The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-09-03
SEALS FOR FREIGHT CARS.
MILLIONS USED BY RAILROADS
EVERY YEAR.
History Of Their Adoptisn--EIrass Locks
and. Keyv Formerly Carried by Con
ductors-Raised Number on Each Seal
% Means Of Identifying Stations,

and Kep Formerly Carried by Con.
duCtors-Raised Number on Each Seal
- Means Of Identifying stations.
A long freight train rumbled into the
exchange yard at Rotterdam Junction
q few minutes after 0 o'clock the other
evening and after groaning and grinding
and swaying It's passage over tho multi
plicity Of frogs came TO standstill, says
the Boston Herald. Boston was the destina-
ton OF many Of the cars, and after the in
coming locomotive had been sent away to
the roundhouse switcher backed up
and began the work Of selecting all cars
that were to be forwarded to eastern points
on tho system. These were attached to
others standing In the yard, and after the
lapse Of an hour q completed train was made
up.
going down on one side and coming back
on the other. He stopped before the doors
of each car and, lifting his lantern to small
loop OF tin, and In some cases OF wire, care
fully scrutinized small disk Of lead, which
in book. He then made an entry. OF the
number Of each car and added Its destina-
ton, the road to which It belonged and other
data that could be used for the purpose
Of Identification.
But Of all the in ,fs patio, contained
first recorded was perhaps the most i'm
portant as 1t related to the condition OF
the seals attached to the doors. II they were
intact it was quite evident that during the
run from Buffalo there had been no tamper-
ing with the merchandise with which the
cars were loaded.
There was ono car In the lot whose con-
tents had originated at a small station
way out on another system. When the
freight was delivered to the railroad the
receiving clerk OF. agent, gave to the driver
receipt for the articles received. This was
given to the shipper and placed on file.
After the car into which the freight was
loaded had received it's maximum amount
the agent placed inside the clasp on the
door a thin, tapelike piece Of tin with o
small dab OF lead at one end. Underneath
was q tongue of the same metal which
fitted into an eyelet at the other end OF
the strip Of tin. After tho ends had been
brou ght together. they were placed IN the
the eI lead into little disks On each side.
An examination would have shown that
q raised number had been added to the
center OF each Of the metal patches. II
this proceeding had taken place at the
the one under consideration would have
appeared and 80 the changes would have
Continued until the end OF the line was
reached. It may not be generally known
that every freight receiving station In the
United States has numerical designation,
but such is the fact.
At the time the agent finished his work
upon the seal the car was standing upon
a side track. When freight train pulled
up the conductor examined the seals upon
the lone car and satisfied himself that
they had been properly adjusted after
wb iDb II awitchad into the train and
began its journey eastward.
ABOUT 2OU miles from the starting point the
conductor reached the end Of his run and
the train was taken in charge by another.
His first duty was to make record OF the
condition Of all the seals and their numbers.
When he reached the car that had been
loaded for Boston he found that the seal
had been broken. A special entry was
made Of this fact. and 1t was also called to
the attention Of the yard clerk II the place
the employment Of such an official; II not.
then the agent was found and new seal
substituted for the old one, the number
showing where 1t had been put on. =,
The conductor who had been relieved
OF duty sent his record to the officer in
charge OF transportation, or 1t may have
gone to the superintendent OF car service,
there being no universal custom, and it
was put away to be referred to In case
the evidence it contained was ever required
in defending the company in claim for
damages.
The plan described was carried out at
every point where there was an exchange
OF cars or where a new conductor took
charge OF the train. Finally, the Boston
car reached it's destination. the consignee
was notified, and he sent his wagons to
bring it's contents to his place Of business.
The freight appeared to be cantaloupes,
and in checking off it was found that there
WAS one case less than the bill Of ladin9
called for The matter was brought to the
attention of the shipper, and he took 1t up
with the initial line that makes the col
looks for indemnification IN case loss in
transit is reported. The agent at the ship
ping point referred the case to the traffic
manager, and reference to the conduct
ors' reports on the day the shipment
was made showed that new seal had been
attached while the car was on the property
II was quite evident that the theft had
occurred somewhere between the initial
point and where the second oond ictoT
took charge and az the papers ad o,s
toner OF the road there was no hesitancy
on the part Of the officials to make the
loss good The shipper thereupon gave
the necessary credit to the consignee, and
the incident came to an end, except that
the hands Of its detective force to locate,
IL possible, the purloiner Of the melons.
But suppose the entire record OF the
train showed that the seal had been un-
disturbed, what course would have then
been pursued? Simply this All OF the
roads in interest would have agreed to
the PAYMENT Of a line claim-that is each
road would have paid back to the shippar
a sum based upon its proportion OF the
through rate. It often requires month
or more to reach a final settlement OF
claim OF this character, as II is necessary
for each road to hunt up all the records
relating to the shipment on which reim-
bursement Ia asked. and 1t frequently oc,
be inter- ected. 1t will be seen that, IN
the case Of the melon shipment, the claim
was speedily settled because OF the evil
dsnce given by the detached little piece
OF tin. The value of the seal is, therefore,
The history Of the adoption Of the car
zeal in the United States is not clear, but
it is known that IN the early days OF rail-
reading 1t was hardly necessary. as there
was very little exchanging Of equipment
between connecting lines. This was due
in oonsiderable part to the fact that uni
form gage had not been observed in the
Construction Of roadbeds. The Erie, for
instance, had a six foot gage, while the
lines with which it interchanged had 4.8L.