The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-11
RUNNING DOUBLE HEADERS, y
piR KRrrrscH,Irr DISCUSSES raE
SYSTEM.
SAYS the Southern rnciac Has Rup
Double Headers" Very Success
fully and Danger Not Increased.
To the Editor Of The Pos,

VtlNy appeared in the Texas press snnls
Legislative Suggestions, in one Of which
the writer states that for several manths
past he has been investigating the mat
ter Of running double header trains on the
railroads az Texas and that a. 4 result
.cf such investigation he believed il %
constitute q substantial abuse and dan
serous dnd unjust innovation in railrold-
ing
IN inc article in question the practice
On the Southern Pacific" Is specifically
mentioned twas, as y,u perhaps kaow.
for several years, while residlus in Hous-
ton. general manager of the Texas and
New Orleans ana the Galveston, Harris
burg and San Antonio railways. consu-
tuting what is known as The southern
Pacific route" In Texas, and am now eeu-
erll manager OF the Southern pacihc lines
ON the Pacific slope. and being therefore
ismiliar with operating conditions and the
strength al the structures on the TeSas
lines mentioned. MS well as those wes Il
seemed pertinent 20 make some reply,
placing before THE public information as
would afford any fair minded person an
opportunity to reach conclusion tor him.
self
1t is said that the difficulty and danger
Of controlling a long and heavy train
and OF performing the perllous duties of
Drakmg. firing aud engineering are much
increased through running double headers.
The trains hauled double header on the
lines of the Southern Pacific are not as
long or as heavy as those hauled With
sirgie engines on other parts OF the line,
~, claim mae
brnklug firing and engineering were there
by made mere dangerous The double
header train in Texas never exceed twenty
to twenty five freight cars. On divisions
cast OF Houston trains OF tortytve and
City cars hauled by one locomotive are
BY 20 means uncommon, and on billy III
visions west of El psso on the same sys-
tenn forty and forty-fve cars with loco
motives run doubleheader are hauled
and ~ the California valley lines trains
of Nifty five and sixty cars are by no
means unusual. All OF these trains are
run salc,y without any unusual eifort
ON the part OF the men and without In
creased risk either 10 them or TO the
public.
Ii may perhaps not be known to most OF
your readers that for many years. prac-
tically al OF the freight cars ON the Sun
set rou,e have been equipped with the
westinghouse automatic air brake. that
line having anticipated the requirements
of the Federal law making the use Of
this safety appliance imperative. On
trains Of cars so equipped the perllous
duty of brakeman consists In either
riding in the cupola OF his caboose. In tina
engine cab or on the roof Of freight
car. The entire train Is hraked and cou-
irolled by the engineer. Each car carries
It's brake and supply OF air to apply It,
aud, whether there be one car or 100 in
the train, a slight movement OF the wrist
and turn of valve on the locomotive
sets the brakes on all. Gu double
header there are double the number Of
hremen and engineers to do the same work
as on the same train hauled with one en-
gine; counting the entire crew there would
he Ave men on train hauled by single
engine and seven on the same train hauled
by two; 50 that on such train the men
actually performing the work OF handling
ma hiasfy end fuel IL doubled and not
cut down by one-half or ons-thlr1 40
Mr Nooten thinks
The ordinsry ten wheeler freight en-
giars thar are run double header or the
sunset route have tractive power al
about 5000 pounds. One of the new Mogul
freight engines coming into general use
on that line. has tFactiye power Of near
ly 2S,00o pounds, and. singly, pulls over
mauv paris OF the Sunset route, without
comment or claim of increased risk, the
same trains whose length and weight arc
said 70 constitute elements of enhanced
danger when pulled by a double header.
There Is sn incidental and considerable
increase in safety In running double head
ers, as it reduces by one-halt the number
of rowing trains. and by much more than
one-half the risk Of coming together
Tint the practice Is not an innovation
IN railroadinL Is proven by the fact that
on the Southern Pacific lines west OF
FL Paso trains have been run double
H+ader To- the past twelve or fourteen
years safely and successfully. The writer
has recently personally counted trains OF
from sixt7 10 seventy cars hauled h 1ne
locomotive Oil the lines OF the E-s- and
has counted trains Of the same number OF
cars hauled hy doubled headers on the lines
Of the Baltimore and ohio through Ohio
Indiana and Illinois: on the Lake Shore
ana Michigan Southern, through the sl@ie
States; on the lines OF the New York
Central In New York. and on the lines Of
the Union Pacific In Nebraska, Wyoming
and Utah The statement that the rail
roads do this for the purpose OF cheap
ening the service IS true The practice Is
widespread and must be resorted TO IN or
der TO i've Oh Tue feuuCeD rainS now
received by the carriers for all classes OF
flight service. The only way IN which
railroads have been able to continue the
high wages they are paying their train
men, hremen and engineers In face OF
fallins rates has been by CORE
s1ondingly reducing the cost OF transports
ing freight through the adoption OF more
efficient methods Students of railroad
statistics are aware that the reductions o.
rates during The pas; FIVE or SIX years
would have hankrupted every Rad IN the
country had hey not met them by deVising
more economical methods whereby car
loads and tranloads were increased &c TIA.
earnings per train mile increased some
what faster than expenses.
The railroad employe or legislator who
mics practiced by The carriers, should re-
member that the interstate commerce
commission reports show. with respect
group TX. covering the states OF Texas
and Louisiana. the trainmen's wages 10
past years have not only not decreased.
but have increased, whilst rates have
steadily decreased. Comparing the ear
lest and latest years for which the inter-
state commerce commission kept this in
formation, we find. for Texas and LOUISE
ana railroads;
Railroad freight rates. per ton per mile,
1898, i.042 cents; 1892. 1898 cents; de-
crease OF 81 per cent.
Railroad ttainmen's wages per day: En-
gineers, 1898. s4.OS; 1892, 1886. an in
crease OF per cont Firemen. 1895. 2.34;
1892. 81 20; an increase OF per cent Con-