Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1900-09-14

means fine of 500 for any railroad to
use cars in interstate commerce which
require hand-coupling-$1O for each
and every offense
AS the law is national in its scope it
applies to all rolling stock operated be-
tween the different States. 1t would
he possible for road to operate the
oldfaShioned ears within the borders
of State having no automatic car
coupler law. 1t is said that it is now
a question of but short time when
every State in the Union will have such
n law, and then the original crude way
Of coupling cars will disappear forever
However, it is said that despite the
fact that it would be possible to oper-
ate cars not equippd with the new de-
vice in some States the railroads will
nevertheless improve all of their cars
with appliances at once, as it would be
more trouble than it would ne worth
to cndeavor to keep cars within the
limits of single State. The roads
entering Chicago own in the neighbor.
hood of 100000 freight cars and it is
asserted by railroad authorities that
over 30 per cent OF these cars are al
ready equipped with the new coupling
contrivances as required by law. These
roads own almost 5000 passenger cars,
but of course all or nearly all of the
passenger coaches in the country have
for years been fitted with appliances
for coupling which do not endanger life
or limb. From the platforms of the
cars the man coupling them is enabled
TO accomplish the operation by levers
without exposing himself to accident.
Many of the roads have not ear
which is not supplied with automatic
coupling attachments. Others have
from few hundred up to couple of
thousand ears not yei fitted with the
safety devices. In recently published
statistics the Baltimore and Ohio road
was said to have 2.662 which had not
yet been supplied This was a greater
number of cars without the modern
appliance than was charged to any 9th
er road entering Chicago. The Balt-
more and Ohio officials Indignantly
deny the allegation and assert that all
their freight ears now have the auto
matte couplers. Although some au-
thorlties make the modest estimate of
30 per cent of ears as the number legal
ly equipped, there are others who say
that scarcely more than one car in 100
can be found which Is not supplied
with the up-to-date brake.
hn In n.
March, lS93, and was to have gone into
effect on Jan. |. 1898. Reasons given
by the railroads that equipment of all
the ears In the United States within
the time allotted was impossible result
ed In an extension of time 10 Jan. |.
1900 subsequently the time was ex-
tended To Aug. |. The extension of
time was granted ON condition that the
| roads Immediately begin to equip their
ears. In June, lS93. four months after
the enactment of the law. there were
l,OIioII freight ears reported as
owned. of which 229 2Sa. or - per cent.
were equipped. In December. 1897.
the percentage of ears equipped was
10. TN Dee. I, 1SoS. the percentage
had increased To -. The statistics for
last July are that there are 1850. sos
freight ears owned In the United
States; that l,l3T,20o. or 81 per cent.
are equipped with automatic couplers.
Expense Is Enormous.
IL Is estimated that the railroads
have expended in the neighborhood of
$50, 100000 in equippiug their cars with
the automatic ear couplers and with
air brakes. which are also required by
the same law. The eQuipping Of es ch