Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-26
IOWA AND THE SAFETY BRAKE.

q failure in this country.
IOWA AND THE SAFETY BRAKE.
In ANNALS of Iowa. for January.
1903, just issued in quarterly form, Hon.
L. S. Coffin, of Fort Dodge, writes en-
tertainingly of his effort to secure safe
ty appliances on railroads for operation
of brakes. Few of our own people are
aware of the active part he took in
bringing into use these safety devices.
one of the railroad commissioners of
Iowa, and his duties led to a great deal
of travelling in the state over the rail-
roads, where he was always on friendly
terms with the crews, learning much of
their life and exposure. Much of the
travelling was on freight trains, from
choice, in order to learn what these
men had to meet with, and he was
therefore painfully impressed with the
constant manning and killing of rain
men.
So painfully impressed was he with
the need of better appliances and allie
Walton of suffering that Mr.. Coffin set
himself deliberately at work to bring
| about reform. To this end he attended
| railroad conventions and used the pub
lie press. and platform from one end of
the country to the other, and in time
had the satisfaction of seeing methods
tried for meeting the difficulty. Mr..
| George Westinghouse. the distinguished
inventor of the airbrake in use on most
of the railroads in both this and in for
eign lands, came in his own private
| car to the second test in 1887. His gem
era1 manager and leading men were
there both years, with his brake on a
fifty-car train, and while it was far
ahead of all others, 1t was not up to the
standard required by the committee.
But Mr.. Westinghouse intimated to the
committee that the thing would yet be
accomplished. He returned to Plttsburg
and, wealthy man as he was, took off his
coat and went to work in one of his
great shops. He arranged fifty brakes
in the shop, and experimental and
worked on them for some three months.
Mr.. Coffin says: In September of that
year I received an invitation to go to
Burlington to witness the work of the
'~quick-acting brake on a fifty-car
train. l needed no second Invitation,
but proceeded Immediately to Burling-
ton. The long hoped for thing was ac-
complished. That immense train could
be hurled down the steep grade into
Burlington at the ate OF forty miles an
hour, and at a given signal. the brakes
%standstill inside of 500 feet with scarce
ly a jar, and not a man on top of the
cars. Eureka! Eureka!' / exclaimed,
and actually wept for JOY. The thing
can now be done!!' I had gone thru al
most he same experience in the tests
of couplers, for in witnessing them I
felt just as sure that there was an au-
tomato coupler that could take the
place Of the old man-killer link-and-
had a power-brake."
Mr.. Coffin then speaks of his efforts
to get a bill thru the Iowa legislature
providing for automatic brakes. In time
his bill became a law and he now has
the pen with which Governor Boies
signed the bill.
Later his efforts to get a similar
measure thru congress were rewarded
in time, tho there was a prospect of de-
feat at one time. When the bill passed
the lower house every one Of the Iowa
delegation voted for it except Walter 1.
Hayes, and he suffered defeat after
wards for opposing 1t.
mo matter who may claim to be the
originator of such a law" says Mr.. Cof-
fin, "one thing is certain, tina the bill
drafted by me and which became our
Iowa law was the first Of Its kind on
our statute book, and 1 believe that all
intelligent, honest men will be willing
also to admit that no one had preceded
me in the general agitation Of this
matter. Then 1t is, ] think, generally
known and admitted that the first bin
ever presented in either body of con-
gress was drafted by myself. This fact
will be attested both by Senator Allison
and Speaker Henderson. So, when /
claim that / was the chief actor in, this
movement, I do not step SO far aside
from becoming modesty as to come into
the realm of offensive egotism."
BUSINESS FEATURES.
The business situation continues 70
be encouraging. The chief Complaint
is over the slow movement Of freight
Railroad earnings surpass those of last
year, labor disputes are few, wages
have been increased IL. some industries
end generally the outlook is favorable
Altho fortunate sections are receiving
20.