The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-06
MURDER ON THE RAIL
Railways Want Time to
Put on Air Brakes
and Automatic
Coup1ers.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE QUESTION
Progrs . Of the Work So Far
Decrease in Killing and
Manning.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE QUESTION

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 1S97.-By far
the most important question which WIN
come before the Interstate Commerce
Commission this fall will be that OF the
extension OF the time in which the ram
roads of the country engaged IN INFER
state must equip their Trains
with train-brake systems and automatic
car couplers. The act compelling uhe
railroads to so equip their trains was
passed in the closing hours of the Harri-
son administration after a protracteo
and bitter contest. The act was approved
March 2, 1893, and rave the raiiroads
about five years, or until January ], 1879,
10 comply with the law.
The same act provided that the rail-
roads should equip their cars with hand
rails and draw bars before July l, 1879.
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 u~ncoupling cars. During the flve
years previous to the passage of the act
the statistics showed that each year one
employee in every 4S had been killed, and
one in every 81 injured. Before the time
for e~quipping the cars with hand-raiis
and draw bars had expired many
of the railroads petitioned the Com
mission for an extension. This the
Commission was empowered to grant,
and after an examination extended the
time when the operation of that por-
ton of the act relating to hand rails and
draw bars should go into effect from July
/, 1896. to FEBRUARY ], 1896.
The Commission is now beginning TO
receive petitions asking for an extension
of the time in which the other sections
Of the act providing for automatic
couplers and train brakes shall &C into
effect, and before January l they must
decide this important question. The rail-
roads ask from one to ten years longer
than the Law provides. The last re-
ports OF the railroads made to the Com
mission upon their equipment April 4.
1896, show that the passenger trans We're
Amos entirely equipped as required py
law, but that only about one-third OF the
freight trains and cars had been proyid-
ed with the proper safety appliances:
The figures on that date showed tnat
railroads of the country. 81. 1884 were EQUIP
ped with automatic couplers. and $3.50
with train brake appliances. OF the
l 2la, $40 4 esfs. 4OS;4lo were ere e sS ss
with train brakes. OF the 36,2S5 ocomo-
tiyes. freight and passenger, 29,l96 were
equipped with the driving Wneei praheS
provided for by the act.
Since this report the work OF equip
ping the freight cars has gone steadily
on, but it is doubtful whether more than
so OF so per cent. are even now supplied
with the safety appliances required by
law.
The last annual report of the Commits
sion shows tina 1,811 railroad employees
were killed during the year and 25,6S6 IN
jured, a decrease of II in the number OF
killed and 2,24 in the number of injured
as compared with the previous year. The
decrease in both killed and wounded is
largely attributed to the Improvement and
more generaLnse 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 prob
able that an extension will be ultimately
be
Should the Commission decide not to
an extension the railroads whose
cars are not equipped January I, 1888, WIN
be liable to a fine of 800 for EACH and
every ofence against the act. BY the
terms of the law an empIoye injured by
any locomotive, car or train in use COM
to its provision shall not be deemed
to- have assumed the risk occasioned
thereby although continuing in the en-
ployment of the road after the unlawful
use of such locomotive, car or train ma
been brought to his knowledge.