Evening star., 1913-11-23
Engineering Department Of
Public Utilities Commits
sion Active.
ACCIDENTS INVESTIGATED
AND INSPECTIONS MADE
H. c. Eddy Head Of Office Which
Employs -Four 1nspectors-Scope
Of Work Explained.


has followed investigation by the pub
lie utilities commission of big public
service questions, such as the granting
OF universal transfers, telephone rates.
ETC.. department Of the commission,
which is concerned strictly with en-
s1neer1ng problems. has been working
quietly In the interest of an improved
street railway service, with results
which 1t Is believed will soon make the
value Of the department apparent.
Headed by H. c. Eddy, engineer Of the
commission. who was executive officer
and secretary Of the old District electric
railway board. which went out OF exist
ence March last, this department al
ready has done effective work in prepar.
ing regulations for street car service. de-
vising and maintaining q satisfactory in
spection service and investigating acci-
dents. Capt Julian Schley. assistant en-
gineer commissioner and executive officer
| of the commission, has been particularly
interested in Mr.. Eddy's work, and the
| two officials have devised an organiza-
| tion which undoubtedly Is prepared to dc
| effective work, 1t 10 believed.
Four Inspectors Employed.
The engineering department employs
four inspectors. One is chief in
spector. OF the other three. two are
detailed to keep a watch on traffic con-
ditions and the fourth to look after
equipment.
| up to the present time the work
of the department has been confined
chiefly to matters relating to- stree,
| railway operations and construction and
the investigation of accidents occur
ring in connection with the operation
of the various utilities in the District
said Mr. Eddy yesterday. in the first
| official statement that has been giver
out concerning details of the work OF
this branch of the commission.
In connection with the street railway
work" he continued. 'the department is
bureau Of traffic and the bureau Of equip
ment. The former makes all investiga
tions and handles all complaints relative
to street car service, and the latter rela-
tive to maintenance of cars. tracks. etc.
Congested Points Watched.
Two inspectors are constantly en-
ployed making observations Of traffic con-
ditions on various lines. Records are
taken at the most congested points Of the
| number Of cars operated. schedules main
tanned. seating capacities of the cars and
number of passengers carried. This is
| but at all hours of the day and night.
observations are sometimes taken
simultaneously at two or three points
| on the same line. in order to ascertain
traffic conditions. These observations
are recorded on regular forms and filed
in the office.
Where service is found to be made.
quate the matter Is taken up with the
of additional cars has frequently re-
suited.
by means of these observations and
| others taken at the ends Of lines. q
schedules, and orders of the interstate
commerce commission and public util.
| tiles commission, of which there are
many now in effect on the various lines
| in the District.
All Lines Are Observed.
I'm order to ascertain conditions of
traffic throughout the city, now that
winter travel has reached the normal
point. observations are being taken on
all lines. One hundred and seventy-four
observations have been made since Oc-
| tober Is.
alert to see If the regulations of the
commission are being complied with
The bureau of equipment makes inspec-
| tion Of cars both in course of operation
Y anQ at the DdTnS SdIS III OpCl dtiOH di {
| inspected at terminals, when safety ap'
pliances are tested. Barn inspections
| consist of minute inspection of entire
| equipment.
.All these inspections are made at
uncertain and unexpected moments. De-
| fects found are generally reported to
| the companies with direction to repair
| them.
Accidents Are Reported.
"All accidents in which persons are
| killed or injured are reported to the
commission These are reported on
forms provided by the board. and are
required to be returned within three
days of the date of an accident. When
it is deemed necessary and advisable.
which is often the case, a thorough in
vestigation of the accident reported Is
made by representatives of the en-
gineering department, the information
thus obtained being for the commits
sion's own USE"
A service similar in character to that
now being rendered under Mr.. Eddy's s
supervision was furnished by the old
District railway board. which was a
branch of the interstate commerce CON-
mission This organization operated un-
der limited power and with limited
force The inspection work Of the new
commission, it is believed, will assist
materially in the maintenance of an ade-
quate and well regulated service on all
local street railway lines.
uo- T:a1S