Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-07-27
SATURDAY EVENING. JULY q, 1907


A SENSATIONAL report to Congress on
the susct Ct safety appliances on rail-
roads may be looked for next winter from
the board of engineering experts, ap-
pointed few months ago by the Iuter-
state Commerce Commission as a re-
suit of the terrible Terra Gotta wreck,
near Washington last winter. This board
was appointed by the authority OF Con-
eress, and $50, 900 was appropriated to
enable it to make an Investigation oil
tie block signal system and the other
devices and appliances used by railroads
TO insure the safety Of the travelling pub
Tic. 1t was announced few days ago
at the interstate commerce commission
that one of the members of the engineer
iag boaid, Mortimer e. Cooley, dean OF
the Engineering Department of Nlchi-
gan University, has been detailed to
make an investigation Of the frightful
wreck on the Pere Marquette Railroad,
Saturday, when over 80 persons lost
their lives. Ia connection with this an
nouncement it also developed that the
engineering experts in their invesliga-
ton of railway safety appliances have
hal some decidedly sensational evidence
laid before them. They have bsen in
formed that it is the practice Of the man.
uacturer5 Of safety appliances 70 buy up
the patents Oh new devices and suppress
them ia order that the sale of the more
ant'quated devices in use may not be In
fererred with. Ia some instances, it is
said, the newly patented safety appli-
asces are not only more effective than
the old ones, but are very much cheaper,
which is another reason for keeping the
c!I ones in use. The board is having a
,hocough search made of the records OF
tie Patent Office, with view to sscer-
taioiug just what improved safety de-
vioss have been patented in the last few
yors aud suppressed as a result OF the
IN ,uufacturers Of devices now in use get
tiag control Of the patents. In evidence
lad before the beard The biggest makers
Of railwsy safety appliances in the coun-
try are named as having been gully OF
SUI 1ressiDg new patents for the purpose
of scepipg their present manufactures
in Indefinite use on the railroads. 1t is
also said that some Of the concerns en-
gl-c3 in the manufacture Of safety sp-
plisrces have railroad officers as their
priucipal stockholders, and even men,
bers of their board Of directors. In one
instance, it is alleged, the inventor of a
safety appliance now in general use on
most of the great railroads Of the coun-
try fund it impossible for long Time
10 induce auy Railroad to adopt his de-
vice. Finally he was compelled to sell
hi patent for q comparatively small
sum. Then a company wss formed,
made up, it is alleged, Of officers of big
nv en-, and the new device was speedily
introduced throughout that system.
Lister the other roads of the country
found it necessary to install the device.
II can readily be seen why device con-
trclled by railroad officers would be kept
in use in preference to introducing a new
orc uut of which the officers would not
gst any profit. 1t is probable that the
mex. session of Congress will be called
on 10 pass some drastic legislation on
the subject of safety appliances on rail-
roads as a result of the investigation now
making by the Board of Engineers ap-
pa,u.el by the Interstate Commerce
Commission. 1t is also probable an effort
will be made to secure amendments to the
patent laws which will make void pstenb
on articles which sre not manufactured
and placed on the market within a GER
tsia space of time after the patents are
granted. Ia some European countries
there sre provision o. this kind in the
pattn; laws.