Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-26
WHAT new YEAR WILL BRING
Hssards of Railroad Brakeman's Dangerou
Calling Considerably Ourtailed,
SOME NEBRASKA ROADS NOT QUITE READY
Interstate Commission May Extend
the Time, but the state LAW he
comes Effective on the First
Day of New Year.

commission has sent out notice that, as
numerous railway companies have. applied
to the commission for further extension
of the time within which to complete the
equipment of their cars and locomotives
with automatic couplers and power brakes,
as required by the act approved March
2, 1898, relating to the equipment of To-
comotives and cars with safety appliances,
a hearing will be had before the commits
sion at its office in Washington December
g. 1899. at which time and place all per-
sons interested will have an opportunity
TO be heard in person or by counsel
whether for or against such extension, and
! may forward by mail any affidavit, state
ment or argument bearing upon the ques
tion.
The original act of congress providing
! for the adoption by the railroads of safety
! appliances to guard against loss OF life
among employees fixed the date upon which
! the railways should have such equipment
completed, but gave the Interstate Com
merce commission power to extend the time
| upon sufficient and definite showing. Just
| before the law was to become effective, on
January 1, 1898, the commission did grant
an extension, bringing the limit down to
January 1, 1900. The applications now on
file contemplate further extension OF
| year, carrying the date to 1901
| Meantime, in 1895, the legislature of this
state enacted a law to the same end, de-
claring that after January 1, 1898, it should
be unlawful for any railway within the
state to put in use any freight, passenger
or way car not equipped with safety or
| automatic couplers or drawbars such as
shall not necessitate the going between the
ends of such cars to couple or uncouple
them, or any engine not supplied with a
proper and efficient power drive brake.
1t also required that trains shall be sup
piled with a sufficient number of cars car
rying automatic brakes to enable the engi-
| neer to control the train without having the
brakemen go between the ends or on top
of the cars to use the common hand brakes
penalty of from $500 to $1,000 for each
offense was provided for violations of the
| act and it was declared that any employe
of a railway company injured by engine
train or cars used in violation of the act
would not be considered as waiving his
right to recover damages by continuing in
the employ of the company. The act did
not apply to cars received for transpOrta-
tion from companies other than those of
this state which are engaged in interstate
commerce.
In 1897, following the precedent set by
the Interstate Commerce commission, the
legislature of Nebraska granted an extern
sion of time to the railways, bringing the
date OF the exactions of the law down
to January /, 1900. The last legislature
granted no further extension, so that under
the state law every railway will be expected
to be ready to comply with its provisions
promptly on the first day of the new year.
What Railway Officers Say.
Inquiry at the various railway headquar-
tarc tod In ha init,
tion that some of the Omaha roads are likely
to be among the applicants before the Inter-
state Commerce commission for the further
extension. At the Office of the general man
ager of the Elkhorn it was stated that that |
company had fully complied with the re-
quirements of the law and that all Of it's !
rars and locomotives were some time ago |
provided with the required safety appliances. |
In the absence of General Manager Hol-
drege of the Burlington no one in his office
would say whether or not the company has |
completed Its equipment according to the re-
quirements Of the law or what progress had
been made in that direction. When asked
whether or not the Burlington would he
among the applicants to the Interstate Com
merce commission for an extension of the
time, General Solicitor Henderson replied
that he did not know, as such an applica-
tlOu WOulQ tlududte lIOm Iue SSHcIdl OuCeS
of the Burlington system. He knew that "a
year ago the company had, as he recalled the
figures, about s5 per cent of it's rollingstock
equipped as required. He also knew that, ac-
cording to the periodical reports filed by the
during the year, showing its prog
ress in that direction, it's percentage OF
progress had been away ahead of that of
other companies. 1t had been among the
leaders II 1t does not have its equipment
completed by January it will be nearly so.
He thought it likely however, owing to the
delays incident to supplying cars with these
appliances, that there may be small per
cent Of the rolling stock not equipped on
January /. He was quite positive that over
20 per cent of 1t will be prepared. Some
lines car belonging to the company is sent
,ut over another road and does not get back
nome for nearly a year, and many other
equally insurmountable difficulties arise to
lelay and impede the completion of such
work
At Union Pacific headquarters inquiry was
made of Chief Clerk Sykes in the Office CT
General Manager Dickinson, who said that
lie could not give any figures showing the /,
progress that had been made by that COM /,
,any, and would not be able to do so until /,
he reports come in the first OF December
General Solicitor Kelly was asked II the road
lad applied to the Interstate Commerce COM
mission for an extension OF time, but he
vas not prepared to answer He believed
hat the equipment will be practically COM I
eted at the appointed time, but could not C
ay so definitely for publication, as he might
e found to be in error when the time ar =
ives.
Attorney General Smyth was asked .yhat o
teps, II any, he contemplated taking to en- :
orce the provisions of the state law on this 4,
ubject. He said that as far as he knew he o
as yet nothing whatever to do with it, and a
annot take steps until he has some notice >
hat some one intends to violate the law. f
BELIEVE OFFICES MAY COME .