held from the despatcher. The conductor was busy collecting tickets and the meeting order dropped out of his mind until he reached the station. While passing he imagined he saw two eastbound passenger trains on the side track, though in fact there was only one such train there. The operator who gave the clear flag signal had been stationed at that point temporarily for the purpose of block-signaling trains running in the same direction, without regard to despatcher’s orders concerning the movement of trains running toward each other.
Collisions, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 16 and 22 were due to mistakes or forgetfulness in connection with telegraphic orders or in reading timetables. In collision No. 3 the men at fault had been on duty 18 hours.
Railroad Law.
The following abstracts are taken from recent decisions of the Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit Courts in railroad cases:
Connecting Carriers—A special contract by a railroad company to transport a through shipment by a vessel of a connecting carrier sailing on a designated day will be deduced from the acceptance of a through rate for shipment “to be forwarded” via such a steamer, which rate was quoted with notice that it was of vital importance that the shipment should be transported promptly to enable the shipper to fulfill a contract for the sale of the goods at destination which required prompt delivery, and such a contract is binding though entered into by “a general eastern agent” of the receiver in control of the contracting carrier. (Sup. Ct. U. S.) Northern Pacific Ry. Co, vs, American Trading Co., 25 Sup. Ct. 84.
Exercise of Eminent Domain by Lessee of Franchise—The lessee of a telegraph company cannot as such lessee exercise the right of eminent domain possessed by its lessor. (Sup. Ct. U. S.) Western Union Telegraph Co. vs. Pennsylvania Ry. Co., 25 Sup. Ct. 150.
Relationship as Disqualification of Receiver—When the appointment of a person as one of the receivers of a railroad company in foreclosure proceedings is asked by the trustees in the mortgages and other creditors and favored by practically all of the parties in interest and is opposed by only a small minority of the bondholders who make no charge against his integrity or ability and he is specially fitted for the position by reason of his familiarity with the property and its operation the appointment will not be refused because of his relationship to certain of the large stockholders and bondholders nor because he had been an officer and director of the company. (U. S. Cir, Ct. Va.) Bowling Green Trust Co. vs. Virginia Passenger & Power Co., 133 Fed. Rep. 186.
Telegraph Company's Entry on Railroad Right of Way—Telegraph companies were not granted a right to enter upon and occupy railroad rights of way without consent by acts of Congress giving telegraph companies the right to construct, maintain and operate telegraph lines through and over the public domains and “over and along any of the military or post roads of the United States”; the purpose of that act being to withdraw interstate commerce by telegraph from state interference. (Sup. Ct. U. S.) Western Union Telegraph Co. vs. Pennsylvania R. R. Co., 25 Sup. Ct., Rep. 183.
Grand Trunk Terminal Improvements at Grand Rapids.
The present passenger and freight station of the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Railway at Grand Rapids, Mich., being about 1¾ miles from the center of the manufacturing and business district of the city, it was decided last July that the line should be extended into this district. For this purpose the Grand Rapids Terminal Railroad Company was organized, and an ordinance secured from the City Council of Grand Rapids permitting a line to be built from a point on the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee just east of the bridge crossing Grand River, southerly and adjoining a dock line recently established on the east bank of the river to Bridge street, a distance of about 8,000 ft. The ordinance also provided for a further extension of the line under Bridge street and about 1,000 ft. further south, to form connection with industries established there. To build an embankment adjoining the dock line as established, it was necessary to build a protection wall in the river, about 7,000 ft. long, the face of which should be the dock line. The ordinance provided that at street crossings and across city property this, wall should be built to grade elevation. Elsewhere, on the score of economy, it is but a few feet above the ordinary stage of water in the river. The height of this protection wall thus varies from about 7 ft. to 20 ft. After the completion of the embankment it is to be further protected to high-water mark by hand-placed riprap, as shown on the sketch of the general section of embankment and wall.
Bridge and Canal streets are the most important in the city. At the former the city has recently completed a concrete arch bridge about 500 ft. long. In order to pass under the approach to this structure, the track extending below Bridge street has to be depressed considerably. The elevation of the roadway at Bridge street is 28 ft.; the floor of the passenger station will be at about that same elevation, while the station tracks will be 21 ft. The elevation of the depressed track under Bridge street will be 10½ ft. at that point. It will therefore be necessary for the Terminal Company to build in addition to the dock line wall, another wall supporting the filling for the station tracks, which will lie above the depressed track for about 1,000 ft.; also another wall protecting the property to the east and north of the company’s property, on account of the limited space that could be acquired for track purposes.
The crossing of the power canal and dam will require four 60-ft. and two 48-ft. double-track, through-girder spans. Between the dam and Bridge street there will be eight different arches from 8 ft. to 12 ft. span and of sufficient length to carry three tracks, to serve as tail-races for the various industries situated on the canal and receiving power therefrom. The masonry will all be concrete and will amount to over 16,500 cu. yds.
The foregoing information was obtained from Mr. R. S. Logan, Assistant to Second Vice-President of the Grand Trunk.
Grand Rapids Terminal Railroad Company—General Plan of Improvements at Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Pig iron Production in 1904.
The Bulletin of the American Iron & Steel Association prints the following statistics of pig iron production in the United States during 1904.
The total production was 16,497,033 gross tons, against 18,009,252 tons in 1903, 17,821,307 tons in 1902, 15,878,354 tons in 1901, 13,789,242 tons in 1900, 13,620,703 tons in 1899, and 11,773,934 tons in 1898. The following
