The times., 1901-05-20
The Lighting of Railway Cars.

A writer in The Forum discusses
the passing OF the oil lamp as a means
of lighting railway cars, and gives sew
eral perfectly obvious reasons why it
should pass 1t is stated in this article
that it cost the Pullman Company
about two hundred thousand dollars
year to replace carpets and other fur
nishings injured by oil lamps, besides
the damage to the property of passen-
gers which may have taken place there
by. This is a good argument against
the oil lamp. from any point of view.
Corporations have pockets if not souls,
and two hundred thousand dollars Of
expense a year Is an argument which
appeals to the pocket.
Aside from this objection to the oil
lamps which have done duty for the
last fifty or sixty years in the heating
Of railway cars. there are enough
others to make one wonder why this in
convenient and unpleasant system has
been so loLg continued. The danger Of
these lamps in case Of accident is plain
enough for anyone TO see, and nearly
every particularly bad railway wreck
has been attended with added horror
from the fact that the lamps broke and
set the ruins on fire. When the wreck
is not so bad as to prevent the passen-
gers from getting out in time. the
burning oil merely causes the desTuc-
ton of property, but frequently one or
more persons are caught in the burning
wreckage and doomed 10 a horrible
death.
Again, the oil lamps create heat,
which is anything but desirable on
railway journey in summer; and they
use up the oxygen Of the air faster
than the passengers do. When the
lamps do not burn properly they may
give of carbon moncxide. which IS a
poisonous gas; and the discomfort Of
the traveller is thereby aggravated.
When the lamp smokes. as it sometimes
does, the atmosphere Of the car is bet
ter imagined than described. A mere
hint Of description is enough. Most Of
US have experienced the discomfort OF
a journey under such conditions.
Electric lights would make material
difference in the comfort Of travellers,
should their use become universal. as
1t is sooner or later bound 10 do. The
comfort Of these brilliant, smokeless,
and non -odoriferous lights is apparent
on steamships and electric cars, and
they viii doubtless be used on all rail-
way lines before very long. In case Of
danger, the electric light can be turned
of in an instant; it spoils no furniture,
s..
and is at least no worse for the eyes
than the oil lamp. Americans are said
TO have secured far more comfort in
travel than the people of any European
country enjoy, but there are some
things still left TO do.
II there is one time at which comfort
is imperative. it is when taking jour
ney in spite Of all the alleviations
which can be devised, a journey Of two
or three days is not a thoroughly com
Portable experience to anyone past the
age when change is a delight. The alb
sence of some home comforts cannot be
avoided. The pleasure Of the passen-
gers is dependent in great measure on
the ingenuity and good management Of
the company. Nobody, not even the
most astute and experienced traveller.
can take enough paraphernalia to make
himself quite contented. The mere bur
den Of appliances. such as air-cuskions,
luncheon baskets, TASKS, and like con-
trivances. Is considerable, in proportion
10 the satisfaction which such things
afford. It is better to have comfortable
seats in the car than TO have to carry
a cushion to make them comfortable
better to be able to eat a good meal at
the station or on the train than TO be
Obliged to provision ones self, and bet
ter to have porter on the train who
understands the art of supplying the
wants of the passengers. than 10 take