Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-01-28
NAME.
Petition to the Trf-CIfy Railway Company
to yes,lbu:e It's Care.

are circulating in ths three cities
praying the Tri-City Railway CON-
psny, in the interest of humanity to
provide either vestibules or othel
meat of sheitering its motormen
from the severity OF the weathe,
while in the discharge of their du-
ties. The petitions are being nu.
merously signed. and will be SUBJ
mitted to General Manager j. F.
Lardner on his return from the east.
That they will receive at his hand-
the consideration that all such mat
tiers merit it is safe to presume.
The vestibule subject is cpe thai
has for a number of years asitateo
the minds Of the street railway man
ayers, and has come in for considera.
ton in their conventions, where i,
found as many opponents as sup
porters. Those who contend agains,
it sustain their positions by tn
same practical and considerate rca
sons as do those who in the name OF
humanity seek them, and the fac'
that all motor cars are not now 81
provided would seem to susges,
come reason for their omission. TIL,
vestibule Ger made i's appearance al.
most as quickly as the ordinary cleo
trically equipped street car, and al
the outset it costs little more pc,
car to provide the vestibule end than
it does the open platform. This il
not a new subject, and has been re
vived now probably by the cold
weather. and the interest the publ,
has taken in the unjust imposition
placed upon the al company in con-
nection with the new Rock ISLAND
bridge. A few years ago The ARGUS
made some Investigations as t,
the advantage of the vestibul.
and an official of the compan,
said: I'VE are perfectly willing to pu'
in vestibuies, if it is demonstrated
that they are best. We have ou'
own cabinet makers. and could sup.
ply them at reasonable cost, SO it l.
not a question OF expense, as ouI
cars all go through the shops once il
so often, anyway; but we hav
learned that Car companies origi
nally adopting vestibules have beer
abandoning them for two reasons
one being in the cause of genera
pubic safety, and the other being IL
the interest of the motorman. Their.
is Of course much more danger
where the car ends are enclosed, e..
p-cially where the windows in from
become covered with frost and OBJ
struct somewhat the motorman',
view of the track ahead. And q,
far as the motorman's own comfori
and welfare are concerned, the ves:i
bule cannot be made an absolutely
tight compartment, when it is neces.
cary to be continually changing from
one end to the other and hence there
is a draft blowing through at all
times, which 1t has been found i:
more injurious to the health of q
man partly sheltered than if he wa.
entirely exposed and as warmly clad
as it is possible for him to be-"
That the company was positive il
its position at that time was demon.
strated in the fact that when it pur.
chased the Central Railway stock il
Davenport some of the newest car,
in the equipment we're vestibLled,
and when the Tri-City company sem
them through the shops it removed
the vestibules. To what conclusion,
it has come since remains to be see
AS a matter of appearance the vestl
buled a is an awkward looking con
veyancc, but that should not be con-
sidered when the principle of human
ity is involved. The Moline Contra
has neatly solved the question in tie
way Of a temporary appliance o
leather which is attached only in tbs
cold weather, and removed during
the other seasons. As q matter o
protection it is perhaps as much O
q success as the wooden enclosure.
It is q little late now to hope tt
have the cars vestibuled the present
winter. but at the opening OF an
other season the public should b,
given . chance to see the vestibult
tested at least. and there is no ques
ton that the bridge line will afforc
as good An opportunity to demon
strate its utility as anywhere in tn
country.
Although a very busy man, DR.. r