New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-04
'o bo;rc sxorn savs-Nv business i,
The following report has been made by the Commit
tee Of Directors of the Erie Railroad in relation to the
Il iho O., Of Enrinnnrs.


complaints Of the Committee of Engineers:
OFFICE THE NEw-YoRx AND ERts H. X, Co.,
Nsw-YoRK Oct 3 1855.
To T. comoftc Engineer and other..
Ata meeting of the Board of Directors held Oct. 3,
1856 the following Report having been read was
unanimously approved, and the whole subject referred
back to the Committee with full power to take such
action the present exgency seems clearly u de-
mnud N,rH,NIEL MARSH Secretary.
The Committee TO whom was referred the cominuni-
cation purporting TO be preamble and resolutions OF
certain delegates appointed by the Engineers oi ue
several divisions of this Railroad passed at meeting
held at Susquehanna, Sept ~. beg leave to report:
That they have given the sube ct much thought and
investigation, having had long interview with th'
following persons: William Schrier John 4. Meginn,
John Hall. f. +. Whaen, II. j. Brooks, Henry Bel.
den, Joseph York l. &. York, Edward Iinney and
j. + Omstcad, who represent themselves as Com
mfee OF the Delegates above referred TO- Ana they
have also consulted the General Superintendent and
such other authorities for such facts and explanations
as would enable them TO arrive Mt satisfactory conclu-
sions in tho matter presented for consideration WIN
these lights proceed to discuss the demands OF the
document referred to-the mort emphatic Of which
so ms to be tho abrogaon OF the rule 9TH, supplement
AIRY to the general Instructions Of March g. 1871 said
demand being made by the persons upon whom 1t IL IN
tended TO operate which ia as follows:
d" Every engineer will be held accountable for run
hing off at switch at any station where his train stops,
but will not be held responsible for running on at
switch at a station where his train does NOT stop
Thu il rule OF s0tefZ, which having been submit
ted To the Board of Railroad Commissioners OF this State
and duly affirmed by them, seems to clOhe It with some
degree OF pubic utility. IL was Intended to require
engineers to appronch stations where their trains Stop
az sue moderate rate NJ speed "a would insure safely
against all contingencies of carelessness or design OF
swchuen others. This rule, while protecting the
epgr eer really involves him in no hardship, but iah-
fully exc cuicd, wOuld render accidents and COLLISIONS
between trains nearly impossble-a result which the
tdreiiHg public at least will appreciate II ourengHeers
do not The engineers not held responsible for the
acts of the swtchmen, their Committee seems with
t.f nj A M
ply made responsible for their violations OF the
rule which requires them to soreguate their speed when
approaching stations where their trains are 70 stop ~
not 10 run of open switches. The rule appears 10
REQUIRE the swchnen to keep:tho switch in proper po-
sition and they dismissed failing to perform this
important duty. But expert nee having proved that
frequent coll sons and disasters could not be prevented
BY the responsibility OF swltchmen, TINS rule
under discussion wa adopted as an additional guard
Of life and property And we we've particularly struck
with the wisdom OF the rule for while 1t has resulted IN
great security to the lives OF passengers and the 'ng-
neers themselves, by protecting them against a too
common and frigbtful source of disaster, at the
same time it has resulted in but few discharge. We
find By referring 10 the Companys records THAI There
art about 200 men employed IN th"t capacity anu ,he
following statement embraces the whole number that
have been affected during the last two and hall yeas
b. violation II this rule;
Tho Whole mum Der discharged was............. -
The number Of above rein stated ............ ~
Tbe nln,b~r discharged for second ot~n'r.......
During thiz period the number OF miles nun ny the
several engineers IL GboutS, lUOoW.
II il difficult to see any prscti al cause OF com
plant in tie working of this rule and il does not seem
Unreasonable thar the Engineers should De required 70
share the responsibility with the Switchmen, when The
IN ro /. eut iey IN their own hands nor can 1t be
chsr.ed Il at by this rule SrHch0,en are e"c9nrdgfd
10 hegLct thar duy becsuse they share the response
biy and discharged tor The same accidents. Inc
arpiu,e nj adduced that Switcbmen - III majority Ut
"iustauces are unfit for the positions they hold il
true furnishes mos cOgent reason FOR the greater ro'-
no,sibty of the Engineer and the greater esslty
Of strict adherence o the rule and III penaties and
the further argument urged against this rule, that IN
several instances trains had heen on nowitheand-
inc the triHgsHry OF H. merely goes 10 further demon
.tate the necessity ot the rule and the difficulty Oi
guarding sganst ciGents Of the kind and surely dis
CONTINUES my relaxation Of the rules governing the
running of road where the lives vi thousands Ot per
sons usy be- made TO pay TIE penalty OF such rash i'm
portuuy That the conclusion l. forced upon u.s. 4 Is
only necessary suppose abrogaon OF the rule
erred TO- and an accident resulting .herefrom In such
case would hot the public stamp the at only in.
beetle but criminal, objectionable, and unjustihable
Indeed constrained to hope that the great body
Of the Engineers of our Road too Intelligent AID
coneci.nt 10 join in desire OF this kind but regard
il be emsnsng irou few houghtle.s, restless men,
against whom this rule becomes one of hQrted uttI i.
Experience has proved that there are three prominent
cause Of Railroad accidents.
LEI. TIE neglect TO Use danger signals wien re-
quir,d.
"a. Tie neglect OF the same when used, and
I'd. The almost universal habit of running INTO ia
tons al high rate of speed.
We learn iha, in framing q rule to guard against tne
latter. great difficulty encountered from tne "a,
that speed could not be measured or estimated WIN
certanty-hence the rule in question was adopted upn
the saie presumption that the care necessary u P-s
-viiches IN compliance Aerevnh would ems IRE slih
moderate speed ~ would BE- absolutely safe ile I'm
gineer- were Instructed that Swchnen w1e Piseei a
stopping stations for their convenience OILY S'. were
,t = fe -eIiai nror Tor the safety the - n, saq
hat FL GINGER would De expected in al eases % -.
that he wi,ctes gere right before they pa"ei over
tiem and were al,o especially enored TO take gu the
- - IN r,.T ,FrERwARD.' that they should
,ways nr into stopping places undG the assumption
;vr,y witch was oui Of pnce, and rain standing
on ;he ma n track We have enleIsod on ths ruiz, IT.
history end n~-e'sfy teen,e OF W. g4ea nipor'snoe