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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



M 



ARCH, 



commissioners have allowed an approved and adopted mode of com- 

 munication to be superseded? Let us recollect that invention is al- 

 ready at work to supersede the locomotive, that manv of these plans, 

 although not yet brought to bear, have shown great ingenuity, and 

 have been made to work ; and is competition to be dependent on the 

 dictum of government commissioners? If the engineers think they 

 w'ill work best in government harness, let them Ije submissive : if they 

 do not think so, let them at once step forward, and act before it is too 

 late. The r.iihvay engineer has had his province invaded ofteii enough 

 by Irish and Knglish railway commissioners to know what he has to 

 expect, so that he ought to want but little urging to impel him to do 

 his duty. The locomotive engineer will see that he has advisers 

 ready to dictate to him the number and form of the wheels of his en- 

 gines, the axles " and other points of a similar nature," whose thraldom, 

 unless he escape by his own exertions, he will find it difiicnit to avoid. 

 The marine engineers, and the other branches of the profession have 

 tlieir interests concerned in those of the profession generally, and they 

 must recollect that in lighting thi< battle they are fighting their own. 

 "La/arus is not dead, be only sleepeth," — steam navigation jobs, if 

 they have one head cut otf, bydra»like always produce more, and the 

 success of the railway measure will furnish a precedent by which other 

 and more stringent enactments may be obtained. We call therefore 

 on the profession generally to meet, and resist the proposed invasion 

 of their rights — to dismiss all personal disputes on this occasion, and 

 to see only their personal interests — let the younger members of the 

 profession not be behind hand, their career is before them, and if they 

 do not wish their prospects to be blighted, and themselves corverted 

 into a set of government sycophants, let them support their elder 

 brethren in maintaining the general cause. We have "noslro consilio" 

 Buccessfullv aided in one campiugn, we have been rewarded bv the 

 thanks of the interest, which we defended, and we pledge also on the 

 issue of the present etlbrt, the same exertions and the same regard for 

 the rights of our constituencv. 



The cliicf stipulations which we consider that the profession should 

 tnake with the goveniment are, 



First. Tliat as little interference as possible sliould take place upon 

 Eubjects connected with engineering, and that such interference should 

 be limited to matters rendered absolutely imperative by public safety. 



Second. Tliat no regnlation sl'.ould be marie without the subject in 

 <)iiestion having been duly investigated, either by the Institute of Civil 

 Engineers, or by a commission composed of engineers belonging to the 

 branch to whicli the subject relates, not railway commissioners, gu- 

 vernnient engineers, or loyal engineers. 



Third. That examinations directed by the act shall be public, ac- 

 cording to a regulated and uniform plan, and shall be conducted by 

 the Institute of Civil Engineers, or by the departments of Engineering 

 of the Universities of London, Glasgow or Durham. 



Fourth. That in case of a ditlerence of opinion between the com- 

 missioners and engineers, it shall be left to the decision of arbitr,Jtors 

 nominated by each partv. 



Fifth. That a portion of the railway commission shall be composed 

 of civil engineers. 



ENGINE DRIVERS OX RAILWAYS. 



TnK late accidents on railways, and the unfortunate loss of life which 

 has occurred in many cases, have naturallv directed public attention 

 more forcibly towards providing some efficient remedy against their 

 recurrence ; fur althongh it is very true that the accidents frequent bv 

 the former method of conveying the public bv couches were, for the 

 most part, attended by a much greater proportionate loss of life than 

 lias occurred on railways, we naturally expect that the talent and 

 expenditure employed in completing these undertakings would have 

 obviated such calamities by foresight and arrangement, and in con- 

 firmation (jf the justice of this opinion, it is further remarkabletli.it 

 accidents, till recently, have, been very iinfrequent and seldom attended 

 by hiss of life. Many railways w ere opened during the ])ast vear, and 

 their want of organization may have tended to cause irregularitv. 

 We may also be allowed to entertain an opinion that jireviuus success 

 on older railways has caused, in some degree, a relaxation of care on 

 the part of those entrusted with the management ol new ones, both in 

 the selection of proper oilicers, and in carrying out the recommen- 

 dations of those professionally engaged in the practical detail, so as to 

 effect that uniformity of action tliroughout the entire establishment 

 which is necessary to insure success. In the management of a rail- 

 Vfay, as in that of the army, it appears necessary that business should 

 be conducted by a head manager, deriving his authoritv and receiving 

 instructions iinmetliately from the board of directors, having under 

 him gradations of oHicers, who should be held responsible for the due 



performance of the duties of themselves and their subordinates, and 

 have the power of appeal to the board of directors in cases of dispute, 

 they should also be protected from the individual interference of 

 receiving orders from any other than their superior ofScer in each de- 

 partment respectively, and these superior officers from the manager 

 as the official organ of the directors. 



It may be argued by many, that such an arrangement as we propose 

 would open a door to abuse of power by the superior officers and 

 manager, but a determination on the part of the directors to main- 

 tain order and gentlemanly feeling among them, by considering witll 

 impartiality and minuteness every case of appeal brought undfr 

 their notice, and by reprimanding the delinquent, however high his 

 station, would effectuallv curb any such evil. 



Most, if not all, railway companies have established some code of 

 regulations for a portion, at least, of their seriants but recent in- 

 quiries seem to show that they have not always been enforced with 

 the decision necessary to render them available in all cases, and it is 

 doubtful how far they may embrace and define the duties of every 

 servant connected with the executive, for unless their respective 

 responsibilities are clearly understood, it will become difficult to as- 

 certain which of two parties may have acted improperly, although 

 each be actuated by a laudab'e desire to further the safety of the pub- 

 lic and the prosperity of the railway ; the decision on the part of the 

 directors becomes doubtful, and perliaps the occasion may pass without 

 being legislated upon at all, or at most an order is passed which, being 

 observed for a time, falls into disuse from its isolated character; and 

 if it becomes necessary to adopt any improved local arrangement, this 

 is also in danger of being applied to individual cases rather than to 

 the general system. 



The responsible duties of the engine-driver conducting each railway 

 train, have marked him out as the peculiar object of public inquiry 

 and censure, and it may be naturally assumed as unfortunate that these 

 men have risen in many cases from classes uneducated, so far as book, 

 learning is concerned. The knowledge of reading and writing, no 

 doubt, gives man a moral standing and feeling of confidence that can 

 be acquired in no other way, but we by no means admit that engine 

 drivers are uneducated for the duties required of them, after having 

 undergone a practical aiiprenticesliip for many years as assistants on 

 the engines thev emulate to conduct, and being intrusted with their 

 care after |;ro'-ing themselves sober and attentive servants. 



Men educated in the theoretical knowledge of the laws of latent 

 heat and expansion of fluids, would, we think, be quite unable to con- 

 duct an engine ten miles without an accident, unless they were prac- 

 tically initiated in its management by serving an apprenticeship to 

 the more menial duties; and it is very doubtful how far he would 

 exercise the continued watchfulness and caution necessary, if the 

 sense of danger were removed by too much confidence in the effi- 

 ciency of an education such as has been proposed by sending them to 

 institutions for acquiring this knowledge. 



Of the manv accidents which have lately oceun-^d on railways, we 

 think that there has been a prevalent want of system iu giving signals, 

 as well as disregard of dutv in not exhibiting them. To render sig- 

 nals efficient, they shoiild be conducted with the gnakst Simpiicily as 

 well as certainty, and where many signs are sought to be conveyed, 

 as proposed bv tiie Railway Conference, there i* great danger of an 

 improper one being used. Where a signal of danger becomes neces- 

 sarv, it must generally occur from irregularity or accident, and we 

 think the railway system will not b-^ complete until provided with a 

 ready means of immediately transmitting information to every part of 

 the line, as bv telegraph. Tills has beea adopted on a short line in 

 the metropolis on tiie electro-magnetic principle with eminent suc- 

 cess: indeed we doubt if the business could be conducted with safety 

 unless provided with such an instnnnent ; an efficient means of com- 

 munication is also required between the guards and engineer of the 

 train, to give inform;ition of any accident that may occur to a carriage 

 or otherwise. 



Engine drivers are, however, placed in so important a relation to 

 the safety and proper conduct of railway trains, that it 1ms become a 

 serious necessity, felt alike by the proprietors of railways and the 

 public, that they should become or be chosen from a superior class of 

 operatives, and it is their position to wdiich we wish to call more 

 iiiiuiediate attention. To attain tills object it is indispensably requi- 

 site that their moral conduct and emulation in the skilful discharge of 

 their duties sliould be fostered by the due consideration of their su- 

 perior officers and employers, and that they should be carefully pro- 

 tected from interference or injustice when acting with proiiriety. As 

 a reward for merit we should recommend an honorary, rather than a 

 pecuniary consideration. A medal, we think, would prove a more 

 certain inducement, from its being, SM ge.wris, a certificate of good 

 character. 



