Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1898-02-02

Devices Rsesntiy Approved sv Pest oGl<j
Department

The perplexing question Of safely
exchanging mails a, stations wherd
fast mail tains do not stop has teerf
solved satisfactorily by the approval
recently 10y the post Office department.
OF two devices, either OF which will
accomplish this mnch-needcd inn
provcmcnt For a long time there
has been in usc on all railway post
office cars an iron prong attached 10
the side OF the car door, which, when
raised in horizontal position by the
clerk within the car. would catch a
mail pouch from a crane alongside tis
track, the pouch being hung on ihs
crane 40 ns 10 catch in tho crotch of
the catcher on the car and there hold
fast, permitting the railway postal
clerk 90 drag IL inside. open the pouch.
and make proper distribution Of the
mail found within the pouch. Bu. a
system Of catching a pouch OF mall
and at the same time delivering an
other pouch has been a much sought
for device. A great many devices Il
this character have been suhn tied
during the past few years 10 tire ts,~t
Office department and tested. but sefy
few have proved az all satisfactory.
The old practice. that of throwing
apouch of mail from moving irain 90
Il ran past station, vas often Of.
tended with very serious results. ard
the object Of combined mail erteher
and delivcrcr il TO prevent such d.iliz
cultics. For instance. Il frequently
happened that the pouch would ~
dnwn under the wheels Of the ears.
and both pouch and mail be ground
20 pieces Mail thus mutilated, in a
great many csscs. could hardly hs
gathered together ~ a. % I,e fors
wardcd TO ia Destination, shd lhers
il no estimate to be PLACID on a riecs
of mail, from a personal standpoint,
as the message It bears may be- ~ tho
greatest personal Importance, oside
from is possible financial importance.
Another feature under the old syr-
tenn was the very great amount a
wear on pouches thrown from trim
Far more serious than these troubIes
was the ever precni likelihood ~
some one Icing struck BY a pouch
thrown from postal car. thereby sus-
tanning injury or perhaps bsiIz
killed.
By the adoption OF he improved
devices, which catch and deiive- AZ
the same time, these troubles riii
disappear.
Mr. Shallenbcrgcr. second assistant
pos'master-ge general. is urging the rail-
roads 10 adopt either one of the two
devices that have been approved by
the post Office department, and
speedily equip their lines Tor the good
not only 81 the postal service. bntof
the roads ihcr-c'ycs
There ere 10, 20 railroad stations
IN the United S.cias az rhieh mails
are taken onto The train, ~ r,eans II
nail caichers and crancs While tIsc
train j. 10 motion. fndfho bag of rail
20 be delivered e ih-ew- f-ofn thecar
20 tie grone' = fern. 81 this
method ths ueil F. dunsrd 81
deHroyel. ard the ssfesy - persons
standing nesr u eudanesrtd. Ths
necdoffom better system oferehangs
ing m1ib ri sucl points j. apparent
In 1905 thsros. cfrce defartmcnss9
verified ~ devies~ fo- THIS purpose.
o. 81 moi. B unlimited. four ve-c
selected ca ihe noss nietifor ous. and
iu 1896 the Ter.ous raiirsi ccn-
panies we're requested 90 sdcpl s<ss
one - ;he iorr Subsequently sf
tions arose sa % ihs validity u or
tain patents Involves end dflsys
curFcf ~ s'if;7
tests. .i f =
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