Show COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE IE TRAIN CONTROL Preparations Under Way to Continue WorK Worth of WrecK Prevention tion BLOCK SYSTEM AND STEEL CARS NEEDED I Automatic Control Systems Best Manner of Preventing Preventing Prevent Prevent- ing Accidents By FREDERIC FREDERIO J. J HASKIN If con congress makes the tho appropriation of ot requested b by the interstate commerce commission for tho the further investigation of ot systems of or train control control con con- that bo body y is prepared to tako take up the work of wreck prevention where the ho block signal and train control contro board left of off in 1911 That much remains to bo be done dono in the tho elimination of accidents in in railroad op oration is disclosed by tho the fact that thai the tho bo avera average e number of people daily killed and In injured in the United States in n tho the operation of its railroads ran ranges es around GOO Each year the tho number of people killed is lar largo o enough h to Into ato a D. cit city the tho size sire of Woodrow wily Wil son sons son's 8 birt birthplace Staunton Staunton Va The number of people injured annually by the tho railroads is a as j great reat as tho the population lation of ot Toledo 0 O. Tho great reat bulk built of those hose killed and injured are arc railroad employees Out of a total total of ot killed and injured were cm- cm loyod by the rai railroads roads Under the tho law Jaw aw of ot avera averages c. c fourteen people arc are killed every ovary day while whilo trespassing on railroad property The interstate commerce commission keeps a n careful cheek check upon accidents occurring in railroad operation and has las been empowered by eon congress es to work in many directions for tor tho the pro pro- of ot those tholo who operate and those who ride on the railroads One Ono of the tha treat great causes causs of accidents in in into tt tho past pat was tho the use o of f u a nau 1 couplers The commission has ha pi pr scribed a number of safety for cars but up to the resent present HI tia only a percentage percenta c o 0 of the car cars carac t the country have been becu equipped Ti i 1 these dc devices ces and it is 8 feared that t 11 less some way wax is found to prod t t U railroad companies they will ill not cos cO tf the tho work of or properly equip their cars un under tinder er the thc time limit NR t If which is July Juh J 1 J. J 1910 1016 s In many cases cars can with defect appliances are permitted to lest lei terminals or repair points point when b very cry slight repairs are arc needed to plat pit them in in proper condition Some of oft tJ railroads have hn-c fought the efforts of ofU tJ interstate commerce comm commission ii I specters to make malto them comply with t tl law but the tho courts court have held thatis that is not incumbent upon the they to notify a railroad when equipment j deficient The law y requires that esti nt car shall be bo equipped with pro couplings and air brakes and t s these must bo be kept in working orkin order The Tho allegation frequently made I wh serious erious railroad accidents o occur cur is tw tbs railroad men ruen arc overworked In Ia or ord l- l to prevent unusual leu length th of ot f I dut duty congress enacted a law Jaw pretenD ing the number numb r of hours a might remain on duty Under this thu ii la railroads aro arc required now to keep kupO K P oa file detailed reports of every detail a aa a a. a train showing the tho cau causes cs and d dun dar hons of delays delas and their JeD length th b border order that the commis commission ion may w ot ir why kept u duty employees arc aro on v excess of the statutory period fbI commission says that the number o n 0 accidents in which excessive hours o sI service have haye played a part have v most mot disappeared At the same tia tir tho the railroads are arc disposed d to maKe is 11 t tn r caused eS by discs for Jon long loner I hours hour delays There has come to be a I vec t unusual number of ot hot box bons i. i II as for t leak leaky flues etc reported cause causo of delays deb while whilo there II or se H out were so 80 many it steam many engines failing for there have hac been since the thc ho boars ita service net went wont into effect H L 1 f a interstate tO coi T t ref suit Bult is that the recommends that suf f alN accepted It It longer CUBes be bo no d be DC r than n recommends that the tho law dolat so 10 that a railroad company compan y the tho a apt act t shall hall be he fined a mm rather than titan not not to tIC Courts conns Aid Aia Commission I The courts have aided the of t fl Interpretation t greatly by their IC hours of ot service act In one tars cAli b M held that a train carrying Ultras the O b lI lIot ne ness fleas was not exempted from Ujo bW of ot this act In another C case e u It Its OD t ky that the ae crew cress of a IL t train details detained train to o P siding Biding l to allow allot another on onIt on Os waiting wafting during tho the hour of or n If It the time at which th the letter latt t 5 5 Continued on page I I I I COMMISSION TO I INVESTIGATE TRAIN CONTROL I Continued mom from roll page 4 I pass aBS Is Indeterminate and if tho ho former t train rain Is required to remmo Its Journey Immediately I after arte the thc pa passing passim of or such t train rain In lii still another cn case e. e It was as de derided do- do c that where Ji It flagman was a I killed In Inthe the lie COUI course O of duty after having ha been at work more than sixteen houis s t Iho hi railroad was responsible foi or his d death ath Investigation of oC accidents b bv b lie tho Interstate Inter tate state s t commerce commission lon to tu date atc arc ure a the lie ia law of or May 13 6 6 1910 These III Investigations havo largely pointed t to o tho lie necessity of ot the lie n adoption of or steel cars and tho ho use uso of the block system both of ot which have been recommended C by bythe bytho t the tho commission lon It ha has also recommended recommend recommend- ed that a n nn national system of operating rules J bo e adopted b by the lie railroads I Bad Tracks Dangerous The Tue investigations In of or accidents mt made e 1 by hr 3 the thc commission to lo date dale v sho that i nearly half hair of or them have Ve b been cn directly or Indirectly c caused us 1 h hy by bad trucks tracks 5 Some of or them bern could ha haVe haxo 0 b been cn averted hail lIall t speed I h been lieen en observed but hut a fe few were likely to occur even at Kt low low- speed In ono one serious derailment an ex examination ex- ex of ot the track In tho the vicinity of ot the accident disclosed rotten roUen tics within a distance distance- ot of rail lengths Under man ninny many of or tho the rails there were eleven ellwen bad tic tIes tics In III most of ot these tics ties the spikes were eo so loose that t they were easily ashy remo c removed by hand the wood no longer longel having ln nn any holding power The ho commission lon believes that lack Jack of or men and material Js is rC for tor bad ad track con con- on man many roads i A frequent tau c o of ot accidents accident II Is the defective rail The bureau of ot standards have been boen studying rail mil specifications nn arid and Its ItA Investigations have o revealed the fact act that tho lie commercial specification In Inthe Inthe inthe the manufacture and testing of rails Is IsIna Ina Inadequate to disclose close tIle the most common cause lause of rail failures allures allure Its engineer physicist physicist physicist cist points out that the lino of or demarcation demarca tl tion n between safe Fate and und unsafe conditions has not been demonstrated tea In practical railway engineering and that It Is not known how little mar margin ln of oC strength th re resides resides re- re sides tildes In the track No lie says that comparatively com coin little engineering Information Is available pertaining to lo the tho structural value aluc of or the lie material US used usel II In rail manufacturing manu manu- and to the tile stress sot ot upon rail mil truck track under leI modem operating J condition con After lOI all aU however howel according to the lie Int In- In I t tc commission lon the human equation onuses causes tho the greatest test perplexity In solving the problem of ot preventing railroad wrecks II B By far tar the tho greater number of serious accidents at arn ari due to the he failure of ot some responsible employee to perform an un e essential duty duly at nt a critical time tim Nearly Neaily two 1 two h hi ids of all the lie accidents acci acci- dents sti hl Investigated were caused ll b by mistakes mis mis- takes on the part of or employee cOl TIm Tho mo Jt numerous failures were wert- by hv train men or 01 engine moil who disobeyed orders and nna signals 1 who Culled to keep Hear clear a I of or su superior Ru- Ru trains who Improperly Improper flagged fla other t tin trains nil Ins n and who failed Called a II to speed at crout pont points Some errors were made by train dispatchers dispatcher and telegraph telegraph tele tele- sra graph ph operators tons tors Make Surprise Tests There re aro arc many railroads which strive so to perfect their system of railroad operation ns as to prevent pre accidents The fhe Pennsylvania anla railroad has haM a system of PHI prise e testS In vogue During one yai I a I its c inspectors administered t surprise tests teats In It instances and In 33 20 I 8 10 p r cent o of th these fl te tests ts tho thc showing made mado I. I by bythe the persons tested wa was perfect One could scarcely expect a higher e than thin thia And yet the tho failures In that tWo two tenths I of ot 1 per pcr C cent of ot the tests teats might havo hayo re resulted resulted re- re suIted In iii more moro than 2000 accidents It will bo be seen from this that lint tho tIm gr greatest great great- nt- nt est eat hope of ot the future in the elimination I of accidents lies In the lie provision of ot means by which the human element clemont In railroad operation can an bo be effectively checked cheked It by I control systems system In Ta this t lion iou hundreds R of or inventions invention In tho the pet per hO i faction lection of or block and train stops ha have havo b cn made lint nd It Ih is confidently expected that the Int Interstate commerce commission will ill bo lo enabled by congress further to lo test these e Inventions and find rind some flome that may offer a solution of or the lie problem of eliminating accidents |