Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-10
R. R. NOISES FIXED
BY LAWS--BESLER
NJ. j. Central President Says
Use of Steam Whistle Is
Necessary. -
STATES DEMAND BLASTS
AS SIGNALS, He ASSERTS
Declares, However. That Roads
Endeavor to Stop creaking Of
Wheels and Similar Sounds. :

In a letter to the editor of the NeN
York Evening Sun. William G. Bes-
Ter, president of the Central Railroad
of New Jersey, replies to persons WHO
have complained of what they terri
the "preyentable noises encountered
in train travel.
Mr. Besler gives in detail Rule Il Of
the Standard Code of the American
Railway Association which covers the
use of the steam whistle for signaling
purposes.
These signals, which are the stand
and practice in the United States,
Mexico and Canada, have received
the Endorsement of the inspectors e5
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
and in the case of signals for road
crossings, etc, at grade, are a matter
of State law, and constitute the whisr
Ting to which the public takes excep-
ton, but which Is a necessary part OF
railroad operation. and no substitute
has yet been devised which can sue
cessfully or acceptably replace It.
The noise Qf such it may be termed
Is a signal and means something
"One has no right to criticise or
find fault who cannot suggest q
remedy or Improvement. If the best
brains i'm our railroad service have
not been able fbecause of fog, curVa-
ture or intervening obstruction to
devise any other system of signals
than the standard code which is in
universal use in the United States.
is it likely that the public, with no
knowledge of existing requirements,
can suggest the answer?
Answering the question, What
action has been taken in the matter
of reducing noise by care in coupling
cars, blowing whistles, opening Of
locomotive exhaust pipes near pas
senger trains, etc. Each and every
one of these, and many more, have
received and are receiving constant
attention. The railroads would vel
come any device which would lessen
the shock necessary in the vertical
plane coupler (required by United
States law, and wherein. the coup7
i ling Is made by impact, which az
necessity means noise proportionate
to the force of the impact. A volume
would not cover all there is to be
said on this subject.
In the matter of closing doors: Ii
j is costing the railroads hundreds of
/ thousands of dollars per annum for
I full crews forced upon passenger
| trains by unnecessary laws passed at
the behest Of the unions. The stock
argument was that the full crew
would bring the answer to all such
| complaints-but has it?
when we have a noiseless base-
ball game; when at presidential
nomination there will be no forty
| five minutes or more of cheering TO
stampede the conventions; when
noise no longer enthuses or inz
fluences; when lighthouses have soma
other method than the fog horn,
when fire departments dash down
the street with gongs silenced and
whistles removed; when navigation
laws and rules no longer require
whistling of STEAMBOATS, as they
leave their piers and shrieking OF
tueboat and lighter whistles in CIV
ing an answering signal-we may ex
pect, along with such progress and
development, a noiseless railroad
and a public educated up to the
| utopian degree
Zone goes to the country for rest
and quiet. but for life, energy and
! business activity, in word, for
noise he goes to the city.
"A graveyard Is a noiseless place.
! but who wants to go there?'