The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-05-19
ENGINEERS GET
CHEAP INSURANCE
Brotherhood Delegates Discuss Prob
lens at Wednesdays session--Train.
Stopping Tests Successful.

That the insurance branch OF the
Brotherhood OF Locomotive Engineers
Is In very satisfactory condition was
disclosed by the reports read by
President W. f. Futch and Secretary
Treasurer Matthew Shay In the meet
Ing Wednesday morning. The dele
gates TO the brotherhood convention
are now meeting as delegates OF the
insurance society and the whole
morning was spent In going over the
reports. Next, the delegates will take
up the bylaws OF the society. and,
last. Will come the election.
II IL predicted that President Futch.
Secretary Shay, Vice-President Amos
Beeler and the other principal officers
viii be reelected. There may be some
changes I'm the society but no radical
changes are looked for.
The insurance branch has 57,405
members and gained $500 during the
year. AT the present time II Is com
puisory that all members OF the
Brotherhood join the insurance
branch, this rule having been In effect
only a few years, so that many OF
the older engineers do not belong to
the insurance society. Since the
Columbus convention in 1908, the So
ciety has paid out more than $4,000, 900
In benefits TO families OF members.
There Is outstanding now $I20.00o,-
600 of old.line and indemnity insur-
aIce, Since 1868, when the insurance
society was formed. there has been
paid out the great sum OF $2l $780, 600,
and the average cost OF life insurance
has been SIT per 81 900 per year. this
also including total disability pay
ments
While this society was founded by
engineers and has been run by them
entirely, II has q proud record. At
the time of the Paris exposition or
1900. the engineers received gold
medal and certificate To the effect
that theirs was the best conducted,
simplest, and most economical OF all
mutual insurance societies.
President Futch formerly ran an
engine on the Florida railroads. while
Secretary Shay plotted fast flyer on
the Erie road. Futch has been in the
insurance work for IA years now.
Trains Quickly Stopped.
AS result of the tests made of
the Cain-l.aBarre train stopping de-
vice on the Pere Marquette tracks.
Tuesday afternoon, the Brotherhood
Is likely To adopt resolutions favoring
the installation of some such device
on the railroads OF the country. The
engineers committee and the state
railway commission are still conduct
Ing their investigation, and the tests
will be even more severe Wednesday
and Thursday than they were on
Tuesday.
A special train carrying about 200
people went out TO the scene OF the
test, Tuesday Most OF those who
went were railroad men and they
watched the trials with the keenest
interest Two freight trains compos-
ed OF 80 10 36 heavily loaded cars
were used These were backed up
and entered the Observation-Disclosures
block" at speeds varying from % to
30 miles per hour. In each instance
the safety check tripped the air-brake
lever on the engine and stopped the
train within it's own length. The last
test was made with the engine OF the
freight, train running wide OPEN"
and the engineer and the inventors OF
the device riding outside the cab.
State Railroad Commissioner James
Scully was greatly pleased with the
working of the device
1T looks to me like a success" he
said. But whether the state railroad
commission will compel the adoption
of such safety plan he would not
state.
TO install this equipment on all the
roads OF the state would be an i'm
mense expense and the railroads may
plead this as reason for delay.
Mrs. George Wilson, of Allegheny,
Pa, has been reelected president OF
the women's auxiliary insurance So
ciety.