Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-06
DEVOTED To BUSINESS
international Railway Con-
gress at Work.
SECTION PROGRAMS
CHANGES MADE IN THE PLACES
OF MEETING.
Reception Of Delegates Yesterday by
Vice President Fairbanks-Reports
Read and Discussed.


The delegates to the international railway
congress are devoting themselves strictly to
business today. No social events are on
the program and this evening they are to
be left to themselves. Tomorrow also will
be a holiday. Meetings will be resumed
Monday morning. An invitation has been
extended the delegates to visit the Con-
gressional Library this afternoon and it
is probable this will be accepted.
Important changes have been announced
for the section meetings, beginning today.
The third section, which met yesterday in
the southern end of the general meeting
room at the New Willard, made change
in its meeting place today and assembled
in the ladies' parlor on the first floor of
the hotel, F street side. Section one, which
has been meeting in the red parlor of the
Ebbtt, met today and will meet from
now on in the ladies' parlor at the Ebbitt.
Sections 4 and will meet jointly at the
New Willard on Tuesday to discuss traffic
conveyed in automobiles and sections and
will meet jointly Wednesday at the inter-
state commerce commission for joint dis
cussion of one of the features of the pro-
gram of interest to both.
Yesterday was also business day, but
the congress suspended routine matters at
2 o'clock in the afternoon, in order that the
members might attend the official reception
at the White House. Vice President Fair
banks received the delegates on behalf or
President Roosevelt in the east room. In
the evening teas were given at the resi-.
dences of Mr.. Samuel Spencer of the South
ern railway and Major ]. w. GrinneIl of the
IllOnOiS Central railway.
Announcement has been made that on
Monday a dinner, followed by a reception,
will be given the French delegates at the
French embassy. The American members
who are officers of the congress and the
officers of the sections will be present at
the reception.
Reports Read Yesterday.
The two most important events yesterday
in the discussions. were the reading of re-
ports by Mr.. ]. E. Muhlfeld of the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad in section two and
by Mr.. Lembourg in section five for Mr..
De Burlet, general manager of the national
light railways of Belgium. Mr.. Muhlfeld's
paper dealt with locomotives of high power
and increase in power by the adoption of
the common principle. The reporter said,
among other things. that locomotives of
great power, within the present gauge,
clearance and weight limits, may be de-
Tor several years and produce higher ay-
erage speed and tractive power with less
cost for locomotive expenses per unit of
power developed than that given by loco
motives or large capacity in use TODAY or
from the previous lighter equipment.
The efficiency and economy predicted and
anticipated from the use of locomotives of
great power have not been attained. Their
development has been too rapid on the ba-
sis of the theoretical calculations which did
not include the necessary factors for practf-
cal results, and also owing to the disre-
gard OF simplicity in design, substantial
economy.
OF Recent Construction.
Locomotives of comparatively recent con-
struction have been built without proper
considerat ton for the use Of railroad stand
ard designs, specifications, practices and
processes which continued and practical ex-
perience may have determined to be more
suitable and interchangeable than the
standards of locomotive builders.
Ihe president invited discussion of the
various conclusions in the report and Mr.
j. F. Deems New York Central and Hud
son River railroad stated that he fuliv
agreed with Mr.. Muhlfeld that it is not de-
slrable to consider solely the economjcal
operation OF locomotives, but the entire
railway as whole, constituting a means of
transportation affording the most adyantag
eous service.
He then examined different points. esne-
claIy the use of devices for increasing
friction at starting, which in his opinion
have not as yet given all the results that
might be expected. He then spoke of me-
chanical stokers, which 1t would be also in
teresting to see tested further A discussion
ensued on the use of these devices, in which
a prominent part was taken by Messrs
Muhlfeld, D. F. Crawford (Pennsylyanis
lines west of Pittsburg), F. G. Wright
lGreat Western railway, England, A. w
Gibbs pennsylvania railroad), TIL Laurent
(Paris to Orleans railroad, France) The
conclusion arrived at was that I'D TO the
PRESENT time these mechanical stokers do
not appear to have secured any consider
able saving of fuel and are still in the ex
perimentaI stage; furthermore they seem
to have given only mediocre results in Eng
land on the Great Western railway, and Mr..
Muhlfeld expressed his belief that the hard
est service required of locomotives of the
existing types can be secured without the
use of these devices. 1t would be very In
teresting, however, to continue experiments
along this line.
Light Railways Discussed.
In section five there was discussion of the
paper on light railways prepared by Mr.. de
Burlet and read by Mr.. Lembourg. 1t was
agreed that the conclusions to be submitted
to the general session of the congress should
be as follows:
1T may be said In general that light rail-
ways, when they are really tributary to
main lines, are unquestionably useful aux
iliaries to the latter. consequently the
friendly cooperation of the main lines and
concessions by the latter of desirable ia
cilfties are fully justified; and 1t is to be de-
sired that all railway management should
be inspired by the same liberal ideas held on
this subject In Austro-H Hungary and adopt
as broad and simple conditions as possible
to facilitate functions and the operation of