The times., 1898-08-07
EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS
Street Railway Companies Dis
cuSs 0yercrowding Of Cars.
SUGGESTIONS FOR SAFETY
President Crosby Does Not THINK
LecfsIation VIII Create Safutary
ResuIts-He Says the Custom OF
Standing Loads Is Universnl--Fix-
dents.

The recent invitation of the District
Commissioners to the presidents OF the
different local street railway companies,
asking for such suggestions as would in
their opinion prevent a repetition of the
accident which occurred on the line OF the
Capital Railway last month, elected TWO
replies yesterday. The first was received
from G.. e. Abbot, president of the Wash
ington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon
Railway Company, expressing desire
on tho part OF his road to confer with the
commissioners on the subject.
q. Il, crosby the president of the
Georgetown and Tenleytown Railway
Connaay, also sent letter TO the Com
mlssianera, Informing them that he was
Of the opinion that legislation respecting
the oVercrowding OF street cars was
unnecessary.
Mr. croShy's present position upon the
question is stated in his communication
as follows;
Il am OF the opinion that legislation
respecting the crowding of cars is not
necessary or advisable. This custom of
having standing loads is SO universal In
the United States that all car materials
are made of strength proportioned to a
load consisting of a standing crowd on
the cars. In the end there would be no
great factor of safety to be found in the
materials used than is the case today.
Thus, if the maximum weight TO be
handled be diminished, let us say by two,
then correspondingly the maximum strain
possible to be borne by any of the MEM
bers constituting the mechanical body of
the car. and its equipment. would in like
measure be diminished.
"The occasional failure to come up TO
its standard of strength shown by a
piece of iron or wood can in no way
be avoided; certainly not by merely
changing the elements of the mechanical
problem that II is endeavored TO solve
Certain classes of defects in all ma
terials used in the construction of cars
or of anything else are not discoyerable
by ordinary inspection.
due to such undiscoverable defects,
| occasional accidents occur.
Furthermore, / am of the opinion that
! just in proportion as the public authori-
ties throw numerous regulations around
| the operation OF public conveyances do
lllt-S dSSuliit lIiG ItoEOIiSibl4ity AOA 1AAe
| safe conduct of passengers, and in
| that measure Will the parties con-
trolling these public conveyances
| be relieved from responsibility. The
| result would be disastrous to the
interests of such persons as must from
| time 20 time suffer bodily harm while or
| public conveyances.
The public funds. we well know are
| never to be diverted to the damages II
| ~ hn r1Na~ md "a
| pora tion which may be able to show
complete following of an extensive sys
| TEN of regulations will be able ofttime:
TO escape a responsibility which other
| wise would be fixed upon them by tht
common law rules governing the re
| sponsibility of public carriers .
The letter of President Abbot is very
brief and offers no suggestions whichever
Ii reads as follows:
Your letter of July 30 to hand anF
| contents noted. / cannot see that l hav'
any suggestions to make. yet it wou'
give me pleasure to go over this subjec
with you al any time and place. conVen
lent To yourself. as our road has eudeav
| ored from the beginning TO meet the con
ditions to which you refer"
Copies Of the letter of the Commission
ers fnvfring suggestions for safety wer
sent ito all the presidents of the differen
railway companies Of the city, and o
those written, only the Metropolitan Ratl
road Company. the Washington Alex
andria and Mount Vernon Railway Com
pany and the Tenleytown Railway Com
pany have thus far replied.
The street car managers fully reahz
that any legislation prohibiting the over
crowding of cars would necestsftate IN
companies placing more cars in the ser
vice, which would materially increase IN
| expense of operating the roads.