Evening star., 1901-10-08
RAILWAY MEN IN COUNCIL
RoADMAsTERs AND OTHER OFF,
Gals ASSEMBLE IN THIS CITY.


of Business.
|. About forty roadmasters and other off,
cials of the American Railroad Associa-
tion assembled at the National Hotel. IN
the nineteenth annual convention OF the
Roadmasters and Maintenance of Way As
ISOLATION.
Today's sessions are being devoted to the
annual reports of the president and secre-
tary-Messrs. ]. NJ. Meade and J. B. Dick
son, respectively, the election of officers
and the consideration OF papers on subjects
relating to the trackage of railways and Its
maintenance.
The delegates includes: James Sweeney,
c. and c. D. R. r.; C. E. Jones. c., B. and
@. R. R.; D. Buhrer, L., s. and NJ. s. R.R.;
e. A. Theed, s.. and M. 8. r. R.: Robert
Black, Dressed railway lamp works: N. M.
A. West. a, T. and s. E.: T. ]. Morlarty.
A, T. and S. F.; w. p. Kemble, Erie r. r.;
r. p Collvin, N. Y, n. II. and H. R. r.;
A. L. Mead, c. and N. w. R. R.; Charles
Rice, r. F. and P. R. R.: w. B. Summer
sett, s. A. L. R. R.; J. s. Fawsett. Erie
R. r.; J. NJ. Meade. A. and s. F. R. X; f;
P. Maloney. N and w. r. R.: William F.
Ellis. editor Railway Review: ]. B. Dick
son, C. and N. w. R. R.; John o. O'Brien,
Manhattan r. R.; ]. L. Single. L. l. X. r.;
w J. McClaren, N. and w: r. R.
The present roster of officers is as fol-
lows: J. N. Meade, A., T. and S. F. r. r.,
Topeka, Kan. president; Charles McEniry,
Burlington. Cedar Rapids and Northern
president; G. E. Hayward. Chicago, St.
Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha railroad,
Mankato. Mimi. second vice president; ].
B. Dickson, Chicago and N3rthWestern
| N. and W.; C. E. Jones, c., B. and O.; John
Doyle, Chicago and West Michigan; p. NJ.
Sullivan, Michigan Central, members Of ex-
ecutive committee.
The Program.
The attention of the delegates is limited
during the convention to the rails and road
bed, as indicated by the following program
of papers to be read during the sessions:
'Tie Plates" ]. c. Hechler, Pueblo, Col;
Does Chemical Treatment of Ties Increase
the Hardness of the Wood and the Holding
Power of the Spike?" J. c. Rockhold,
Stockton, Cal; "surfacing Track" M. Sui
Ivan, Niles, Mich; ''Tamping of Ties
G0lns Ksadye sbas Mass s1nea
Iowa; Are the Best Results Obtained
From the Use of Broken or Square Joints.
on Both Double and Single Track?" l..
Aurora. ILL.,: Results Obtained From ne
Use of Forty-five and Sixty-Feet Rails"
F. r. Coates. St. Paul, Mimi; Ballast
ing" W. p. Emery, West Chicago, ~;
L.
Md; ITO Arrange for the Nineteenth An
nual Convention S. B. Rice, Ashland, Va
Review of AssOcfatfon's History.
President Meades report was review Of
the eighteen years history of the associa-
tion, from its beginning in Cincinnati Of
half dozen members to Its present
strength of more than 600. The chief fea-
ture of Secretary Dickson's report was
| the announcement of twenty-five new MEM
bers and present balance in the treas
ury of $52665. At the beginning of the
year the secretary received a balance of
$699. Il, to which was added ST. 15 as
receipts. The expenses during the year
were 81, ,571.S1.
Before proceeding to the consideration Of
the papers announced the convention voted
to postpone the election of officers until
tomorrow.
A paper on "Tie Plates" by J. c. Hech-
le. general roadmaster of the Denver and
Rio Grande railroad, provoked continued
discussion. A tie plate Is a fiat band of
steel applied to the tie just under the ran,
and is designed to protect the wood from
moisture and decay, to preserve the gauge
Of curves and to hold the rail upright.
Mr.. Hechler and the majority Of the dele
gates held that the tie plate fulfilled its
mission but a strong minority sentiment
prevailed that water gathered under the
plate and that the spikes were orten Sc
riously endangered by the plate. From
the tenor of the discussion this feature of
track equipment holds the attention of
roadmasters to an extraordinary degree.
The convention dwelt upon it for more
than an hour.
Chemical Treatment of Ties.
Mr.. McNeil's paper on the chemical treat
ment of ties referred only to the zinc-tan-
min or Wellhouse process Of timber preser-
walton. and the committee to whom the SUBJ
ject had been assigned had made several
tests with the treated ties available.
The consensus Of opinion, supported by
the tests made by the committee, was that
treatment did not increase the hardness Of
| the wood. but did increase its density and
| transverse crushing strength in proportion
to the amount of treating material absorb
ed. But. while the timber was not harden
ed by the treatment, 1t was made more
flexible and tough, and, by reason of the
increased density of the wood and action
of the chemicals used, the rail was pre-
vented from cutting into the ties in pro-
portion to the amount of preservative abb
sorbed.
For the remainder Of the session the pro-
gram provides sessions this afternoon, to-
morrow morning and tomorrow evening;
an afternon of sightseeing; on Thursday
ride down the Potomac to Mount Vernon
and a carriage drive to Arlington; on Fri
day tour to Fredericksburg and Rich
mond. The delegates will disperse in the
city last named.