The times., 1897-05-30
THE PASSING OF THE BRAKEMAN
Mechanical Contrivances Have Sent
Hin to the Rear.


Him to the Rear.
Science had decreed that the railroad
brakeman shall go and that mechanical
contiiyances Shall take his place on the
cars. A few years ago there were con-
siderabiy over u million brakemen en-
ployed on our railroad lines, but today the
number has been reduced to less than one
half, and it is only a question of time be-
fore the last OF these old-time employees
will entirely disappear from all of our rail-
road systems. This important change was
brought about by the invention OF auto
matte brakes, which performed the service
much quicker and better than the brake
men could ever hope to do. At first
steam brake was invented and adopted by
several OF the railroads, but it was not
successful enough To proclaim the doom OF
the hand brakes Gradually, however, in
ventoTs improved upon the contrivance
until the modern automatic brakes were
perfected. BY means OF the present in
vention the engineer can stop heavy train
of cars in half the time that dozen
brakenen, using the old hand brakes,
would require for the work.
The passing OF the brakeman Is not en-
trely due To the orders of the railroad
officials, but as much TO the laws OF the
Interstate Commerce Commission, which
make it man ndatory for every railroad line
to equip its cars with automatic and CON
tinuous brakes and couplers, and their To-
comotves with driving wheel brakes. Be
fore the automatic brakes and coupiers were
introduced on the railroads the death rate
among passengers and eInplo yes was much
higher than today, and il is largely due To
this Improvement that the mortality mas
been steadily reduced. With but few cS-
ceptions all of the 2S 900 passenger cars
and the 5000 mail and baggage cars are
equipped with the automatic brakes and
cuupIers, and about one-half the zoo, 900
freight cars. The latter have been slower
70 comply with the law than the former,
as there Is less human life involved in
accidents with then. but all the new freight
cars have TO be constructed with the new
brakes and couplers. The old-time cUaplers
where the brakeman had To stand between
thetwo cars that were u be joined together,
were a constant menace 20 the life of the
employees and the death rate among them
was high from this cause alone. IN 1895
the number of employees OF American rail
roads killed amounted to 2 100 and the in
Jured TO $4,000. fair percentage of which
met their death while coupling cars. In
! $50 the death rate was Brought down To
,a23, and the number of injured To %,
AZ. while the present year will pTooahbly
show even larger decrease
While this decrease is partly the result Of
greater efficiency among the railroad eni-
ployes and to the improvements in the road
beds and TO the use OF perfect signalling
systems, the automatic brake is most re-
sponsihie for the gratifying results A
train Of cars equipped with the automatic
brakes rarely comes into collision with other
trains or obstacles on the track The
watchfHl engineer cansee far noughahead
to bring his train to a standstill before
colliding with anything that may he ac
cidentaliy placed on the track In round
ing sharp curves the modern system Of
signals reduce danger of collision 70
minimum, and on d straight track every
thing depends upon the alertnesS and
proppuness of the engineer
This is practically the greatest safeguard
ever invented for railroad use, and TO il
we are indebted for many blessings it IS
driving the brakeman ont Of existence, but,
at the same tim G. it is saving the lives OF
thousands of passengers and railroad
employees every year. Ii is one of those
inventions which give such adequate COM
pensatiop for superseding hand labor that
no one regrets its general adoption
not even the railroad employees, whose
work 1t is rapidly taking from them -
Philadelphia Times.