New-York tribune., 1909-04-29
WHEEL GUARD ON CARS
ORDER FROM p. S. c.
To Be Placed on Al Surface Lines
an the City.

To make life and limb safer in the city sueetS
the Public Service Commission issued ordeis yes
terday TO all the street railroad companies III NV Ne"
York CITY 10 equip all cars except those operated
bv horse power, with wheel guards or tenders. OF
hotb of a tvpe approved by the commission Inc
order affects between 5@o and 500 cars ana 'iie
probable cost to the companies is estimated at io"
100000 TO S25000o
All cars operated in Manhattan and The Bronx
must be equipped with wheel guards satisfactory
to the commission on or before August J. All cars
in Brooklyn and Queens must be htted Win IeHu
ers approved by the commission on or peio'e ''i'
/ and all cars operated in Richmond must NC
eouDped with both wheel guards and tenders C1
tvpe sanctioned by The commission on or before
July 15 All cars in Brooklyn and queens must alS'
carry wheel guards. but the commission mas gwen
the companies further time to mstaH THESE SAY
guards
summed nm the order OF the commission means
that all surface cars in New York City must event
uaIly carry both wheel guards and tenders eNc94s
IN Manhattan and The Bronx, where, on account oi
the density of traffic in the streets. tenders are
considered impracticable. On before May 10 the
various con,Danies must submit TO the COMMISSION
for its approval complete drawings ana specliie"
tions of the types of tenders and Whee gudIu9 ~
be installed. Within five days the companies mus
inform the commission whether they intend 10 o"eS
the order.
The commissions order passed in accordance
with the recommendations Of a report hlade py
Commissioner Milo r. Maltbie, who held seNeI''
hearings the subject after the Suo-coiii'
on safety devices mad reported TO the coillhSsOiI
the results of the exhaustive fender and Wheei
guard tests held BY the commission last taH at
Schenectady and Pittsburg-
A canvass of the various street railroad CUM
panles operating in NeF York city showed SeS'04
day that intended to oppose the conihlssoii
order Frederick w. Whitridge. receiver OF Ihe
Third Avenue Railroad Company, SAID that ne "-u
already adopted style Of wheel guard Whlch re-
ceved a high percentage in he tests made DE tnT
Public Service Commission. All the new lhiiu
avenue cars are already eIuipTed with these ne"
wheel guards and the old cars will be fitted WIN
them as rapidly possible Mr.. Wmtrldge IS wen
satisfied with the way the new wheel guards are
working. lie will also carry out the orders or the
commission in regard 10 the Union fSal'"dE Ooi''
pPny cars in The Bronx.
Oren Root, general manager of the MetropoiIah
system, has been experimenting for some tine pdsI
with several of the types Of wheel guards when
made good records in the commissions tests, ana
expects soon TO decide upon a satisfactory guard
II is understood that most-o the wheel guards al
present in use on the Metropolitan cars will not
come ND to the commissions high standard of
efficiency The receivers of the Metropolitan sys-
TEN will cooperate with the commission in carrying
out the provisions Of the order as rapidly as pos
sibe.
An operating ofici1I OF the Brooklyn Rapid Tran
sit Company said that the commissions order would
be obeved He did not think tnat wheel guards
were Of much value the Brooklyn cars. but said
that the company was eager to adopt any form or
safety device which would decrease the chances OF
accidents Most of the tenders at present IN use
on the Brooklyn understood to be belo"
the commissions standard.
The total number Of accidents last year on the
surface and steam railroads in New York City was
S. 4s1 The total number of persons killed was 444
and the seriously injured 214I- The slightly
. injured numbered $3.50