Evening journal., 1911-12-12
MUST ABATE
The NUTSANCES
Health Board Tells Railroad
Chief SCreeChinC Whistles
and Smoke are UnbearabIe
B. 6 0. PROMISES TO
GIVE SOME RELIEF

Members Of the Board of Health |
yesterday afternoon made II plain to
j. B. Carruthers, of Ridley Park, gem
eral superintendent Of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company, that en-
gineers of that company operating
trains through this city, must limit
the times whistles are used Tie
Board also ordered that less smoke
be emitted by the company's engines
while in the city limits. Mr. Car
ruthers appeared in answer to the
communication sent him when the
Board received a petition from resi-
dents of the Western section Of the
city, complaining of the alleged
nuisance.
Following the reading Of the petit
ton, Mr.. Carruthers said that TO his
knowledge the whistles were used
only I'm cases of emergency. They
were used only when IL was necessary
to take on water at Delaware avenue
station, when the scoops were out of
order and the water could not be
scooped up. Another reason Mr..
Carruthers gave for whistle blowing
was to call the fagmen. As for the
smoke nuisance, he said, the COM
OdDA ndu nttn tNltilMtnAlhk WIN II
device In the West. but he had not re-
ceived any reports from them.
DR.. II. A. Cleaver cited an instance
where he had been annoyed by con-
tinual whistling in the early morn
ing while attending a patient. Presi-
dent Beck also told OF smoke annoy
ing residents in that section of the
city where he lives.
Harlan G. Scott. Of Fourteenth and
Broome streets, said he did not expect
to testify, but he cited instances on
last Thursday and Friday evening.
when he was in. He said the whistling
was unbearable, and he thought the
company had a freight ward at Della
ware avenue station, judging by the
screeching. "The smoke Mr.. Scott
said, causes residents of his neigh
borhood to keep their windows closed
during the summer months. These
conditions" he continued. have eX-
listed for five years
Mr. Carruthers questioned Mr..
/ Scott relative TO the exact hour of the
whistle blowing and whether II was
/ by an east or west bound train. Mr..
Scott replied that he was i'll in bed
] and did not know. II was then stated
by the railroad superintendent that
! he would like to have specific case
cited
On this dare Willard Saulsbury
said. Mr. Carruthers comes here and
pleads ignorance and wants us to get
out OF our beds at o'clock in the
morning and find out what engine is
blowing its whistle. He had better go
back and get the information, as the
company is destroying and wrecking
the homes of 5000 people in this city,
and it is about time II was abated. II
II is not stopped we will stop il"
Mr.. Salisbury said the Health Board
officials are capable and are looking
after the welfare of the people and as
they had given the railroad authorities
notice of the alleged nuisances il was
their duty to make the company live
up TO them Continuing. Mr.. Salisbury
said that if the company was losing
ten cents by the whistling they would
/ have corps Of inspectors out seeking
the cause Of the loss.
DR.. Cleaver informed Mr.. Carruth-
ers that the nuisance must be stop
ped or there would be trouble. Mr.
Carruthers asked what method the
Board would pursue and was told
that that would be matter for City
Solicitor Hastings TO shape
During the discussion It was stated
that engineers Of the company had
said that the smoke nuisance was due
TO the heavy loads the engines had to
carry over the grade from Elsmere to
point near the local station. Mr..
Carruthers said that while i'm this
city the other day he saw more smoke
from the stack Of an Industrial plant
then from all B. and o. engines could
possibly make. He was informed by
the board that this plant was being
remodeled to abate this nuisance.
Mr.. Carruthers left stating that he
would do what he could to eliminate
the nuisances.