The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-20
CRAINWIiN'S RISK.
Figures Show That rhey Are Over.
estimated--OId Hands Victims,

estimated--OId Hands Victims,
From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
1t has been estimated, and In fact
railroad men frequently make the re-
mark, that the average life Of a man
actively engaged in train service is
about seven years. In other words,
that they are either crippled up so as to
render them unfit for service again in
like capacity or are killed on an
average in that time. 1t has been
found by looking over the records of
one Of the leading railroads entering
Louisville that this is untrue. During
three years, on one of the busiest roads
entering the city, there were only two
killed and 15S injured, all Of whom were
brakemen except two, and they We're
freight conductors who had assumed
the duty of brakemen, one by making
a coupling and the other by assisting
in unloading freight
1t would seem that inexperienced
men would be most apt to get injured,
but the figures show differently, as in
dicated by the following: Eleven, or
9.56 per cent. of the total number Of
trainmen, were injured during their
first year of service; eighteen, or 1916
per cent, We're injured who had been
in the service two years; fifteen. or
ILL per cent, had been in the service
three years; twenty-five, or 1886 per
cent, four years; twenty-six, or 20 per
cent, five years; twenty-seven, or 217
per cent, six years thirteen, or 969
per cent, seven years. FIVE, or $50 per
cent, eight years; three, or 2.47 per
cent, nine years; five, or 4.16 per cent.
ten years, and twelve, or $50 per cent,
over ten years, some of whom had been
in the service fifteen. eighteen and
twenty-five years.
1t will be noted that the largest aver
age of injuries occurred after the en-
ploye mad been in service six years, and
the figures given would indicate that
employees as a general rule are careful
Up to the time when they have been in
the service three to four years, and then
become more careless until about their
eighth wear Of service, when the indi-
cations show that they again become
careful, as those who have worked over
ten years have a very small compare
tive per cent. of injuries compared
With those who had worked six years
With the completion of the equipment
or all box cars with the Janney or au-
tomato couplers, air brakes etc. the
liability OF a trainman being injured
will have been reduced to a minimum
as the record goes to show that at least
two thirds of the injuries were caused
by attempting to couple automatic
drawbars, with a link and pin, to the
old-fashioned solid or skeleton draw
bar, which is very dangerous even t
the most experienced railroad man
Other causes were on account of un-
even draWbars, some being as much a.
three inches higher than others. Al
this will be rectlfed with the new law
which requires all drawbars to be oI
a standard height. A great many train
men were injured by stepping upon
stones or links in jumping off to throw
switches, etc; quite number by being
thrown off on account of the icy CON
ditiOn Of the tops of the cars.
There was one case where a brake
man was standing near the end of n
| car when another cut Of cars struck il
and he was thrown from the top of the
car to the ground, alighting squarcly
upon his feet and SLOWING him up
severely, as will be readily understood
A few were compelled to jump from the
top of cars in cases of dcrailmCut
Others had their feet mashed by at.
tempting to shove an automatic draw
bar over a few inches To enable 1t {.
come more squarely in contact with
the automatic coupler. This is one ui
the serious objections to the automati,
drawbar-that it will not couple readi-
ly on a curve, and it is necessary fol
the trainmen either q pr one of tn.
drawbaTs over or shove it over Will
| their feet.
One of the most general causes ui
| pinched fingers was on account Of tn
| pin failing to drop all the way dOWr
| into the hole when coupling with a link
| and pin The brakemen lnvariably
| reach over to give the pin a start so il
| VIII drop into the hole, when the cars
| frequently roll one way or the Other
| just a few inches and catch the pin
| just before 1t gets all the way down
causing II TO tilt back and catch the
| fingers between pin and end sill of tn,
| car.
A few were injured by holding thu
| grab-iron on the end of Car-recently
| added to all freight cars by an act o
congressman attempting to make th'
| coupling when long lumber or bridg,
| iron would be extending over the enc
| of the ear to be coupled to- and catcl
| their hands between the timber and enc
! Of the car. However. this dangerous
| method Of coupling cars together tha
have lading projecting over the ends
of them will soon by a thing of the
| past, as it is becoming a general rul,
| for all companies not TO permit tn,
loading Of cars in this manner, when
ever there is long timber to load, tn,
companies require the use Of two car
instead of one, as heretofore
With the taking effect of the new
law compelling railroads to have al
cars equipped with automatic draw
bars and have the drawhars OF equa
height from rails, the position OF rail
road brakemen will not be such a haz
| ardous one.