The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-10-07
MORE TINE WANTED
BY TIE RAILROADS IN WHICH TO
COMPLY WITH LAW.
lost Important Question 4 hat Will Come
Before the Interssate Commerce Com.
mission Will BE That Relating to the
Extension of Time Within Which the
Railroad Companies Must Put Their
Trains In Shape to SafeGu usrd the Lives
and Limbs of Emp:Oyes-One to Ten
Years More Asked For

| Years More Asked For
Washington, Oct 6.-The Interstate
Commerce commission will hold a full
meeting in this city the latter par. Of
next week. This viii De the frs, meet
ing held here in some months. Chairman
Morrison, who has been taking tes,i-
mony in some cases at Chicago and
Kansas City. has returned to Washing
ton. Commissioners Youman and Glenn
ents are al Philadelphia hearing the case
or the warhouse men agains, the Penn
sylvania and Reading roads, which, il is
aEesed, give free storage at depors ana
yards to certain shippers and thereby
inJure the business OF the warehouses.
Commissioner Knapp has gone to Nash
vile, where ne will make an address and
a4so serve on the jury of awards OF ;he
exposition. Commissioner Prouty has
just concluded the taking Of testimony
at Buffalo in several cases and is expect
ed here in few days. There is no busi-
ness OF immediate importance pending
before the commission.
By far the most important question
which vii, come before the Interstate
Commerce commission this fall will be
that Of the extension OF the time in
which the railroads OF the country en-
gagged in Interstate commerce must
equip their trains with train brake sys-
terns and automatic car couplers. The
act compelling the railroads 20 equip
their trains was passed in the closing
hours OF the Harrison adminis:ra ton az
ter protracted and bitter contest. The
act was approved March 2, 1893. and
gave the railroads about five years, or
until January l, 1898, TO comply with the
law.
The same act provided that the rail-
roads should equip their cars with hand
rails and drawbars before July /, 1895.
The whole purpose Of this legislation was
10 insure greater safety for passengers
and 10 give greater security TO brake
men and other railroad employees in
coupling cars. During the five years
previous to the passage of the act the
statistics showed that each year one en-
ploye in every 433 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
commission was empowered 10 grant and
after an examination. extended the time
when the operation of that portion OF
the act relating to hand rails and draw
bars should go into effect, from July l,
1895, to February 1, 1898.
The commission IL now beginning TO
receive petitions asking for an extension
of the time in which the other sections
of the act. providing for automatic coup
lers and train brakes, shall 60 into effect
and before January 81 they must decide
this important question. The railroads
ask from one to ten years longer than
the law provides. The last reports of
upon their equipment april /, 1880 |
show tha: the passenger trains were al |
most entirely equipped as requored by |
law but only about one-.hird of the |
freight trains and cans had been provid- |
ed with the pepper safety appliances.
The figures on that date showed that |
Of the 1926 passenger cars owned by |
the railroads, 1884 were equipped with |
automatic couplers and 32ss5 with train
brake appliances OF the 1,217.34 freight |
cars, 4s5410 were equipped with auto
matte couplers and 3s0.303 with train |
brakes. OF the 36,2S locomotives, |
freight and passenger. 2s,lsS were equip
ped with the driving wheel brakes pro-
vided for by the act. Since this report
the work Of equipping the freight cars
has gone steadily on but II is doubtful
whether more than so or 60 per cent are
even now slpplied with the safety ap-
planes required by law.
Should the commission decide not 20
grant an extension the railroads whose
,ars are not equipped January 1. 1898.
will be liable TO a fine OF 800 for each
md every offense against the act. Fy
the terms Of the law an employe In
ured b. eny locomotive, car or train in
use contrary TO its provision snail nat
De deemed 20 have assumed the risk oc-
,ssioned thereby. although continuing in
he employment OF the road after his