the bursted hose; on the other hand, if while using steam a hose should burst, the slack being all out, if hose bursted on rear end of train, would cause no damage, as only a service application would take place. If hose bursted on the head end of train while using steam, it would be equal to the engineer applying the brake in service application and no serious results

would occur. When a hose bursts it usually starts a leak before giving out entirely, and this is supplied from the main reservoir, on account of the engineer's brake valve handle being in running position, the air escaping from the trainpipe does not do so quickly enough to cause an emergency application.

Notes. It is said that an effort is being made by the general office clerks of the Santa Fe System to form a union. In addition to asking for increased wages, a request is made for an eight-hour work day and overtime for anything in excess of eight hours.

It is said that the B. & O. has paid another company $7,000 for an option on seven locomotives being built by the Bald win Works. This is prosperity for sure! The line of railway has been completed which unites Havana and Santiago. This road traverses almost the entire length of the Island of Cuba, and at no point is far from either coast. It is expected that as a result an immense agricultural district will be developed.

In a collision which recently occurred on the Burlington Railroad, near Dayton's bluff, St. Paul, Minn., one of the engineers who found himself pinned beneath the wreckage of his engine by his foot, deliberately took out his pocket knife and amputated the foot at the ankle, after which he crawled away. Shortly after the tender of the engine settled down in the exact spot he had occupied.

Must Have No Side Lines.-It used to be common for some railroad men who were more thrifty than others and who were fortunate enough to have laid by a snug little sum from their earnings to invest their savings in some business, placing some one in charge of same while they continued to follow their vocation with the railroad company.

This is all changed, and those employes who have interests in groceries, coal yards, saloons, etc., must decide to dispose of those interests or leave the service of the company. A prominent eastern railroad company takes the position that the time of the employes all belongs to the company, and that in the

Ends

train service especially if trainmen have their minds burdened with outside business cares they are apt to neglect the business of the company.

Chain-Ganging to Go.-The Livingston, Mont., Enterprise says: "It is intimated that orders have been received from St. Paul to discontinue what is termed 'chain

ganging,' the practice of assigning engineers to any engine that comes along. If the report proves correct, and the engineers again have the same engine all the time, they will be much better pleased with the plan."

The Grand Trunk on the Pacific Coast.-Westward through northern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, to a point on the Pacific coast, the Grand Trunk Railway proposes to build another great transcontinental line. The Rocky Mountains will be crossed either by the canyon of the Peace River

or that of the Pine River. The western terminus will probably be at Port Simpson or at Butte Inlet. Port Simpson is the northernmost port of importance on the British Pacific coast line, and is just across Portland Canal from the southern part of Alaska. Butte Inlet is much farther south. It is estimated that the cost of this undertaking will be near $100,000,000, but it is expected that the great agricultural and mining country developed, and the share of Pacific trade obtained, will make the investment profitable.

An "Operating" Expense.-European railways, at least those railways in countries with Kings, are subjected to an expense not incurred by railways on this side of the Atlantic. The London and North Western, Great Eastern, Great West

English, as Spoken in Britain.-Railway technical names used on British railways are hardly intelligible to railway men in the

United States and Canada. The following account of a railway accident is taken from London Engineering, and is submitted for translation:

On the day named the 10:50 a. m. passenger train from Chesterfield to Sheffield ran off the main line into a loop at some facing points, and collided with some wagons standing on the loop. The accident arose entirely from the signalman's inadvertence. During some shunting operations the points had been set for the loop, and this setting automatically locked the signals controlling the main

line. The signalman, however, forgot the position of his points, and though he noticed that one of the levers in his cabin was "over," he assumed it was the lever working the facing-point lock. Finding he could not lower the signals, he assumed the transmitting gear had jammed in some way, and on the passenger train approaching, signalled it forward from his cabin by means of a green flag in opposition to the signals. The driver, who, finding the distant signal against him, had reduced speed, turned on steam again on receiving the flag signal, and was running at about twenty-five miles an hour, when he perceived that the road was wrongly set. He immediately shut off steam and applied his brakes, but could not avoid the collision, though he greatly

reduced its force.

Pension Schemes.-The following is taken from exchanges: A pension system has been adopted on the San Antonio and Arkansas Pass Railroad, effective January 1, 1903.

A pension system was to be established on the line of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company, January 1, 1903.

A "relief" department is said to have been established on the Cleveland, Akron and Columbus Railroad, similar to that on the Pennsylvania Lines west of Pittsburg.

tion of the old Columbus, Sandusky and Hocking Railroad belonging to the Pennsylvania Lines west of Pittsburg, are now

It is said that the employes of that por

eligible to membership in the relief de

partment.

A pension system was expected to be put in operation by the Union Pacific Railroad Company on January 1, 1903.

The Canadian Pacific Railroad Company is said to have adopted a pension system.

It is reported that a pension system will be enforced by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company.

It is said that according to the new system prevailing on the Illinois Central Railroad, Mr. J. W. Boyer, the oldest engineer on the roll, has been retired, and will draw a pension of $21 per month for the remainder of his life. He is said to be the first engineer in the service of the company to receive a pension.

Insurance for Railroad Men.-From the Oakland (Cal.) Tribune it is learned that the following circular has been issued by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company:

To encourage and enable employes to provide a fund which shall be promptly

available for themselves or their families in the event of injury or death by accident, an exclusive arrangement has been made with the Continental Casualty Company of Chicago, Ill., which affords the opportunity of being so insured at a materially reduced cost, the same to become effective January 1, 1903. Deduction upon the pay-roll for premiums on policies written after that date will be made in favor of the Continental Casualty Company only.

Employes desiring to insure with other companies may do so, but they must make their own arrangement for the payment of premiums outside of the company's accounts.

This company looks with favor upon its employes carrying accident insurance, especially those whose duties expose them to danger. The arrangements made with the company named above is to further the interests of employes and to induce them to more generally avail themselves, at a moderate cost, of the advantages of insurance. It is hoped that the result will justify the effort that has been made in this direction.

(Signed.) J. KRUTTSCHNITT, Fourth Vice-President and General Manager.

Experienced Men Not Wanted. From the Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph-Herald of December 29, 1902, it is learned that J. C. Dailey, superintendent of the Freeport Division of the Illinois Central, has issued the following circular to the agents in his territory:

In order to be in a position to secure men from the towns and country along our line for service in various positions in the transportation department, and for positions as firemen in the machinery de partment, it is desired that agents ascer tain the names of young men at their stations or vicinity who are ambitious to enter railroad service, and furnish a list of their names and addresses with a brief statement of the person, giving age, occu pation, position desired, with an opinion

as to their fitness for the line of work de sired.

After such a list has been received, the trainmaster or master mechanic will try to see such applicants and have a personal talk with them. Additional lists should be furnished from time to time, say every three months. The idea is to have a list of available men we can draw on from time to time as needed.

Waited to be Rescued."-As a freight train on the Wisconsin Central Railroad was running between Byron and Hamilton, early in the morning of January 1, 1903, says an exchange, the engineer thought a brake shoe was rubbing, or else there was a hot box, as the engine did not seem

to be running smoothly. Stepping out in the gangway to investigate, his foot slipped on the icy step and off he went. By the time he had rolled down the embankment and sat up to look around, the rear of the train was just passing him. His shouts were not heard by the men in the caboose, and he had the satisfaction of seeing the lights of his train disappear in the distance. He received no injury from his fall. The train proceeded on to Fond du Lac, where the loss of the engineer was reported, and an engine was sent out to pick him up. Upon arriving at Hamilton he was found seated on a flat car waiting to be "rescued."

Railroad Legislation.-The Indianapolis News of December 19, 1902, says: "The railway employes' organizations are going to urge on the next meeting of the Legislature the passage of a bill to provide an inspection department for trains. The bill will provide for an inspector and two deputies, whose duties it shall be to see that the rolling stock of the companies complies fully with the Indiana safety laws. The inspector and his deputies are to be appointed by the Governor. The railway employes will fight the bill providing for garnishment of wages, which the grocers are preparing to present."

Locomotive Boiler Explosion. - The Tucson (Ariz.) Star of December 16, 1902, has the following: "The other night as engine No. 2284, which pulls the Southern Pacific passenger, was being put in order at Lordsburg to come out on the run, it blew up and caused considerable damage. An eye-witness described it as follows: Hostler Woods heard the engine piping off steam and got up into the cab to see if she carried plenty of water. Just as he put his hands on the cocks in the water gauge the explosion occurred. The engine reared up just like a bucking horse and then fell with its nose dug in the ground. The whole end of the roundhouse was torn down and considerable damage was done to adjoining buildings. Luckily, Hostler Woods met with only severe scalds and is now resting easily. The front end of the engine was blown about five hundred yards down the track, and there was brick and scrap iron scattered all over the yards. The force of the concussion was strong enough to put out every light in Lordsburg. A great hole was dug in the ground."

Railway Earnings.-The railroad gross earnings for the month of November (compiled by The Chronicle) show 7 per cent. gain over November, 1901. This is for 90,000 miles of road. For six years, now, there has been a November gain each year over the year before. Last year it was 122 per cent. For eight years in succession the gross earnings for the eleven months to November 30th, have shown gains, but for the month November, 1896, showed a decrease. The steady prosperity of the railroads since 1895 has been used with consistent wisdom by the managers of those properties to put them into condition, physical and financial, to stand heavy weather, and we should think it quite safe to say that the railroads of the country were never before so strong as they are today.-Railroad Gazette.

Passes on Government Railways.-At first the railways of Australia, which are owned by the government, were very liberal to employes in supplying transportation, but now a policy has been adopted that will not only result in wage-reductions, but also in the withdrawal of the pass privilege. The Railway Standard of Melbourne says:

Before the first wave of retrenchment came some years ago, Victorian Railway employes were entitled to one free pass per month, and to an annual all-lines pass for wife and three children at leave time. They emerged from that wave retaining the annual all-lines pass, but with the monthly pass taken from them, receiving in exchange, however, the right to take out privilege tickets at quarter-fare for

em

themselves and their families as often as they chose. There was common sense in this reform; the men appreciated it; the railways gained by it, for no journey was absolutely unproductive, and the ployes were encouraged to make many journeys by the liberal concession granted to them. The revenue from these privilege tickets amounted to between £6,000 and £7,000 per year, which does not satisfy Mr. Bent, and, grasping at the shadow of a revenue doubled or trebled by raising the fares to full rates, he will assuredly lose to the railways a very nutritive bone. With the privilege tickets taken away, and with wages reduced, the men simply will not travel unless they can not help it, and the revenue will suffer. A reforming Minister, full of zeal, has no time to study such unimportant things as the example of railway companies elsewhere which are quite as anxious to make money as he is, else he might have been struck by the fact that these privilege tickets are issued on English lines. They were at first charged at halfrates; the resulting revenue encouraged the companies to greater liberality, and the quarter-rate gave still better returns

than the half. But Victoria is to be a law unto itself, so the men and the railways must suffer.

Then we have the matter of periodical tickets. Formerly the railway man got. them at half-rates-a concession which was only fair, since in many cases he can not avoid traveling expenses by living close to his work, being subject to frefull just to make him feel elated by the quent removal. Now he has to pay in distinction of being differently treated to every other employe of any carrying concern in the world.

Locomotive Mechanism and Engineering.-This well-known technical book, the author of which is Mr. H. C. Reagan, has just been issued in its fourth edition, enlarged to 565 pages and index and containing 309 illustrations. The publishers are John Wiley & Sons, New York City, and the price is $2.50. The author says in his preface to this fourth edition:

This edition describes and illustrates by means of photographs and detailed drawings the latest improvements in locomotive practice. This includes the latest locomotives, and treats of many improvetypes of compound and single-expansion ments in fire-boxes and boiler construction.

The subjects of liquid fuel and oil-burning engines are carefully considered, as well as piston-valve engines and tracksanding apparatus.

The author also discusses the different methods of operating valve motion for compound locomotive engines, and takes up the questions of metallic packing and of air-pumps.

The new matter is intended to put the highest type of locomotive and its details. reader in touch with the very latest and

The Modern Air Pump.- Railway and locomotive engineering journals are sounding the praises of the 11-inch air pump and various stories are told of the powers of the new invention, says the Houston Post. The marked superiority of the 91⁄2-inch pump over the 8-inch, when the former came into the air brake field several years ago, was greatly pleasing to railroad men in general. Particularly was the feature of greater capacity valued, as air-braked freight trains were then beginning to become quite long. A tale is being told of an engineer on the Southern Pacific who failed to appreciate greater capacity and found a grievance against the 92-inch pump which he reported on the work book as follows: "The new 91⁄2-inch pump jams more wind than three 8-inch pumps. But take it off. It leaves the air on my side of the engine so thin

and makes my asthma so bad I can't breathe. Put it on the left-hand side or take the thing off altogether."

Now that the 11-inch pump has been applied to some few engines, a story has been found for it. A Santa Fe engineer had an engine with a 91⁄2-inch pump, and was coupled to eighty cars of air whose train line was leaking a little worse than usual. He had been pumping about ten minutes and had gotten but a few pounds. His pump was tearing along like a race horse. Beside him, on the next track, was a new Schenectady engine with an 11-inch pump and coupled to eighty-six air cars with train line in fairly good condition. With a dull "choom! choom! choom!" as leisurely and lazily as the step of a railroad tramp on a hot day, the 11-inch stroked for about five minutes and then shut down with ninety to seventy in the main reservoir and train line, respectively. The Santa Fe engineer looked fiercely at the 11-inch pump resting quietly after finishing its work, and then turned round to his 91⁄2-inch, which was still racing and was smoking at the packing nuts. Suddenly a thought struck him and he ran forward and called to the

switchman: "Hey! there you, Jim! Throw that switch and let me pull up a few car lengths! Let me get away from this

11-inch pump. It has sucked up all the air around here and I can't get any. Let me pull up to where it is thicker and fresh! Hang the 11-inch pump when you haven't got it."

Didn't Like the Road.-Superintendent-So you want a job as fireman, eh?

Applicant-Yes, sir.

Superintendent-I'll have to ask you a few questions. How far is it to the north pole?

Applicant-Gee, whiz! If you're going to put me on that line, I don't want the job.-Indianapolis Trade Journal.

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Starving Cattle.-While "prosperity" has brought about a shortage of rolling stock in the United States and Canada, a distressing drought has produced a similar result in Australia. The New South Wales Railway Budget says that "Owing to the very heavy traffic in starving stock, particularly in the Southern district, a shortage of stock trucks is being experienced, and in this connection the Railway Commissioners have stated that the de partment is working at high pressure to cope with the demands. In addition to

In

dealing with the ordinary every-day demand in carrying stock for market, export, etc., the department has to face a very heavy call for trucks in connection with the removal of starving stock, and at present 50 per cent. of the stock wagons are being utilized in that service. their anxiety to save as much stock as possible, the commissioners are utilizing the ordinary goods wagons where it can be done, each carrying one deck of sheep. Not only are the wagons fully utilized, but there is the difficulty of finding engines to run all the trains required, as the starving stock traffic is, as a rule, long-distance traffic without compensating back loading. The commissioners are also, in order to give the greatest possible relief, and in view of the matter being one of necessity, working in the far district on Sundays."

Increased Wages.-Based upon information obtained from press reports the following increases in wages are reported:

Engineers and firemen on the Wisconsin Central Railroad have been granted an advance in pay amounting to from 5 to 8 per cent. over the schedule of last year. Among other concessions granted were the following: Firemen in freight service will not be required to clean the engines outside the cab; engines are to be pooled, which is expected to relieve the men from having to wait so long for the return of the engines, after having laid off and the engines having been sent out with extra crews; appeals from discipline are to be filed within thirty days from date of

same.

Engineers, firemen, conductors, trainmen and station employes of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad are said to have had their wages increased from 5 to 10 per cent., effective December 1, 1902.

Employes of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad who were making less than $100 per month are given a 10 per cent. increase in wages, beginning January 1, 1903.

The Santa Fe switchmen have been granted an increase in pay at Temple, Texas, corresponding with the rate of pay for same service in Chicago.

Engineers on the big engines of the Great Northern Railroad, pulling the coast trains, have had their wages increased from $4 per one hundred miles to $4.25.

What is said to be the largest amount paid by any railroad company in the United States in wages to its passenger