Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-12-09

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
! NEWS OF THE RAILROADS.


the large compound engines put on the
trains to carry more cars. thus saving
the running of extra freights.
Ralph II. Tibbetts of Rockport who
has been employed as conductor on the
r. T. & c. Street Railway for the past
five years, has resigned his position
and entered the employ of S. f. & II.
l.. Shepherd Co.. as clerk
The Boston & Maine is building a H.
000-pound -propelling fire engine.
The same road has ordered six six
wheeled switching engines and eight
eisht-wheeled passenger engines from
the Manchester Locomotive Works.
The former will weigh 100000 pounds
in working order, and will have cylin
ders Is by "A inches. The boilers will
be of the radial stay type. with diam
eter at smallest ring "A inches. Work
ing pressure is $50 pounds. Water ca
pacity Of tanks. POO gallons; coal ca
pacity, 80 tons. The eight passenger
engines are Of new design. They will
have cylinders. Is by "a inches. radial
stay boilers carrying $50 pounds pres
sure. and weigh in the neighborhood of
1l5.0oo pounds. and have latest special
equipment.
The coming year will probably be
record breaker in the baggage insur-
ance business. The Paris exposition
will draw many thousands of visitors
from this side Of the Atlantic, and il
is expected that their baggage will be
insured. As this is an age Of insur-
anCe. the traveller may insure his per
Sonal effects as well as himself. Trans
portation and hotel companies are, of
course, responsible, in law. FOR prop
"rtv damages due To their own negli-
Gentc but a long delay ensues, as a
rule. before the settlement Of claim
and then there are losses for which no
person or corporation can be legally
responsible" Where the property de
strOYed or damaged was insured the
insuring company pays the loss and
relieves the owner OF the trouble and
expense Of securing payment from
those liable for the amount. if such liza
bility exists. Such policies differ
somewhat in the wording. but in the
main are alike.
Western railroad officials have begun
movement for the adoption Of a
standard box car by all American
standard-gauge railway companies. At
present Il committee of the American
Railway Association is taking pre-
limin2ry steps toward determining the
dimensions Of a car that would be the
most economical and Serviceable as a
carrier of freight. Freight men say
that the committee has a most difficult
task in settling upon a car that would
be available on all lines. Some say
that the many conditions which must
he considered in fixing a standard will
make it practically impossible to select
car that would be satisfactory to all
lines. In fixing upon the TWO most i'm
portant dimensons-the height and
width-the committee will ignore
theory and act solely upon the physical
| limitations Of the important railroad
clearances. The length Of the car will
| be determined by the requirements of
| ordinary stowage. and by the manner
of construction. maintenance and oper-
| alton. Practical railroad men say that
| it costs too much to maintain and
| operate the ordinary box car now in
use.
| one Of the biggest industries in the
| northern part Of Minnesota and the
/ "
! Of railroad ties. Preparatory to i'm
proving their tracks in the spring and
| summer Of 1900 several of the big
| lines of the West and Central West,
within the last few weeks have given
orders for more than 100000 ties.
1000, 600 Of which will be cut in the
timberland of Minnesota. At present
the cutters are contracting for labor in
| 4 n IDrr Not ,.,f vi tI..Y
| large cities Twice as many ties will
| be cut. this winter, as there We're. last
winter. ana at least 1000 tie cutters
| will have to be employed steadily for
several months in the forests Of north
ern Minnesota in order to turn out the
| 1000 coo ties called for Aside from
this number Of men. hundreds IF team
sters and other employees will be re-
CURED. Within the last few months
! the price Of ties has advanced Il and 20
per cent. An experienced tiemaker can
turn out - ties 4 day, ana this winter
| the most capable will receive 10 cents
! for every tie turned out. In their
| great desire to get the ties this year
| the railroads are much less particular
as to the quality Of the timber than
| they have ever been before. Most Of
| the big roads now are equipped with
| means for treating their ties to a pre-
servative before putting them under
| the rails.
| on Monday evening President Beal
Of the Pcnobscot Central Railroad
! Company announced that next spring
! the present motive power would be re-
placed BY the trolley system and that
| branch would. in all proba bility. be