Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-08-23

firing every railway car employed in
interstate traffic to be equipped with
automatic couplers From the myr-
lads of freight yards will come no more
reports Of brakemen being bruised and
crushed in their efforts to do coupling
by stepping in between the ends of two
cars and dropping in the coupling pins
with their hands. 1t now means fine
of 800 for any railroad to use cars in
interstate commerce which require
hand-coupling-$10 for each and ev-
cry offense.
AS the law is national in its scope
IL applies to all rolling stock operated
between the different states. 1t would
be possible for a road to operate the
old-fashioned cars within the borders
of a state having no automatic car
coupler law. 1t Is said that IL Is now
a question of but short time when
every state in the union will have such
a law, and then the original crude way
of coupling cars will disappear forever.
However, 1t is said that despite the
fact that 1t would be possible to oper-
ate cars not equipped with the new de
vice in some states the railroads will
nevertheless improve all of their cars
with appliances at once. as 1t would be
more trouble than 1t would be worth
to endeavor to keep cars within the
limits of single state. The roads en-
tering Chicago own in the neighbor
hood of 100000 freight cars and 1t is
asserted by railroad authorities that
over 80 per cent of these cars are al
ready equipped with the new coupling
contrivanceS as required by law.
These roads own almost 5000 passen-
ger cars. but of course nearly all of
the passenger coaches in the country
have for years been fitted with appl-
ances for coupling which do not endan-
ger 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 these roads have not a car
which Is not supplid with the auto
matte coupling attachments. Others
have from few hundred up to a cou-
pie of thousand cars not yet fitted
with the safety device. In recently
published statistics the Baltimore &
Ohio road was said to have 2,G62 which
had not yet been supplied. This was
a greater number of ears VI ,hout the
modern appliances than was charged
to any other road entering Chicago.
The Baltimore a Ohio officials indig-
nantly deny the allegation and assert
that all their freight cars now have the
authorities make the modest estimate
of 80 per cent of cars as the number
legally 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.
The law was enacted by congress In
March. 1898 and was TO have gone into
effect on Jan. |. 1898 Reasons given
by the railroads that equipment Of all
the cars in the United States within
the time allotted was impossible re-
suited in an extension Of time to Jan
j, 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. 1898, four months after
the enactment of the law. ..ere were
1,047577 freight ears reported as
owned. of which 229.2S9. or ~ per cent
were equipped. IN December. 1897. th"
percentage of cars equipped was 80. On
Dee. l. 1898, the percentage had in
creased to n. The statistics for last
July are that there are $50 sos freight
ears owned in the United States: that
1887 ,299, or 81 per cent. are equipped
with automatic couplers.
IL is estimated that the railroads have
expended in the neighborhood Of $50
100000 In equlpping their cars with
the automatic ear couplers and with
air brakes, which are all required by
the same law The equippage Of each
car cost on an average Sll0, $40 for the
air brake and $50 for the coupler All
of the roads are of the opinion that
this great expense will be more than
compensated for by the great decrease
in the number of deaths and injuries
which formerly resulted from the ac-
cidents caused by the lack o. these
modern inventions. In 1898 the mum
Der OF accidents resulting from coup
ling ears by the old-fashioned coupling
pin system was one injured IN every
fifty-seven trainmen employed and one
killed in every 4Su. The purpose of the
law was. of course. to prevent these
accidents and to lessen the number OF
collisions by affording, through the
air brakes. better control OF the train.
The law explicitly provides and re-
quires that all cars used in interstate
traffic shall be fitted with couplers
which shall both couple and uncouple
the cars automatically and without II
being necessary for the brakemen TO
go between the cars. The principal
requirement OF the air brake provision
OF the law is that the air brake shall
be controlled in the engine. While the
air brake is OF great Importance, the
automatic coupler Ia the feature OF