The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-03-20
m IMPROVED POSTAL CAR.
A Kew Vehicle for the Transportation Of
Nails Just Recently Put In Service,
They are Burglar and Collision Proof aud
Are More Conveniently Arranged for
handling the Nails-Lives Of
Clerks Safer.

The postal authorities have put in
operation recently half a dozen i'm
proved cars, which have become known
IS burglar and collision proof" Tie
construction of these ears is such that
robbers would find it difficult to break
into them in transit, as frequently hap
pens with express cars, but they are
not intended primarily to be burglar
proof" Extensive use of steel plates in
the framing at the ends and between
the sills of the heavy timbers that run
the length of the cars has made them
much stronger than the cars in use
heretofore, and they are practically
collision proof in ordinary smash-ups.
says HarpeT's Weekly. They are not
collision 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
Pennsylvaniarailroad near Harrisburg,
and others were injured in a train
wrecking accident on the New York
Central railroad near Utica shortly aft
eTward. Whenever an accident hap
pens to through train almost invari-
ably one reads that the postal clerks
are killed OF injured. The reason for
this is that postal cars are carried next
10 the locomotive, as a rule, to avoid
switching as much as possible. They
are usually heavily loaded and in MAX
ing over the train at functions they are
placed where they will cause the least
delay in getting under way again. BY
strengthening them with steel plates
and stout angle bars the danger in ac-
cidents will be greatly lessened.
Six of these cars are now in opera
ton between New York and Chicago OIL
the Erie railroad. In a few weeks Is
of them will be in operation, and from
time to time their number will be in
creased They are made from the de-
sign of F. ". Grives, superintendent of
the Car department of the Baltimore
e Ohio railroad. They are IS feet long
on the inside and have no platforms.
The absence of platforms gives the APP
pearance of one long pointed car when
three or four of them are made up to-
gether, There are no doors at the ends;
and this fact, with the absence of plat
forms, gave rise to the burglar proof"
idea. The platforms were taken off to
get more room inside rather than to
prevent rObberies, which rarely occur
on mail cars.
The internal arrangement of the cars
is a decided improvement on the old
style. The stove is in the middle of the
car This lessons the danger from fire
in time of accident and also gives a bet
ter heat. The racks and storage part
OF the car are in one end. These serve
as buffer in collisions. The cars are
lighted by oil and gas, and this makes
careful sorting of the packages easier
Under each end is q six-wheeled truck.
The wheels are % inches in diameter
and are said to be the largest ever used
on cars in this country. There are
two doors on each side of the car, and
the sides of the car seem as thick as
the sides of an armor-clad ship. When
these cars come into general use it is
probable that we shall hear of fewer
deaths and injuries to postal clerks in
railroad accidents.