Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-02
THIS FENDER MAY WORK.
metropolitan COmpany's Latest Life
Saving Apparatus Will Be
Tried TO.dny

Any one who contemplates falling on the
track in front Of Il Fifth street electric
train to-day is requested to select the
car wearing the new fender. Not that the
Metropolitan company is especially anxious
to try its new fender in this way. does it
wish it, but the chances are that by so
doing the eXperimenter will be much bet
ter able to give the public report on the
result of his researches than If he selected
a fenderless car. or even a car with fen
der of any of the older styles. In fact the
chances are good for the eXperimenters be-
ing scooped up very nicely without suffer-
ing anything more serious than d slight
disarrangement of his clothes.
The new fender, which the company
hopes soon to feel justified in putting on
all of its cars, Is the product of Master
Mechanic Becker. 1t is simple and built to
drop on the track when any obstacle is
encountered. The framework of the fender
is an inch gas pipe, which is hinged to the
front of the trucks and extends forward
just even with the front of the car. About
two feet back from the front of the frame
Is a cross piece of gas pipe built four
inches higher than the sides, and curved
three-eghths of an inch rods running from
this cross piece to the front of the frame
complete the scoop of the fender.
The whole thing is supported by two
the sides of the fender. The chains are
raised or lowered by means of q con-
trivance inside the car near the place
where the motorman stands. A rod run
ming down through the bottom of the car
is fastened to the end of an iron arm
which when pulled up reyolves an axle
on which are fastened two other arms,
one at either end, which carry the chains
supporting the frame of the fender. When
the fender is up. the arms carrying the
chains are perpendicular, or in dead
center. For dropping the fender. there is
an iron pin through the bottom of the ear
and resting on the arm that revolves The
arms carrying the chains. By passing this
pin down two inches. the arms carrying
the chains are thrown off center and
the weight of the fender carries it to the
sround-or rather to the track. along
which it is supposed to slide. To aid the
fender. and for the accommodation of per-
sons who are not willing to give the fender
the front OF the car a hand rail of steel
rods at convenient height to be grasped
frSm Sna 81 sitting ting or }rnSng lying posture n
on a car and will go on the track this
morning,and Superintendent c. F. Holmes,
who was at the shops inspecting it yes
terday. has ordered three more to be built
for trial on other cars: If they prove sue
cessful. all the cars of the system will be
equipped with the same kind.
I'm pretty confident it will work. said
Mr.. Holmes. yesterday. but don't care to
make any such trials of it as I saw made of
new fender in Montreal. 1t was an auto
matte contrivanCe worked by trip, which
struck the obstruction first and dropped the
fender in time to scoop it up. The inventor
was introducing them there ard as a prac-
teal illustration of what they would do.
he had q man lie on the track in front of a
car moving at eighteen OF twenty mics an
hour. The man worked the trip every time
and was picked up without injury. I told
Colonel Morse about it when L got back
ard he said he supposed they had to get a
new man at every town where they cXhib-
tied. They didn't. however. but. although
/ see no reason why our fender shouldn't
work as well as his did. prefer to decide
upon its efficiency theoretically
Transfer registers will be a part of the
equipment on the new electric cars put on
the Fifth street line to-day, though the
registers themselves will not be ready for
some time yet When these are in place.
conductors will be required to register all
the transfers taken up, as they do cash
fares,