Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-01-03

pose of mixed trains altogether. An
ger cars next to the engine in mixed
trains instead of putting them at the
rear end as is the custom at present.
In discussing this proposal made by
the Mortified News, the st. Adams
Messenger said:
The starting and stopping of heavy
freight trains on the grades of this
mountainous country would put
strain on passenger cars next to the
locomotive that would make riding in
them anything but comfortable. Every
time the slack" of the long train was
taken up the pull would come on the
passenger coach The intelligent OBJ
server OF railroading can figure out for
himself what that means. Again, the
law does not now permit the railroads
to put freight cars In the rear OF pas
senger coaches and for obvious rea-
sons, one OF which is that, caught be-
tween the monster locomotive Of these
days on the end and a long line of
heavy freight cars on the other. a
passenger coach would have scant
show for itself in a wreck. OF course,
the problem must be settled in some
way and will be. But just al this
time we may probably pause In any
wholesale condemnation of the rail-
| roads, in order to think over for mo-
ment what a real stiff old problem it
| is, for a comparatively small one.
| In answer to this statement of the
situa ton the Northncld News replies
in it's issue of this week in part as fol-
lows:
| A mixed train is not luxury at tho
best. 1t is an oxpedtent resorted to by
the railroad to accommodate a few
people where there is not business
enough to warrant running 4 regular
passenger train and It Is not usual to
run n mixed train on the heaviest
| freights In case of accident the pass
enEers would not be likely to suffer as
severely in the crash If the car was
next to the engine as they did in the
Vergennes wreck when they were pin
ned down and burned to death. n
there is a law against putting freight
cars In the rear Of the passenger coach
1t could easily have been amended
when the Legislature had the stove
matter under consideration. As the
Messenger says. the problem must be
settled in some way, and the question
Is If there would not be less danger
with the passenger coach next to the
locomotive when it must be heated,
than with the deadly car stove, in case
OF accident The News agrees with the
neighhor that it is a problem and that
it is hardly fair to jump on to the rail-
&c
probably that the latter would be will
ing to settle the thing by abolishinE
the mixed train entirely and that they
would do so in most cases but for tn"
fact that they feel obliged to accom-
mediate the public as far as possible
even when the patronage does not war
rant running a regular passenger tram
at certain hours of the day.
It is to be noted in this connection
that there are other methods of heat
ing cars far removed from the posi-
bility of steam from the locomotive
than the old time coal stove. Improv-
ed heaters that arc not frebrands have
been devised and while they are not as
satisfactory as steam, they are far less
dangerous than the ordinary car stove
In the meantime it is to be remember
ed that the new railroad Legislation
placed this whole matter in tho hands
Of the new railroad commission, rs
was the heating Of regular passenger
board Will probably be able to work
out n successful solution of this prob
lem that will be Just to the railroads
and at the same time conducive to the
safety of the travelling public,