East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-05-03

! Washington, D. c., May 3.-Nearly
| 1000 delegates, the owners and oper-
ating officials of upward of 400, 600
miles of railway in A different coun-
tries, are gathered in Washington for
the International Railway congress,
which will be formally opened tomor-
row for a 10 days session. The con-
gress is somewhat unique in its or
ganization, purposes and manner of
conducting its affairs. 1t was organ
lied in 1885 and has held sessions
every five years since. Its first ses-
sion, held in Brussels, celebrated the
fiftleth anniversary of the opening of
the Belgian railways. Milan, Paris.
st. Petersburg and London have been
meeting places since, Paris having
had two sessions. At the session in
that city in 1900 the invitation of
President Mckinley to hold the next
meeting in Washington was accepted.
The congress will resolve itself into
five sections under the heads of way
and works, locomotive. and rolling
stock, working or operation, general,
and light railways. The technical
subjects to be discussed under these
several heads will embrace the light
ing, heating and ventilation of trains,
automatic block system, suburban
traffic, the influence of light railways
on the main lines, the use of two or
more crews on locomotives. autofna-
tic couplers. electric traction, book
keeping, duration and regulation of
work, provident institutions, improved
rail crossings, and slow freight rates.
All papers to be presented have
been under consideration for some
years, all have been printed, and the
delegates are thoroughly familiar
with their contents, so that they may
be readily and intelligently discussed.
A. Dubois. honorary director of the
Belgian state railways, is president of
the International congress, and L.
Weissenbruck, chief engineer and gem
eral manager of the Belgian state
railways, is secretary general. The
honorary presidents. representing the
railways of the United States, are A.
]. Cassatt and E. H. Hartman. while
the actual president is Stuyvesant
Fish, president of the Illinois Central
railroad.
As a preliminary to the congress
proper the delegates assembled at
noon today for the formal opening of
the Railway Appliance exhibition,
which is held in conjunction with the
congress. The exhibition, which is
housed in temporary quarters on the
Washingto Monument grounds is
confined almost exclusively to Amer
lean railway appliances, and is de-
signed to promote the extension of
American trade to foreign markets.
The exhibition includes everything
from a complete locomotive and train
de luxe to the smallest articles of rail-
way equipment. Several hundred
manufacturers, whose factories are
located in nearly every state of the
Union, are represented.
This afternoon the visiting railway
chiefs were taken on an automobile
tour of the city, the trip ending at the
Stuyvesant Fish residence in Scott
Circle, where an informal reception
was held.
One of the most interesting feat
ures of the entertainment program
arranged for the congress is scheduled
for tonight. Shortly before midnight
the delegates are to assemble at the
exhibition grounds to see the flashing
of a time signal from the Naval OBJ
servatory, the signal to make a cir
cult of the globe. The experiment is
similar to that successfully tried on
the last day Of the year. The dele
gates win he able to trace the prog
ress of the signal by means of electric
lights ON a huge map of the world.
TO Campaign for Good Roads.