-wheel truck. The wheels are tbir-
ty-three inches in diameter, and are said
10 be the largest ever used on cars i'm
this country There are two doors az
each side of the car, and the sides If the
car seem as thick as the sides of an ar
mor-clad ship. When these cars come into
general use it is probable that we shall
near or fewer deaths and injuries 10 nos
tai clerks IN railroad accidents