The morning times., 1896-01-30
WOULD STOP THE TRAINS
Commissioners Argue 10 Protect
Life at Crossings
EXPERTS OPINIONS GIVEN
Answers TO Suits of ENJOYMENT
Brought by the Il. 4 p. and b. 4 o.
Tracks of the Former Company
Crossed by $4,000 Street Car Pas
sengers Daily.

The answers OF the Commissioners to
the suits begun by the Baltimore and Ohio
and Baltimore and Potomac railroads
10 en- soin the execution Of the regulation
requiring steam railroad trains to come
to full stop before passing over cross
ings with street car lines were filed two
days ago.
They make an argument in favor of the
new regulation, and that argument has
never been presented TO the public. Also
they are accompanied by important affi-
davits, no part OF which has ever been made
public.
The answer to the Baltimore and Poto-
mae suit sets forth that sixty passenger
trains OF the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany pass Four-and- half and Virginia
avenue and Seventh and Maryland avenue
every day. In addition TO these there are
numerous trains OF the Chesapeake and
Ohio. the Southern and the Washington and
Southern railways. Also there are num-
erous freight trains moved over the cross
ings named.
ON the other hand the Metropolitan street
cars pass Four-and half and Virginia
avenue every three minutes, twenty hours
of each day, carrying an average of 5000
passengers daily. and at Seventh and Mary
land avenue the Capital Traction cable
cars cross with the same frequency and as
many hours day, carrying an average of
% 900 passengers.
AN EXPERTS TESTIMONY.
Similar statements in regard TO the num-
ber of trains on the Baltimore and Ohio
road crossing Delawar avenue and ii street
northeast, and the passenger traffic of the
Columbia street railway across the same
point are made in answer to the suit by the
b. X o. road.
Along with these facts are presented
twelve affidavits of men whose experience
in railroad matters entities them to speak.
One OF these will stand for the rest. 1t is
by Albert n. Comet, chief engineer Of the
ctropolitan road. He says he has had
wide experience with electric street rail
ways as a civil engineer. His work has
been at Kansas City, Allegheny, Boston
and New York. His statements are in
dorscd without qualification by Julian
C Smith, also an engineer with much eX-
perience at Baltimore and several other
places.
Mr. Comet says on oath that he believes
it Is only a question OF time under the
present conditions until a Pennsylvania
passenger train will crash into Metro
politan electric car caught standing on the
track at Four-and -a-half and Virginia
avenue.
lie is the man who built the Metropolitan
electric line, and he bases this assertion
on what he knows of the construction. He
goes into detail showing how the road
he had with william II. Brown, chief en-
gineer of the Pennsylvania railroad.
1t is necessary, by the construction, he
points out, for the Metropolitan street
car trains, forty-five feet long to pass over
distance of eighty-eight feet with all
power off
An expert motOrman under most favor
able conditions will do this with certainty
nearly every time, hut a less expert handler
of the crank will frequently fail.
CURRENT MAY FAIL.
But more than this when there is ice
or snow the electric current viii not do
its work with such efficiency, and the
feat of crossing the eighp eight feet be-
comes more difficult. Also the electric
current sometimes fails 10y reason of short
tail to slow how the short circuits may
be accidentally established.
As result of these circumstances, Mr..
Comet states, a Metropolitan tain is like
ly any day TO be caught on the track
without power to move an inch. No gates
nor gate keepers nor similar guards can
prevent this.
The gateman could not foresee the
failure of the current, and so would never
think of closing the gates when there was
the usual opportunity TO pass. The motS--
man would be equally without warning
that he would come to a standstin. And
finally, says Mr.. Comet:
THE engineer of the Pennsylvania train
would not appreciate the fact that the
train was helpless until too
late"
The Commissioners assert their right
under the laws to make the regulation
OF, and cite the acts of January
26, 1887, and February 26, 1892. in sup
port. They are not interfering, they as
sert, with either the mails or commerce, ex
cept as is their duty in the protection of
life and property.