The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-13
TRAINM RISK.


OLD Hands Ortcnest Victims.
From the Louisville Courier Journal.
1t has been estimated. and In fact railroad men
frequently make tho remark that tho average
hfc OF n man actively engaged in train service is
about seven yonrs. In other words. that they
orc either crippled mp SO as to render them unfit
for service again in n like capacity or arc killed
on an average In that time. 1t has boon found
by looking over the records OF one OF the leading
railroads entering Louisville tn t this is untrue.
During throe years, on one OF the busiest roads
entering the city, there were only two killed and
1853 injured. all of whom were brakcmcn except
two. and they were freight conductors who had
assumed the duty OF brnkemen. one by making
. coupling and the other by assisting In unload
ing freight.
II would ser'. INIT inexperienced men would
DC most apt - get injured, but the figures show
dEi,feront,y' ns g Indicated by the following:
OF trainmen. were injured duringttheir first year
Of service; eighteen, or II. 10 per cent. wero in.
fitecn, or ii. ii per cent, had been in the service
three years; twenty-five. or 10. 35 per cent, four
years; twenty.siX. or 20 por cent. Ave years;
teen, or 9.63. per cent. seven years; Ave, or 800
per cent, eight years.; three, or 2.47 per cent,
twelve. or $50 per cent. over ten years, some OF
whom had been In the service fifteen, eighteen
1t will be noted that the largest average of
injuries occurred after the employee had been in
service six Years. and the figures given would
careful up to tho time when they have been In the
service three TO four, years, and then become
moro careless until about their eighth year Of
service. when tho indications show that thoy
again become careful. as those who had worked
over ten years have a very small comparative
had worked six years, With the completion
OF the equipment OF ali box cars with
t Brakes s"n9&S S., 0 tho ap %liaSiIi1S, G o9 4 train flr
man being injured will have been re-
show , i% at %i i"ast two ii nSS Of of'1 tEe ikS GSs ss
were caused by attempting to couple automatic
draw bars, with a link and pin. to tn, old-fash-
Toned solid or skeleton drawbar, which Ia very
dangerous even to the most experienced rail.
road man. Other causes were on account Of
inches higher than others. All this will be rec.
titled, with the now law, which. requires all
many nruMp train 1T nc we're gc q s iniured b ne stannin q g Sno1
stones or links in jumping off to throw switches,
&c; quite a numb r by being thrown off on &C.
There was one case where II brakeman was
standing near the end Of a car when another cut
top Of tho car to the ground. alighting sqnnreiy
upon his feet and 'stoving him up" severely.
as will be readily understood. A few were com:
derailmcnt. Others had their feet mashed by
attempting to shove an automatic drawbar
squarely in contact with tho automatic coupler.
This Is one of the serious objections to the au-
tomato drawbar-that it will not couple readi-
ly on a curve. and 1t is necessary for the train
mon either to pull one of the drawbars over or
shove 1t over with their feet.
One OF the most general causes OF pinched
fingers was on account Of the pin failing TO
drop all the way down into the hole when
coupling, with a link and pin. The brakemcn
invariably reach over to give the pin n start
so it will drop into the hole. when the cars fro
quently roll one way or tho other Just a few
inches and catch the pin just bnfor" 1t gets all
the why down. causing 1t to tilt back and
catch the fingers between pin and end sill of
the car.
A few were injured by holding the grab.iron
on the end Of car-reccntly added to all freight
cars by an act OF Congross-aad attempting to
make the coupling when long lumber or bridge
iron would be extending over the cnd of the car
10 be couplcd to. and catch their hpnds between
the timber and end OF the car. However. this
dangerous method OF coupling cars together
that have lading projecting over the ends of
them will soon be n thing of tho past. rs II is be-
coming u general rule for all companies not 10
permit the lcading of cars in this manner.
Whenever there is long timber to loPd. the COM
panies require the use of two cars instead of
one. as heretofore.
With the taking effect of the now law COM
pelling railroads to have all cars equipped with
automatic. drnwhars and have the irawbars OF
equal height from rails. the position Of railroad
brakcmcn will not be such a hazardous one.