The practice is in vogue on some roads of requiring the inspector to uncouple all hose on the train. This is done while the train is under protection of a blue flag, and is a good practice. These same roads require the inspector to couple up all hose on departing trains.

Regardless of the claims of many railroad officials that small-capacity cars are always placed on the rear end of trains, the fact is that absolutely no attention is paid to where they go in a train. I find many trains made up of 50 or 60 cars of which fully one-third are small-capacity cars, while the balance of the train is made up of 80,000 and 100,000 capacity cars. These small-capacity cars are scattered all through the train indiscriminately.

I know of accidents caused by the breaking down of small-capacity cars heavily loaded and placed in the middle of a long freight train, and upon investigation it has been claimed by the officials that the damage which resulted from such breakdown was due to a sectional collision, and the officials have censured and in some instances discharged some or all of the train crew.

The practice of double heading is very severe on equipment and very few doubleheader trains pass over a division without a great many break-in-twos, which usually result in broken knuckles or couplers and not infrequently the pulling out of the entire end of the car.

I frequently find that heavy trains are being held down steep grades by the help of hand brakes. On making inquiry of the officer in charge of that particular division, I am told that the air brake will not hold the train. Then it is claimed that the hand brakes are only used to hold trains made up largely or in whole of 100,000capacity cars, it being claimed that the percentage of braking power on these cars is so greatly reduced under a load that the holding power is practically lost, hence the necessity of the use of the hand brakes. While on other roads, and in some instances on other divisions of the same road, I have found entire trains of 100,000-capacity cars loaded being let down long grades averaging 2.5 per cent with the help of the airbrake retainer, and no hand brakes being used at all. Some division officers, while admitting that the air brake will do the work and hold the trains at all points, still compel the trainmen to get out and set hand brakes. This, they say, they do so as to be sure that the trainmen will be out on top of the train while descending all grades. This is surely a poor practice and is not at all progressive, nor are good results obtainable from it. One place I have found where a railroad company operating on heavy grades requires the trainmen to set hand brakes on the head end of all freight trains. This, it is claimed, is to enable the engineer to control the train, but employees on this road tell me that it frequently occurs that they are compelled to club up every hand brake on the train; and as many of this company's cars are equipped with double-end hand brakes it often happens that when the hand brakes that work opposite to the air brake are set, the first application of air breaks the brake connections, thereby disabling the brake on that car, and if the air happens to be applied at the moment the trainman is setting one of these oppposite hand brakes it will invariably throw him from the top of the car. Many trains, however, are let down these same grades without the use of hand brakes.

Curves. Many curved tracks that are now in use where cars are handled in and out of same by use of pins and links or coupling bars will probably never be changed, and a suitable device other than pins or links or coupling bars will have to be brought into use. Further construction of curved tracks, however, can be stopped. If the railroad company along whose tracks a manufacturing or other industrial plant contemplates building a track into their place of business will require these people to first submit to the chief engineer of the railroad a ground plan of their plant for the proposed location of their tracks, that official can inform the constructors whether their curves are too sharp or not.

Recommendations.-Secure for Government inspectors "freight train permits" from all railroad companies, which will enable inspectors to ride on any freight train, the better to observe practices along the line of road.

Have air cleaning and testing plants installed at all points where triple valves are cleaned, and all yards where trains are made up piped, so that trains can be charged and their brakes made operative before road engines are put on trains. This work should be separated from the car or motive-power departments and made a separate and distinct department, in charge of competent officers. Air inspectors should test brakes on all trains.

More car inspectors and repair men should be employed, and the railroads should adopt some method of raising the standard of efficiency among this class of workmen. Main reservoirs on locomotives should be increased in size to not less than 56,000 cubic inches of air space.

There should be more general use of the worn coupler gauge.

The adoption of the solid knuckle should be compulsory and knuckles should not be cored out.

A standard under framing of cars should be adopted and such framing should be of metal.

The equipping of all cars with air brakes should be compulsory

The practice of compelling trainmen to ride out on tops of trains should be taken up with railroad officials with a view to stopping it, it often being done by petty officials simply to persecute the men, thereby compelling them to take unnecessary risks.

The practice of hauling standard and narrow gauge cars in one train should be stopped.

All railroads should adopt one type of coupler; that is to say, have couplers uniform not only as to coupling contour lines, but also in the principal details; as, for example, in the knuckle opening feature.

Respectfully submitted.

GEO. V. MARTIN, Inspector.

REPORT OF INSPECTOR F. C. SMITH.

EDWARD A. MOSELEY, Esq.,

Philadelphia, Pa., September 9, 1902.

Secretary Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, D. C.

DEAR SIR: The existing conditions with reference to safety appliances are vastly improved as compared with last year in the section of country to which I have been assigned during the past year. I find that the roads, with some exceptions, have made many improvements in this direction. A coupler too high or too low is now almost unheard of, and couplers and knuckles are so closely watched that a break in two from worn couplers or knuckles is of rare occurrence. Not so many uncoupling chains are found broken, not so many lock and lever castings missing, not so many triple valves and cylinders with old dating, and not so many grab irons and sill steps missing; and the roads generally are using more air brakes on their trains than last year, some of the roads making it a point to switch all cars equipped with air brakes together, so that the air brakes can all be operated. The most of the roads following this practice have established air plants in their yards at division terminals, and when a train is made up the brakes are tested with an application from this air plant by inspectors who not only test the brakes, but also adjust the piston travel.

Some of the roads have not as yet established air plants, but they are particular to have their air-brake inspectors test the air after the engine is coupled to the train. The inspectors are required to adjust the piston travel and when through to report to the engineer how many cars of air he has and the number of cars that are working. There are some roads that have neither air plants in their train yards nor air-brake inspectors, and the duty of testing the air brakes on such roads falls upon the brakeman, and all these as a rule will make a test of the brakes for their own protection, if for no other reason. However, it is too often the case that they are hurried out of the yard by the yard master and not permitted to make any test whatever and do not know whether the air is working or not. So long as a practice of this kind is followed we can not reasonably expect to get good service from the air brakes.

A great number of air hose are torn off and otherwise injured by separating cars without first disconnecting the hose, particularly when the train line is charged, and I am sorry to say the brakemen are largely at fault in this matter. I have watched them repeatedly at stations where they had cars to throw off, and they would simply turn the angle cock and let the hose take care of itself, and if a hose should get torn so as to cause it to leak they would throw it away and take one off another car or change the hose for one off a car that they were leaving. When the air on the latter car is again put into service, a defective hose is found. So every day cars in transit can be seen with hose missing from them. I have counted five missing from cars in one train on some of the roads.

The trainmen are exposed to great danger by hose bursting or by a sudden application of the air, and upon roads where long trains are hauled and the air operated on only a few cars the danger is very great. The brakemen on many such trains as these are required to assist the engineer to control the train, and they are in constant fear of their lives because of the terrible shocks to the rear end of the train in the event of a hose bursting or of an emergency application by the engineer. Now, if the brakes are in proper shape, there is no excuse for an engineer to handle a train in any such way. In regard to the hose bursting, it is a well-known fact that after a time the hose becomes porous, and just the moment it does that moment it becomes

an element of danger and should be removed. I believe hose ought to be more often subjected to a test for this defect.

The most numerous defects at present are end locks improperly applied and of wrong dimensions, bent uncoupling levers, bent grab irons on the ends of cars, and bent ladder rounds. The defective lock brackets, or end locks, and uncoupling levers are an element of danger to men on local trains and to yard crews, who, on account of the great amount of business handled by the roads, are required to do their work hurriedly. To those crews who may happen to work on an incline, these defects are not of so serious a nature, but to those who may have to work against an incline or on level tracks they are serious. Indeed, for instance, if switching on an incline, all that is necessary is to lift locking pin and let the car or cars go, but if switching against an incline or on the level, it becomes necessary to give the cars a kick, and often a hard one. The man who does the cutting goes to make a cut and finds the lever bent so he can not lock the pin in an uncoupled position, or finds the lock bracket applied so it will not engage the lever, or it may be bent so it will not engage the lever, or instead of a lock bracket there is an ordinary end casting such as is used in connection with couplers having lock pins which automatically lock themselves in an uncoupled position when pin is lifted. Under such conditions there is but one thing for him to do, he can not run and hold the lever up, so he swings himself on to the car, and, if one of the switchmen is not in sight to give the engineer the signal for him, he is obliged to hang on to the car with one hand, hold the lever up with one foot, and give the signal with his disengaged hand. These instances have become so numerous that cutting cars now is harder work than when link and pin couplers were in use, and about as dangerous; and if the cars were not so well-equipped with grab irons the work could not be done near so quickly as at present.

I have heard quite a number of railroad officials remark that as all cars are now equipped with automatic couplers, they can not see why grab irons are so essential on the ends of cars. If they were required to switch cars for a few days they would find out. These defects are easily traced to car repairers and to the repair shops, and are the results of wrong repairs, and I believe that the repair shops where the piecework system prevails are responsible for more of these wrong repairs than are the shops that pay their men by the day. It would seem that a remedy in such cases as these would be easy. It is certainly as much the fault of the foreman who permits such work to leave the shop as it is of the man who does the work, and if the foreman will not stop such work, an inspector might do some good by spending a little time watching the cars that are turned out of the large repair shops and yards.

The cause of so many bent levers, end locks, grab irons, and ladder rounds on the ends of cars is rough handling by switchmen, and is caused by cornering the cars. For instance, a car is kicked into a siding and it does not run in to clear, and other cars are given a kick into the next siding, and the corners come together with a crash. It seems to me that in many places the yard masters wink at such work. Only a short time ago, in a space of fifteen minutes, I saw cars cornered five times, and four of the instances resulted in damage to the safety appliances. This is a very bad practice and should not be permitted. Broken chains will continue to be somewhat in evidence just so long as couplers are used which require lock brackets, for it is a noticeable fact that the broken chains are mostly found on couplers of this type, and the cause is as follows: While the car is standing still the chain is adjusted to just the proper length to lift the pin and at the same time permit lever to engage lock bracket and hold the pin in just that position, but when that car is subjected to a heavy strain in some of the long trains, the coupler pulls out so far that either the chain breaks or it uncouples the car, and in the latter event the trainmen are sure to disconnect the chain to prevent it from uncoupling again. This is particularly true of cars having the American continuous-draft rigging.

I also desire to make a few comments upon the couplers whose makers claim for them a locking pin which, when lifted automatically, locks itself in an uncoupled position. There are couplers which will do all that is claimed for them in this respect and there are others which will not. For instance, while the car is standing still the pin can be lifted or pulled, as the railroad men say, and it stays in that position, but when the car is in a train and in motion it will jar down, and the only way to keep it up when a cut is to be made is to hold it up. And this complaint is so general that it has tended to discourage trainmen from trusting even those couplers which will perform this particular feature. To the young, inexperienced man who may be just starting into railroad work this is not a good example, and he will naturally fall into the same way of doing work, and it is a fact that there are a good many just such men who do not know the difference between a coupler with automatic attachment for holding pin up and one that requires a lock bracket, which tends to expose these men to danger that could otherwise be avoided.

It has become the practice to clean triple valves in many places where they have no way of testing them after the valves have been cleaned and put back in position. This, I believe, is a mistake and results in more harm than good.

I desire, also, to refer to the manner in which old, weak, low capacity cars are hauled in long, heavy trains. For a time after the advent of steel cars all high-capacity cars were hauled on head end of train and all the old low cars on the rear end; and that rule is still being followed by some of the roads. But of late I have seen a great many long, heavy trains with from 8 to 16 steel gondolas ahead, then one or more old low cars, and then fifteen or perhaps thirty steel cars behind these. Every time that an application of the air is made in such a train the chance for an accident is very great, and nearly every day a wreck is caused in just this way.

Respectfully, yours,

REPORT OF INSPECTOR A. H. HAWLEY.

F. C. SMITH, Inspector.

HANNIBAL, Mo., October 30, 1902.

EDWARD A. MOSELEY, Esq.,

Secretary Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, D. C.

DEAR SIR: I believe if the men holding high positions with the railroad companies could afford to spend a number of days watching the actual handling of cars and the use of the air equipment on freight trains, they would have no hesitancy in saying that the advantages accruing from the application of such appliances as are provided for by the safety-appliance law have more than compensated for the money expended in applying them.

I have had the opportunity to visit during the past year some of the places visited the year previous, and it affords me pleasure to say that at some of these places special efforts appear to have been made on the part of those in charge to pay strict attention to the minor defects. When such efforts have been put forth, I have seen the result in better conditions. On some lines I have had quite lengthy talks with the men who actually do the work, and they were almost a unit in saying that the work is receiving closer attention at all points, and therefore better conditions are bound to exist.

Conditions in the territory over which I have traveled are a good deal better in some places. In others they are not quite so good as they were the year previous; but, taking it as a whole, I believe there is an improvement. I do not mean to convey the idea that there is not much room for improvement, for such is not the case. Many improvements can be made all along the line.

It is the custom, in many places where there is an exchange of cars, for one road to deliver a car to the other road to be loaded or unloaded. This car has a defect of some kind, such as an inoperative lever, broken chain, hand brake not working, ladder round, or hand hold bent, or broken, etc. This car will in time be returned to the delivering road. The car is switched by both roads in this condition. The men are compelled to handle such car and take the chance of being injured in some way. The receiving road does not repair it on account of its going right back to the delivering road. In many cases these cars are not returned until a train is made up, when they want the car to go in that train, and away it goes. If the repair man wants to repair the car he is told they can not hold it, and if he does hold it and consequently delays the train, word comes to him from the office to explain why he held it.

It is an easy matter to see what may result if the car is allowed to go, but seven out of ten times it goes, and it keeps going on to its destination without being repaired, for no one will take the responsibility of holding it long enough to repair it if it is safe to run. The same conditions in regard to transfer may be in effect at the other end and the car is again switched in its defective condition. This is one of the many things that it seems to me ought to be remedied. One or the other of the transferring companies should see that the car is repaired. This can be done while it is being loaded or unloaded.

Some bad defects in air equipment are brought about by the neglect of switching and train men to separate the air hose and allowing it to be pulled apart, which at times loosens the joints and pipes. This is a custom with some, and should be discouraged.

It is claimed in some places that it is not necessaay to have all the air in the train in use, as the train can be handled just as well with a part of the air; in other places it is claimed that to use all the air is more of a hindrance than a benefit in the handli ng of the train; in other words, that the getting of trains over the road is better accomplished with only enough of the air coupled up to handle the train. I have watched the handling of trains, and have secured passage on some in both conditions, and it has been demonstrated very clearly to me that there is better service, quicker

It is not an uncommon

dispatch of trains, etc., on the lines where they use all air. occurrence to see a 70-car train all air and all working. It seems that the idea of using all air possible is being taken up by more than one railway official. Two roads that I know of during the past year have issued bulletins to have all air switched ahead in making up trains and to use all air that is operative.

I believe that air brakes have received more attention during the past year than during the previous one. In comparing the reports of cars inspected by myself in two years, I find the percentage of cars cut out is less the past year, and the percentage of cars cut out and having a defect card is greater to a considerable extent. As the air brake defect card is becoming more generally used, the braking facilities are getting better. With the continued use of the card the time will come when it will be a rare thing to find a car with a defective brake that is not labeled with a defect card. When that time comes there will be no excuse for the men in charge of the car department not seeing that the proper repairs are made and the brakes made fully operative. Very little attention is given by car inspectors to cars cut out unless they have defect cards to designate the trouble. I can only repeat what I said a year ago, that a rigid rule should require all conductors and trainmen to place air brake defect cards on all cars found inoperative in trains under their charge. I find that when this rule is enforced the air equipment is in the best condition.

I find very little force provided to do the work at some places where there are a large number of cars, and this results in permitting cars to be moved with defective safety appliances, and to go on the road in this condition.

One remedy for many of the defects to couplers and their uncoupling devices, as well as for the condition of handholds and ladders, would be to have a man at each principal point whose first duty should be to make an inspection of and repair such defects. In places where they have one or more men whose duties are as outlined above, and who carry with them a supply of clevises, split keys, etc., I find very little complaint from the yard men that uncoupling devices are not cared for.

There are places at which anyone who is familiar with conditions in and around railroad yards can readily see that more help is needed. From talks had with those who have jurisdiction at these places, it seems that they realize that more help is needed, but for some reason it is not furnished. The foreman asks for more help, and he is told to write a letter stating the conditions. He does this, and in due time the master mechanic or the general foreman, the person to whom application was made, comes around. The foreman asks for more help again, and is again told to write a letter; but the second letter, like the first, brings no relief. Many times the same rule applies to requests for supplies. I have been in places, both small and large points, where they had not had an air hose for a week, and they had been without other supplies for longer periods.

Lack of facilities for testing air at terminals in some cases does not permit of proper care. The failure to test air when the opportunity is given before leaving with the train also has a retarding effect on efficiency. No one will deny that to have a train made up and tested with an air plant in the yard gives the best result. If the instructions of these companies whose rule requires that a train must be tested after the engine is coupled on and has the train pumped up to required pressure were to be carried out-in yards where they have an air plant as well as where they have not-by the train crew or inspector, or both, there would be less cause for complaint about poor brakes.

I believe it is the intention of nearly all train crews when this rule is in effect to follow it, but there are times when it is hardly possible for them to do so. The train is late in being made up and as soon as the engine is coupled on the yardmaster says: "Get out of town." The conductor, at times, takes this order, gives the high sign, and away they go. Of course, if anything happens the conductor is held responsible for not testing the train, but he assumes that risk, for, on many occasions, if he insisted on testing the train, in a day or two he would get a letter from his superior wanting to know why he held the train. Day after day risks without number are taken by men in the train service, but they are taken with a view to expedite the business of the company, and I believe that in many cases the men are appreciated for so doing by the officers of the company.

Notwithstanding the conditions surrounding the matters referred to, I believe if every train before leaving a terminal had the air tested as is required by the rules of the company the end would justify the means. The engineer in charge, knowing the brakes had been tested, would have no lack of confidence; and the secret of success in railroading being "Be sure you're right, then go ahead," the train would reach its destination on time.

In my travels I have been received in a most cordial manner by all of the railway officials whose acquaintance I have had the pleasure of making, from the general

H. Doc. 181-19