The Washington times., 1922-08-03
LACK Of SHOP
CARE MENACES
ROLLING STOCK
Blasts and Deraiiments viii
Increase, Prominent Of
ficiai Asserts.
BY WEBSTER X. NOLAN.
international News Service.

~ w AAht<Jl E1kt H. ANoAHAANp
international News Service.
Locomotive boiler explosions, en-
gine derailments and a trail OF dan,
gerous accidents arising from the
swiftly deteriorating condition OF To-
comotives throughout the country
win shortly become a greater men.
erty than either the rail- or coal
strike, II was stated authorttatively
In railroad circles here today. -.
At ratio that increases daily
II was declared, the motive power
of the nation is becoming crippled to
an extent where three roads In par
ticular have become the special care
OF q small corps Of Federal watch
men. The decrepit condition OF the
engines on these three roads was
said to be due primarily to the aban-
donment by tho road arrangements
Of the former system Of regular In
spection by civilian inspectors. As
result, II was pointed out, 1,700 To-
'comotives on the three roads have
not had their boilers cleaned since
July 1.
FouIed Boilers Mean Trouble.
An uncleaned boiler. an expert
declared, means the collection OF
grease and scales in the boiler.
It Is a well-recognized fact that
scale or grease may be the direct
cause of an explosion. The ex'
traneous matter clogs the boilers.
thereby causing q false level OF
water to be registered. decelving
the enginemen. The greatest prob.
lem of locomotive engineering is
declared to be the difficulty Of Sc
curing q correct indication Of the
height Of water over the crown
sheet in the boiler. Inability 30
to determine has caused the greater
in railroad history and has resulted
in great loss of life. It was pointed
out.
Impairments Of motive power are
being contended with on a great
scale by such roads, Il was stated.
as the Denver and Rio Grande. the
Frisco lines. the Chicago and North
western. Chicago. Minneapolis and
st. Paul. and the Oregon Short
Line.
In the East the roads have been
able, to a slightly better extent.
to fill their workshops with strike
breakers, but even In the East
there 10 declared to be a hopelessly
Inadequate number Of workmen and
q hopelessly inadequately trained
corps considering the highly tech
nical training necessary to handle
the large number Of locomotives
requiring shop barbering" each
day. Under ordinary circumstances,
! a shop or roundhouse handles from
200 to 900 locomotives a day.
Eastern Roads In Trouble.
The Baltimore & Ohio. New York
Central, New York. New Haven
and Hartford. Pennsylvania, New
Jersey Central and the Erie rail-
roads are struggling to master the
difficult problem Of keeping their
motive power in condition sufficient
to meet the terrific strain occa-
stoned by the present emergency,
railroad official closely in touch
with the entire situation disclosed.
'The rolling stock Of the roads Is
fast sinking into a state OF total i'm
pairment," said a railroad authority
whose name for obvious reasons
must be withheld. Locomotives are
being used that ought to be making
/ daily trips to the repair yards, IL
not actually ordered out Of commits
sion. Soon you will begin to near OF
derailments due to loose rims-there
were a number reported yesterday.
I was informed.
The men now engaged In filling
the rank of the shopmen are not able
to meet the requirements Of mechani-
cal excellency Of the regular shop
crafts trade. They are for the
most part "hoboes," auto mechanics,
former inspectors. laborers with an
apprentices knowledge Of things me
chanical.
They are being fed. housed and
| clothed by the roads at tremendous
expense. L daresay another two
weeks of the strike will bring forci-
bly, to the attention Of Government
! officials the Catastrophe nature OF
the wholesale debility Of the mo-
tive power OF the country. The sit
uation is even now beyond the con-
| troll Of those in authority"