The San Francisco call., 1907-06-09

railroad disasters has aroused
n public sentiment as never be-
fore to the necessity OF safe
guarding human life. The death rate
on railroads throughout the United
States is from 20 TO 80 times greater
than in European countries. The gov
ernment reports show that In the last
three months of 1906. the most recent
statistics available, more than 10000
persons were killed or injured on rail-
roads. or about zoo day. In time of
peace, in other words, the proportion of
violent deaths is greater than during
the most bitter wars.
The amazing proportion OF accidents
is attributed by experts to the obvious
weakness OF the old fashioned equip
nent OF many of our railroads, such as
the wooden cars. the present form of
rails or the signal systems employed.
Rigid examination has been made by
the government. by private parties and
by the railroads themselves to deter
mine the cause OF accidents. One of the
FIRST fruits OF this investigation is the
adoption by the Pennsylvania railroad
OF new steel cars. Some 200 of these
cars, the largest order Of its kind ever
given, are being constructed both for
suburban and long distance travel. The
cars are stronger than any now in use
and better able to meet the severe con-
ditions OF modern service.
Built almost entirely of steel, the
new cars, first of all, are believed to be
absolutely inflammable to the last de-
tail OF their decorations. 1t is COM
parativeiy a simple matter to build
freight car which will not burn. but a
passenger car, which must be furnished
and decorated to meet modern demands,
presents unusual difficulties. The or
dinary materials used by the decorator
and upholsterer must be replaced py
clever limitations. The car frames. the
structural portions and the outside
sheathing are, OF course. of steel, no
other material being suitable Much Of
the interior work of the cars again is
made OF steel. which can be worked up
into innumerable forms. In order to
initiate wood. sheets OF composite ma
terial made OF compressed vegetable
pulp or asbestos have been used An
other form OF decorative material con-
sists Of sheets OF steel TO which fiber
or asbestos board has been glued.
Chemically Treated Draperies
The coverings used for the seats and
even the carpets on the floors are
chemically treated to render them proof
against fire. The floors OF the cars are
covered with corrugated steel plates
which are covered with cement Even
the paints used 3n the cars are so
composed that they will not produce
any smoke or dangerous fumes in case
OF FIRE. The construction OF steel cars
science but an art. 1t VIII soon be
possible for one TO travel in a car and
enjoy every luxury OF modern travel
with the assurance that these palaces
on wheels are not death traps. The
FIRST OF these noninfammabie cars were
merely designed for ordinary day
travel, but IL is the plan eventually 70
have all types OF cars constructed with
the same care. Several types of sleep
3n6 cars. dining cars and combination
cars have been designed and are now
in process of construction.
The history OF railroad accidents
shows that the breaking up of passen-
ger cars is very common. A congid-
eraple proportion OF the injuries and
Of the lives. lost is therefore due 10
the weakness Of car construction. The
nee cars are so designed that they
may roll completely over without dan
ger of collapse. A long series of ex-
periments have been carried on OF late
20 determine the exact strain upon
cars in a variety of accidents The
exact force exerted in a headon coll
Iision. for instance. has been measured
within q few pounds. The cars, having
been constructed as the result OF the q
measurements. will, it is believed, De
capable OF withstanding any strain
which may be placed upon them.
The tests consisted OF a series OF
made 20 order accidents, in which the
various types OF ears were submitted
10 many violent bumps, such as they
would receive IN collisions a dyna-
rnometer car was used in the tests, which