The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-07
safety Appliances.


BY far the most important question which
Commission this fall will be the extension
of time in which the railroads of the coun-
try engaged in interstate commerce must
equip their trains with train brake systems
and automatic car couplers. The act COM
polling the railroads to equip their trains
was passed in the closing hours of the Har-
rison administration after a protracted and
bitter contest. The act was approved March
2, 1893, and gave the railroads about five
years, or until JAM l, 1898, to comply with
the law. The same act provided that the
railroads should equip their cars with hand
rails and drawbars before July l, 1895.
The whole purpose of this legislation was
to insure greater safety for passengers, and
to give greater security to brakemen and
other railroad employees in coupling and UNI
coupling cars. During the five years
previous to the passage of the act statistics
showed that each year one employe in every
43S had been killed, and one in every thirty
one injured. Before the time for equipping
the cars with hand rails and drawbars had
expired many of the railroads petitioned the
commission for an extension. This the COM
mission was empowered to grant, ana after
an examination extended time when the
operation of that portion of the act relating
to hand rails and drawbars should go into
effect from July l. 1895, to Feb. l, 1896. The
commission is now beginning to receive petl-
tions asking for an extension or the time
in which the other sections of the act pro-
vding for automatic couplerS and train
brakes shall go into effect, and before Jan
The railroads ask from one to ten years
longer than the law provides.
The last reports of the roads made to the
commission upon their equipment april 1,
1885, shows that the passenger trains were
almost entirely equipped as requalre3d py iaw,
trains and cars had been provided with the
proper safety appliances. The figures on
that date showed that of the $685. paSSen-
ger cars owned by the railroads OF the
country. 81, 1874 were equipped with the auto
matte couplers and S2,965 with train brake
appliances OF the 1217.340 freight cars,
45S4 40 were equipped with automatic coup
lers and $50, 1903 with train brakes. OF the
36 ,2S5 locomotives freight and passenger,
80 1876 were equipped with the driving wheel
brakes, provided for by the act. Since TINS
report the work of equipping the freight
cars has gone steadily on, but 1t is doubtful
whether more than so or GO per cent are
even now supplied with the SAFETY appll-
anceS required by law.
The last annual report of the commission
shows that 1871 railroad employees were
Killed during the year and 25,696 injured, a
decrease of twelve in the number of killed
and 2174 i'm the number of injured. as COM
pared with the previous year The decrease
i'm both killed and wounded Is largely at
trbuted to the Improvement and more gem
eral use of safety appliances
Members of the commission feel That IN
extending the time they jeopardize human
life, but they also realize that some of the
railroads have not been financially able to
comply with the law. 1t is probable that an
extension will ultimately be granted. Should
the commission decide not TO grant an eX-
tension the railroads whose cars are not
equipped Jan l. 1898, will be liable TO fine
of SiO0 FOR each and every offense against
the act BY the terms of the law an en-
ploye injured by any locomotive, car or
train in use, contrary to its provision. shall
not be deemed to have assumed the risk
occasioned thereby. although continuing IN
the ernployment of the road after the un-
lawful use of such locomotive. car or train
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