Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-11-10
SAFETY APPLIANCES ON CARS.

on March 70. 1885, Congress passed
what is known as the Safety Appli-
ance Act. which provides that It shall
he unlawful, after Jan. I, 1898, for any
railroad engaged in Interstate com
merce to operate trains not supplied
with the safety appliances specified in
the act Locomotives are required TO
be provided with power driving-wheel
brakes, and trains must embrace
sufficient number OF cars equipped with
train brakes to enable the engineer to
control the speed Of the train "without
requiring brakemen to use the common
mandrake for that purpose Cars
must also be fitted with automatic
couplers that viii couple by impact.
ANY railroad which has fitted up Its
engines and cars in the manner re-
uuired by the net may refuse to receive
from connecting lines cars not so fitted
UP, after Jan. /, 1898. Cars are also re-
quired to be provided with secure
grab irons or handholds. in the ends
and sides of each car for greater Sc
curlty to men In coupling and I'M
coupling cars"
The American Railway association is
authorized by the act to designate to
the interstate commerce commission,
within ninety days after the passage
OF the act, the standard hight of draw
bars for freight cars, and to fix the
variation of the same between empty
and loaded cars. The commission Is
required TO give official notice Of the
standard to all railroads in the country
doing Interstate business. The penalty
for violating the law is fine of one
hundred dollars for each car or loco
motive hauled or used without being
properly fitted up. The Interstate COM
merce commission is authorized to eN-
tend the time for equipping the roll
ing stock of any road "upon full hear
ing and for good cause" Section 8, the
last OF the act, ia as follows:
"sec. 8. That any employe OF any
such common carrier who may be in
1ured by any locomotive. car. or train
in use contrary to the provision OF this
act shall not be deemed thereby to
have assumed the risk thereby occa-
stoned, although continuing in the em-
ployment OF such carrier after the I'M
lawful Use Of such locomotive. car. or
train had been brought to his kncwl-
edge"
The law is n measure designed for
the protection of the lives and limbs
of railroad employees. in particular
and of the public in general, and aims
to secure such uniform construction
and equipment Of rolling stock as will
best conduce to this end. But com
pliance with its provisions Is entaiing
heavy expense on railroads. as n large
proportion OF the rolling stock In use
at the time the law was passed re-
quired remodclinE to make the draw
bars the proper hight. Many roads
have not yet made the needed changes
in their cars and engines, and have
petltloned or will petition the Inter-
state Commerce commission for more
time.
In view of the premises. the COM
mission, under date of oct s. 1897, made
an order fixing Dec. LIST as the time for
hearing all such petitions, filed on or
before Nov. Is; the place OF hearing
being at the Office OF the commission
in Washington, ID. G. The order
specifies the facts which must be set
forth in a petition. and requires each
road fling one 20 publish a notice to
the effect that 1t has done SO. The
notice must be posted at terminal and
junction points, and must be printed
in some newspaper having general
circulation In the largest town on the
line.
No doubt the petitioning roads will
he given reasonable extension OF
time In which to equip their rolling
stock as required by the act; but all
roads carrying interstate traffic must
do this within the time fixed by tn,
commission. The result viii be great
additional protection both to passen-
gers and employees especially the lat.
ter. The danger of loss and destruc-
ton Of freight and other property vii
also be greatly reduced though this
feature does not interest the genera
public as much as it does the railroads
as such losses fan mainly upon tn,
roads themselves.