Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-21
prevention of IL. R. INSTRUMENTATION
by Congress Wanted.

| To the Editor of The EVENING STAR:
| Every little while the country is startled by
the reports of terrible railroad accidents. the
most destructive of which generally occur by
| collisions or open switches. 1t is but few
| months since the train carrying ex-Presldent
Hayes and party from the National Capital col
Gded with another coming around a curve.
Then came the terrific slaughter just out of
Pittsburg, by one or more trains crashing into a
train in advance, and now we have a similar
occurrence on the Hudson River road besides
lnntlnerable lesser occurrences in various parts
OF the country in the meantime In fact itsfs
safe to say that not a week passes that some So
called accident does not occur in some part of
the country.
Now what l desire to say is that there is no
grouse for S,ch accidents for there are plenty of
| means by which they can be prevented if the
H. X. authorities will only take little pains.
| ana he at the expense of adopting them: and
which expense compared with the loss of prop
erty; to say nothing of the loss OIL fe would be
| but trifing.
The statexpf invention in this country to-day
| Is such. that. with but a very small outlay, de-
| vices can be applied which will show with abso-
lutte certainty to train coming round a curve
| or any where else whether or not the track is
| clear ahead; ana that too. for any desired dis
tance. so, too. it will indicate to the engineer
/ OF a moving train, whether or not the switches
! information can be impaired to the engineer OF
the moving train at any required distance from
the switch, bridge. or train. SO as to afford him
plenty OF time to stop, and thus prevent the ac-
cident
! L do not refer to any particular device. for
there are several that may be used, it being
merely ii matter of choice
1 saw 1t stated in the papers that the smash
up on the Baltimore and Potomac road. near
the tunnel in this city two or three years ago.
~ no
Alright that of President Hayes train cost nearly
as much. besides the injury to persons. Now
would undertake to say that that $50 GOO
would provide the Pennsylvania railroad with
suitable means for preventing such accidents
throughout its entire length. 1t is a shame
and an outrage on the public that these means
for preventing accidents are not generally
adopted: but Judging from the past there is no
reason To suppose they will be until the roads
! are compelled by legislation TO do So The COM
panIes are more interested in paying dividends
on their watered stocks than in protecting the
public; and hence they prefer to take the
chances of accidents rather than to expend the
money necessary to prevent them-aways of
course hattering themselves with the hope OF
belief that such accidents will not happen again;
and thus they continue the penny wise and
pound foolish policy, notwithstanding expert
| ence has demonstrated the fact that the acci-
dents do. and WILL continue to happen.
And so with reference to cars being set on
fire. There is no need for it. 1t occurs either
from the stoves or the lamps. or both. 1t is per-
lectly feasible to heat cars without having any
stove located in or about the car, and so, too.
| they can be lighted without using either oil or
Candies. To-day English cars and steamers are
lighted with electric lamps Of american origin,
while we, who boast Of our enterprise and 90
aheadatiyeness, have not adopted them on either
boats or cars. 1t is not my object to point out
the specific means to be used. but merely to call
attention to the fact that there are means whic,
prevent accidents q uio
will only adopt them
True. it would cost something in the first in
stance, but would save immensely in the end.
besides saving human life and suffering. 1t
would require directors to give some thought
| and attention to these matters, instead of as
now. devOting their time and attention to FORM
ing syndicates and gobbling up rival roads. SO
as 10 mOnopOllZe the business, ard thus enable
then TO bleed the public still more. What il
needed now is legislation that will compel the
railroad companies everywhere to adopt means
which will prevent such accidents. But ripht
there arises difficulty. In the first place. the
Old idea that the government, state and ma
tional should never NEEDLE with what private
enterprise can do. stands in the way Of iegisla-
| ton on this and all similar matters The second
obstacle ia the Estates right" doctrine which
holds that this and all similar matters belong
exclusively TO the states; and inasmuch as the
states, as general rule. belong to tie railroad
companies, or at least arc controlled BY them, so
far as any legislation affecting the railroads ia
concerned, there seems to be hut little to hope
from that source. The only hope left, there
fore, Is 10 Congressional action; and any move
ment in that direction will OF course be bitterly
opposed by the railroad interests Of the whole
country. Yet, presume no one will question
the right OF Congress to legislate ON this mat
| ter, on all routes extending from one state into
aaother, because that power is given in the
clause of the Constitution which gives to Con-
gress the power to regulate commerce among
| the states.
The tact that Congress has for years exercised
this power unquestiOned as TO steamboats, would
seem to settle the question: for If 1t has the right
todon with steamboats, why not steam cars One
/ is as much the vehicle Of commerce as the other
and therefore subject to the same powers and
regulations. In fact the great bulk of the COM
merce between the states to-day is carried on
by rail If. now, Congress has the power to say
what Kind OF metal shall be used for the boilers
| OF steamboats,, how much pressure they may
carry. how many boats. life-preservers. re-, they
shall have, it certainly has the same right to
compel the railroad companies to adopt equally
efficient Elpana for Urov0nfspP nneidas>tc NH