The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-03-12
Expert Testifies That dope"
Is Used to Prolong Life of Rail-
roads Boilers to Great Menace
of Employees Lives.

oA\, H. W. AIu1A II L l.
Fighting not only for the protec-
tion of their lives but for the safety
of the passengers as we'll. the Broth
erhood of Locomotive Engineers has
produced evidence, in support of Sen
ator Burkett's bill for the inspection
of locomotive boilers, that reads like
the unearthlng of a great national
scandal.
Senator Burkett's questioning of II.
s. Jeffrey, boiler expert, brought
forth these startling facts:
You spoke a moment ago Of thu.
cracks occurring, broken staybolts,
and steam escaping" demanded the
senator, do you know of artificial
means being used to stop leaking
water by Introducing something else
into the water?''
The boiler expert glanced covert
ly at the row of superintendent,
managers and legal advisors in the
pay of the railroads which crowded
one side of the committee room, and,
as he answered. their faces, in turn
became tense and white.
Use Bran to Calk Boilers.
Yes. When the stay bolts are
leaking it is nothing unusual to put
half barrel Of bran or fine sawdust
In the boiler, or, if that is. not avail
able, to go to stable and get horse
manure. charging the. hoiler with
that, also with sal ammoniac That
. is what we call the dope cure Many
of our boilers. or practically all of
them on hard runs. get the dope
cure The leaks are taken up tenn
DOr2rilN hilt bo
is washed out the dope is washed
out and then it is a case of doping
up again.
Owen Ruefly, boiler maker OF
twenty years standing, followed JEFF
fry as witness and explained how
the introduction of sal ammoniac
into the boiler made a rust, that
stopped the leaks, a rust, that was
fatal to the strength of the boiler.
Says Neglect Only Cause.
Fearful of the effect Of the evil
dence being offered by their en-
ployes the railroad representatives
brought forward Theo. H. Curtis,
superintendent of machinery on the
Louisville and Nashville railroad, who
after giving it as his opinion that the
failure Of the men to maintain a
proper supply of water in the boiler
was the cause of most explosions,
wound up with this pointed state
ment:
sThis bill puts into the hands Of
organized labor the power to run our
railroads. Give them the control OF
our locomotives and they will con-
troll our railroads.
Smiles of assent from the railroa i
lobby greeted this sally on the part
of the superintendent, but Senator
Cummins, chairman of the commit
tee,' objected, stating curtly, these
inspectors will be appointed by the
Department Of Commerce and Labor
and not by organized labor"
The gentlemen of the railroads
then became solicitous for the welfare
of Uncle Sans treasury. "Govern-
ment inspection will cost you over a
million dollars year." asserted A.
w. Hendricks of the Santa Fe lines
According to Hendricks everything is
0. K. with the boilers, and the gov
ernment will be wasting it's money
1oolishly if it passes this bill.
He was brazen enough to tell the
ocommittee that explosions seldom
oSNuA OAA IAC odI1td L W IuC
amusement Of the labor. men present
who were familiar with that rail-
roads record to the contrary.
Jeffrey's testimony hurt. The rail-
road lobby knew this and it took no
chances Everybody spoke The
ennsylvania railroads representa-
i've argued that 300 inspectors pro-
vided in the bill were not enough
and what's more you can't get even
300 competent boiler inspectors. They
all like to work for the railroads and
certainly wouldn't work for the gov
ernment, even for more money, was
his modest opinion.
The bill is dangerous and revolu-
tionary according to the mouthpiece
of the Missouri Pacific and other
western lines.
Four others also spoke for the
pennsylvania railroads representa-
the rest, argued along this line: I'VE
are running the railroads as we think
best and it is none of the govern
ment's business