Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-25
SUIT AGAINST
BURLINGTON
RAILWAY SUED ON SAFETY APP
PLIANCE ACT-TO BE TRIED
HERE.
BRAE<EMEN'S PUZZLE
How Far Did He Walk?-Up to YoG
Trainmen to Study the Brain
Storm and Send in Your
Results.

United States District Attorney M.
l.. Temple has filed with Clerk w. G..
Macarthur at Des Moines q suit
against the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy Railway company charging
five violations of the safety appliance
act" The penalty upon conviction will
be fine of 500 on each count, maxi
ing the total penalty $500.
Colonel Temple brought the action
on the suggestion of the attorney
general at the request and upon infor-
nation furnished by the Interstate
commerce commission. The case will
be tried in the Ottumwa division of
the federal court.
The first count of the complaint
charges that on Nov. Z, 1907, the Bur
lington hauled car of coal from
point in Illinois to Mount Pleasant, Ia,
the coupling apparatus Of which was
out of repair. According to tne com
plant the lever of the coupler was
| bent SO that 1t would not connect the
cars to couple them. The second
count charges that on Nov 7, the
company hauled car which was not
| equipped with handholds for the
brakeman. The car was loaded with
cattle and was brought into the state
from a point outside.
| The third car in question had de.
etive coupling and it was also used
in Interstate trade NE fourth count
charges that the railroad used a bag
| gage and express car which was not
equipped with handholds for the
| Brakeman. The fifth was freight
car similarly defective, according to
the complaint
A Brakemen's Puzzle.
] If you happen to see friend Of
yours busily engaged with pencil and
paper jotting down figures in man
ner to give. the impression that he
was in the last stages of brain storm,
it is safe to say that the particular in
dividual is engaged in trying to solve
"the brakeman puzzle
Never heard of it you say? Better
get in line and study it over, only take
sufficient precaution not to contract
a severe case of brain flag. It's great
deal harder than answering the ques-
ton. How old is ANN"
The puzzle is said to have started
in western city and is passing along
from place to place.
Here is the puzzle: Two railroad
stations A and B, are five miles apart.
A train one mile in length starts from
station A. The brakeman waits On the
station platform until the caboose at
the rear of the train comes along and
. be gets aboard AS the train proceeds
towards B the brakeman walks to.
ward the engine. When the train
reaches he gets off the car at the
y rear Of the engine, having walked the
entire length of the train between the
: two stations. What was the total dis
lance travelled? How far did he walk?
! How far did he ride?
!. Decided views are taken on the
: question. One man insists that if the
: brakeman had just reached the engine
at the time the train reached B ne
\ would have walked one mile and rid
:. den Ave, total distance Of six miles
+ Another is confident that he rode five
: miles and walked five miles, while
S still another thinks he rode five miles
: and walked six miles total distance
r Travelled of eleven miles. Several hole
to the six mile theory pointing ou
;; that the brakeman walked one mile
y while the train was going five. Still
e another conclusion Is that the mai
: walked one mile and rode four miles
'. travelling altogether five miles.
g But these are just a few of the re
e suits that have been arrived at sine
= the puzzle appeared. Some of the al
: fected persons are SO sure that the1
Is conclusions are correct that they CAV
y demonstration with pencil AM
paper, showing a diagram Of the sta
tions, track and train. Can you solv
it? Get on and try.
= For the benefit of our railroa
is friends, and especially the brakemel
n and conductors, as it will appeal NOR
.e strongly to them, the above puzzle I
g submitted and in order to cerate a
:, interest the, railroad editor will re
ceive any answers to the puzzle tina
RS are submitted.
al
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