The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-01
FEWER ACCIDENTS NOW.
WOMEN, CHILDREN AND TROLLEYs IN
BROOKLYN AND HERE

ting Used to New Conditions and Learning
to Take Care OF Observation-Disclosures
for which Motormen Are Not TO Blame.
Women and children are gradually learning
that a trolley car Is not O good thing to run up
against. and 30 are beginning to keep out OF
It's way. As o result fewer women and chill
dren are killed or seriously injured by trolley
cars. Those who think that the trolley car is
TO human life whit the reaping machine Is to
plant life may doubt this. Let them 20 to
Brooklyn. the home Of trolleys and babies. and
Investigate the matter for themselves.
Ono woman did set out to mako q study OF
women. children and trolley cars while the
Christmas shopping crowds were thiokest.
Il intend to get at the root OF this thing"
she Rald to herself. 'and as the root OF tho
trolley evil seems to have been planted on
Brooklyn soil, I'll begin my investigations
there. / must talk with city officials. police-
men. doctors and railroad men," she told her
self as she went whizEinG over the bridge,
and It wouldn't be q bad idea to begin with
Edward n. Grout, President Of Brooklyn
borough. There's nothing like beginning at
the top and working down"
You want to know what 1 have to say about
che killing OF women and children by trolley
cars In spite Of the fenderS" said President
Grout in response to q question. II have moth
ing to say. l know very little about our city
railroads. Whether there is an ordinance
compelling cars to carry tenders I do not
know. and q doubt exists in my mind as to the
effectiveness OF Tenders In saving life. though
I've had people to tell me that they had been
saved by a fender. / do hin that compare
lively few people are killed by trolley cars, in
spite OF what 10 said about the great number
OF accidents. but I am not well enough up on
railroad affairs to discuss this question. Let
me suggest that you observe for yourself
whether such tenders as are in use are effec-
tive or not. and l know. of no better way to do
this than to stand out near the City Hall and
watch the hundreds and hundreds OF cars that
pass at that point. representing several roads.
And it woulan't be o bad idea to investigate
closer home. l mean In New York, for the cars
do kill people over there occasionally"
Suggestions from a borough President are
not to be lightly treated. and 30 the woman
took her stand at the point named. First, she
saw that no two tenders were OF exactly the
same height from the ground. Then she OBJ
served that the cars went smoothly and!swiftly
on their way and both young and old lodged
them deity. Finally the woman got tired Of
such tameness.
Don't the trolleys kill loads OF women and
ehildrenP' she asked a policeman nearby.
They kill considerable" he answered gent
ally. but to be or the square. l don't think
they get as many as deserve to be killed.
Women and children take terrible chances.
especially in rushing times like these. / don't
know that II is as bad now as 1t is In the sum-
mer. when all the world and his wife not at
Coney Island are in the streets OF Brooklyn.
I've been q policeman since long before the
day OF the trolley. and / must say l think it's
tit for tat between the folks and the tenders"
People say that the motormen are very
careless of human life." sugg ested the woman
as a feeler.
People used to say that the world was
square" answered Mr.. Bluecoat. What good
would it do a motorman to kill a woman or
child? l used to be down on the trolleys my
sell. but l haven't watched 'em all these years
for nothing. The average motorman has a
hard road to travel. and he makes his trips
pretty carefully. New Workers are always try
ing to throw off on the Brooklyn ~trolleys and
say that they kill more people than they carry.
but faint 30. When 1 see hundreds of children
playing tag with the cars and almost as many
= women darling in front and dodRing behind
'em it amazes me that a car can do a round
trip and not send the death rate up. Don't you
believe any such nonsense. Ordinance COM
polling cars to carry tenders? Not by a Jug
without q fender. L could not arrest the motor
men or conductors"
TAS.Ay ioieV. SdiSo " oho VI IoOhl .
big. electric railroad companies. said hat the
policeman was right in declaring that trolley
ders. aud he also had some interesting things
70. teli apont accidents to women and children.
ordinance was passed compelling cars to carry
lenders. 1t gays:
" R.;oired. That each and every railroad company
operating cars by electricity on any of the streets.
avenues or public places in the city of Brooklyn
shall equip, within sixty days after this ordinance
each and every ear SO cperSied I with a safely lender
or safeguard attached 70 the front platform of said
car or cars. which shall extend from the platform Of
said car or cars to within not more than three inches
t sreS a tine Ss sr1Sss ib and ! + w SS n made b. and Rd,I mGde idr am in
person or persons or any article whatever to pass
and come in contact with the Wheels Of said car. the
sad front platform Of said car to be construed as the
what direction the said car may be going.
The Intentions OF the originators. Of that or
dinancei" continued MI; Yonge, were. un-
English language. but that is neither here nor
there. Shortly after the ordinance was passed
various railroads OF this city Tor failure to CONF
ply, with the same. and after extended trial the
ordina9ce was held TO be invalid. inasmuch as
could comply with its terms. The ordinance
required that the fender should be attached TO
at no time be more than three inches from the
tracks, That in itself wassprepos:erous. for II
a a fen fend shoS Stia s 3 t 10 tbe s9 feo s1ap plst s I s wi "a
70 be three inches from the track. as the car
nied It's springs would sink and finally strike
the ground: the fender would be destroyed In
one trip DEMONSTRATING the track in the osoil-
lation Of the car.
why not. have a fixed fender. some may
ask; A fixed and immoyable fender would be
liable TO break the leg Of any person struck by
y A fenoer should have some give 70 1t so
that upon Impact with a person the force will
be iessened. There Is no legal or valid ordi-
nance now In existence In the city Of Brook
Ign relating to Tenders. The most serviceable
fender must irst.be Of simple construction. so
as not 70 get out OF order easily. 1t should DO
adjusted IN, some way through brackets or
bars extending from the truck Of the car so
that Il VII not hespbject to.the oscillation TO
must be placed. at such a height from the rails
that III going from down grade to up. or the
reverse. 1t will not strike the ground. and It,
should extend over the buffer or have some
spring device which screens 1t. so that q per-
son in falling will not strike his head on the
sharp Iron edge OF the buffer. The simple de-
wee IN use on most OF the cars In Brooklyn. con-
elstinR OF q framework of iron with n rope net
ting extending from above the buffer to, a
has beer. found to be the most practical and e-
fective after many tests OF various tenders sub
miffAH q - tho ann M niAa o. -..- -