their appropriate Indiana Railroad Commission designation. The Commission hereby requests each railroad to furnish it not later than April 1, 1909, a complete list of all interlockers in the State of Indiana along its line of road, east and west lines indicating them in regular order from east to west, and north and south lines from north to south. The Commission, after complete lists are thus furnished, will provide the railroads with the Commission's name-numbers, for each interlocker; e.g., South Bend-10; Muncie -7, etc.

By order of the Commission.

CHAS. B. RILEY, Secretary.

At Indianapolis, Indiana, March 1, 1909.

STATE OF INDIANA.

RAILROAD COMMISSION OF INDIANA.

CARCULAR No. 31.

To All Steam and Electric Railroads:

The Railroad Commission of Indiana has instructed its corps of inspectors to enlarge the scope of their inspection of cars, so as to include both defects penalized by the State law and those having no penalty affixed, but which render the operation of cars dangerous. Hereafter your equipment will be inspected for such defects as, cutting out of air; crippled hand brakes; broken cut chains; hand brakes missing; defective grab irons; broken or missing brake shoes; defective couplers, and other defects in safety appliances and general condition.

THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF INDIANA.
CHAS. B. RILEY, Secretary.

Indianapolis, March 22, 1909.

STATE OF INDIANA.

RAILROAD COMMISSION OF INDIANA.

CIRCULAR No. 32.

To the Mayors and Common Councils of Cities and Boards of Trustees of Towns in Indiana:

Gentlemen-Examinations, by the Inspection Department of the Railroad Commission, or rights-of-way of railroads within this State, develop that such rights-of-way are frequently made a dumping ground for garbage, rubbish and refuse, from cities and towns. These are allowed to accumulate in such quantities alongside the tracks, that in many instances they extend to the ends of the ties and even to the rails. Consequently, that portion of the right-of-way is made dangerous for the passage of trainmen who, in the performance of their duties, must work beside the track, and who may easily be tripped and thrown by the presence of such rubbish;

or who are compelled, because of these accumulations, to work in a more hazardous position between the rails.

The Railroad Commission respectfully solicits your assistance in this matter, and requests that you take such steps in your own municipality, by ordinance or police regulation, as will prevent the dumping of rubbish on the right-of-way or near the tracks. The result will be, the removal of a serious menace to the lives and safety of trainmen.

THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF INDIANA.
CHAS. B. RILEY, Secretary.

Indianapolis, Indiana, April 1, 1909.

STATE OF INDIANA.

RAILROAD COMMISSION OF INDIANA.

CIRCULAR No. 33.

To the Mayors and Common Councils of Cities Within the State of Indiana: Gentlemen-The Railroad Commission of Indiana directs your atten

tion to the following facts:

Trespassers Killed or Injured on Railway Tracks in Indiana during the

Most, if not all, of these casualties, were avoidable. They were caused by the victims using railroad tracks as a footway. This is not the proper or legitimate use of a railway. Courts, legislatures and common experience all declare railway tracks to be places of great and imminent danger to footmen.

In many cities and towns, men, women and children use the tracks as a thoroughfare at all hours of the day, and sometimes at night. The death roll will continue to grow until these conditions are radically improved.

The Railroad Commission is earnestly seeking to reduce this appalling and unnecessary loss of life, by securing the active co-operation of mayors and city councils in the passage of ordinances, where none now exist, forbidding the use of railway tracks as footways within the corporate limits, and the rigid enforcement of such as have already been enacted. As there is no statute in Indiana covering this subject matter, no legal impediment prevents the passage of such ordinances. Authority for their enactment is found in Burns Stats. 1908, Sec. 8655, sub. 49. The Commission suggests the following as a desirable form to be adopted:

“An ordinance forbidding trespassing upon railroad tracks, located within the City of and imposing fines and punishments for viola

tions thereof.

"Section 1. Be it ordained by the Common Council of the City of That any person who enters upon and walks between the rails of any railroad track, or across or upon any part of such track used for railway purposes, and located within the corporate limits of said City of ———, except where the same is or shall be laid across streets, alleys, or station grounds, shall be fined in any sum not exceeding $100, together with costs of prosecution: Provided, That this ordinance shall not apply to an employe of the company owning or operating, or of the receiver of the company owning or operating such tracks, which employe is required to be at such time and place upon such tracks, in the performance of his duty. Nor shall this ordinance apply to any person expressly authorized by any such company or receiver to be at such time and place upon such tracks.

"Section 2. The terms railway' and 'railroad' used in this ordinance shall apply to all railroads, whether operated by steam or electricity, whose tracks, other than street car tracks, are located within said city."

The Commission hereby calls upon the city authorities to exert their utmost power in the manner above indicated, that the lives and safety of their citizens may be preserved from this grave peril; and requests that it may be advised when such ordinance has been passed.

THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF INDIANA.
CHAS. B. RILEY, Secretary.

Indianapolis, Indiana, April 1, 1909.

STATE OF INDIANA.

RAILROAD COMMISSION OF INDIANA.

CIRCULAR No. 34.

To the Electric Interurban Railroads Within the State of Indiana:

The Railroad Commission of Indiana, through formal reports made to it, and from its official investigations, is advised that a large proportion of accidents upon the electric roads is caused by the failure of employes to obey standard operating rules or special instructions in force for the safe movement of trains. To the end that the Railroad Commission may have all attainable information regarding methods used in examining applicants for employment, in instructing employes regarding rules and their duties under them, and the systems adopted for enforcing observance of said rules, it requests of you the following statements, with full explanations thereof:

1. A statement showing, as to each of the following classes of employes, namely, (1) conductors, (2) motormen, (3) towermen, (4) telegraph operators, (5) train dispatchers, (6) any other employes engaged in operating trains, what examination or inquiry, if any, is made previous to their employment in or promotion to such positions, as to their mental and physical capacity, their experience, habits and general fitness for the proposed employment.

2. A statement showing what steps are taken to require of each employe a competent knowledge of the operating rules governing his duty and conduct as such employe.

3. A statement showing what examinations or investigations are made from time to time, either regularly or otherwise, to keep informed as to whether employes of the said several classes are familiar with the rules and instructions governing their duties and conduct, and what measures are taken to improve the effectiveness of operating rules from time to time and their applicability to disclose accident situations.

4. What record, if any, is kept of violations of rules and instructions, committed by any of the aforesaid employes?

5. What system of rewards or other method of recognition is adopted, as an inducement and encouragement to employes to become proficient in the rules and to render faithful service?

6. Any other information which may, in the opinion of the chief operating officer of each of said railways, be of use to the Commission in investigating the causes of accidents so far as the latter result from neglect by employes or nonobservance by them of rules and instructions. THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF INDIANA,

CHAS. B. RILEY, Secretary.

Indianapolis, Indiana, April 1, 1909.

Chief Engineer.

Indianapolis, Ind., April 1, 1909.

CIRCULAR No. 35.

Dear Sir-The Railroad Commission of Indiana desires to secure from you suggestions and information upon the following points:

1. What is your opinion as to the value of blocking frogs, guard rails and switches, considered from the standpoint of prevention of injuries to trainmen and others?

2. What is the result of your experience and experiments, as to the best manner of blocking frogs, guard rails and switches?

3. What is your opinion of the value of a blocking device such as is shown in Fig. A, the same being made of wood or metal, and filling the entire space between the webs of the stock and guard rails, coming up to the bottom of the ball on the side next the stock rail, then sloping downward and inward toward the guard rail about one-half an inch, then horizontally toward the guard rail to a point two and a quarter inches from the gage line, then sloping upward so as to come on a level with the center of the ball of the guard rail and extending over to the guard rail, fitting it snugly; the same device to be applied to wing rails, frogs and switches.

4. What is your opinion of the value of beveling the ends of guard rails, wing rails and foot guards, as shown in Fig. B, with the view of reducing to a minimum the liability to accident from tripping against the ends of such guard rails, wing rails and foot guards?

5. Will you submit to the Commission blue print or prints of foot guards which you have used and approved; with full explanation thereof and suggestions for improvements therein, together with cost of installation per guard?

6. What suggestions have you to make as to the best method of securing adequate blocking of guard rails, wing rails, frogs and switches throughout the State, provided a suitable guard can be devised and is directed by the Commission to be used?

7. What proportion of your frogs, guard rails, switches and wing rails are now blocked?

8. Any further information upon these subjects you are able to furnish.

Kindly reply at your early convenience.

THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF INDIANA,

CHAS. B. RILEY, Secretary.