New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-17
HEDLEY RIDICULES
STEELCARSFOR Il"
Tells p. S. C. He Has New
invention to Prevent
Fire in Smashes.
81 AMES CONDUCTOR
FOR 18TH ST. WRECK
u;,der. Commission Engineer,
Saws SIS a Car Would Make
Collisions impossible.

,.,.n Frank Hedley, vice-president
'..a,eral manager OF the INTERIOR
Aho Rapid Transit Company, had nm
egghs rs testimony before the Public
isneS Commission in the inquiry yes
Set,ie' ;o,o the two recent collisions on
, ,sn Ninth ay. elevated line, the ques-
~. .;o, Of public safety appeared TO re-
lin where 10 was.
The principal suggestion maze ny the
I;ssion for safer conditions for the
sOraIiing public were an automatic
ta's .i system and steel cars. Both, IN
uedlev's opinion, were imprae-
AL II not impossible OF accom-
p. Ia marlborough witness was skep-
II obout the use Of an automatic
l1A, svster. lie did not believe 1t
ia .S he operated on lines carrying as
s0s'u trsaic las the elevated without
....ously interfering. with the service
-, elevated structure was not strong
...onrh TO support any type OF steer
=, vst invented. he said.
~ Hedlev. however, described a de-
- which he had worked out since the
.ojiisioo AZ li6th St, IN which two per-
'O',' were killed and many injured. He
s.si,re6 Il would eliminate all posi-
s;I;,v Of fire. such as then resulted.
lanes L. Quackenbush. counsel for
~ marlborough, pointed out that no
~ II the world had thought OF such
dsv;cs. before. Commissioner Malt
.. cooled a little counsels enthusl-
~ for the Hedley invention by re-
msrking that 10 would be better hrS'
~ seek the means of preventing sueh
accidents, rather than preventing nre
sf,er they had occurred. =,
The hearing was before the full
,.mmission and was largely attended
Clifton W. Wilder, electrical engl-
,ssr Of the commission, submitted sta
.;s,ies showing thirty-seven collisions
- the elevated lines since May, 19Oo
';,S four persons killed and 327 IN
jvred .;l... :. r;ll
4. sssn - said Mr.. Wilder, that col
Fs;ons have occurred at fairly regular
Intervals. and we can expect them 10
rscnr under similar conditions. In my
opinion, therefore, the CONDITIONS
should be changed. ,...
u think the dangerous condlhons
.o,lS he practically eliminated by the
;rstsllstion of a suitable signal de,
. ,;rs II would be impossible to install
srcb q device without interfering WIN
,Ss frequency of the trains.
sTbe effect Of collisions would be
i,,,sned bv the use of steel cars. But
,Ss steel car has nothing to do with
.bs reduction or elimination OF col
lisjOps. The real problem IS to elimi-
nate collisions
Mr. Wilder said the lines could be
furnished with an automatic speed con-
.rol system in about half the time nee
esssry 10 strengthen the structures
and obtain steel cars. 81,
M. Hedlev said he was familiar with
the system suggested by Mr.. Wilder
and finally admitted that II looked
pr-mising and was worth trying out
Commissioner Williams said II had
been estimated the system could be IN
stalled at the cost Of SIS a car.
In answer 10 persistent questions BY
ne commissioners as 20 the possibility
Of using steel cars, sir. Hedley declared
that after careful examination the en-
rineers of the marlborough had re-
ported there was no elevated struct-
IRE in the city strong enough to carry
steel cars. The company was not
building the third tracks on the Il,
ne said. with any idea that the struct
ere would be sufficiently strong after
ward TO carry steel cars. Such cars