New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-09

OdOr which petroleum cOIIIIohi! e'"'' a.,
prove what Artemus Ward was wont 10 .a'
sweet boon" But 1t scarcely represents 'he
best Of achievements in railroading. Inc ,uea'
road Is one on which there Is no dust 10 DE ,"'u'
the one whose roadbed Is ballasted WIN eva"
broken stone and bordered with equai! cream
turf On roads thus bult-and there are sew
eral of them in this part Of the country-tnere
Is no dust, and Of course, no need Oh uus'i"!
ing devices. Perhaps not all roads can aiioru
such construction though it has the additional
advantages OF strength. safety ana perlnahehce
For those that cannot the oil cure may DE de-
srable. But the dustless stone construction Is
the ultimate ideal at which all should ann.
Another use OF petroleum In rallroauing ID
less novel but perhaps more important Inc
use Of oil for fuel has often been trled ana
has long been regarded theoretically FEAST
bic, but has not in this country come INTO gen.
eral practice 1t is now announced, however,
that one important road has adopted IL ana
that others are expected to follow the example
This may well prove to be true. Inc eh'ire
practicability Of such use OF oil is beyond ques'
ton For years it has been demonstrated OH
the railroad and steamboat lines of Russia, and
there seems no reason why 1t should not pe
equally successful here. The question Is one
Of dollars and cents. In Russia 1t Is cheaper
TO use oil than coal That may prove TO he
the case here, at least in some parts OF the
country The greater cheapness or 1ransporta-
ton of oil and ease Of handling 1t are strongly
in its favor. What will most commend II 10
the public however, Is It's freedom from SMOKE
cinders and ashes An oil engine is. or certainly
should be, as free from smoke as one that burns
hard coal. And that is great gain over the
l,tt. ,i,y1f ntcn 1n
made smokcless, but Is not, and according to
present indications never will be. Patrons OF
soft-coal burning roads are apparently doomed
10 ride in clouds OF black. sOOty smoke. yarie-
gated with cinders and saturated with sitting
gas To them the change to oil, with no smoke
or cindcrs. would likewise be- n Sweet boom
1t IS n strange thing that while they have IN
many directions attained so closely TO perfec-
tioD American railroads should in these prime
rcousltcs Of cleanliness and comfort lag so far
behind. They do not all do so. There are
some roads on which one may ride all day at
a wide-open ear window without smelling n
Whit of gas or being solled with smoke or Gin
,lers or dust But there are far more. includ-
Ing many that In all other respects rank in the
first class. on which one continually breathes
coal gas and on which a window can be opened
only NJ risk or sahara Ike STORM OF SAM
mingled with burning cinders and dusky with
smoke. Yet the easy possibility OF freedom
from such evils lies within their grasp. Safety
and speed are fine things. but comfort Is scarce
~ below them In Importance and can be Sc
cured without In the slightest degree sacrific-
ing them but rather with an enhancement and
reinforcement Of them. The Increase Of com
fort IS really the chief need OF the times In
raroading: and not comfort merely on few
special limited trains but on all the ordinary
trains patronizcd by the great mass Of the peo-
pie: and for such increase OF comfort the aboli-
ton OF dust. smoke clndcrs and gas Is proba-
bly, the foremost requisite