The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-18
A Circular Warns Railroad Men
Against Popular Superstition.
WRECK PROBLEM A SERIOUS ONE
An Operating Official Says Congress
sionnl Action Cannot Help
Conditions.

Northwestern roads are Issuing circu-
lars to their employees treating of the
frequency Of wrecks within the past few
months: The operating, officials tell their
men that in the majority OF cases the
exercise Of ordinary precaution and strict
attention to orders would have made the
disasters impossible. The men are in
formed that all who use extraordinary
care in this particular will be kept IN
mind by the management.
The real purpose of issuing the circu-
lars Is to free the minds of men OF the
average train employees ,superstitution on
wrecks. Many Of the trainmen are hrm
believers in the theory that wrecks come
IN cycles, or, as many of them put II, IN
''threes." Operating officials say that this
Is most demoralizing, and that instead OF
prompting the men to exercise more care
in the performance of their duty, one or
more wrecks will have such a demoraliz-
ing effect as to convince the tralnmen
and enginemen that fate has steered onto
their line with series Of disasters and
there is no use combating it. The cir
cular takes note of this superstition, and
in heart heart talk tells the men
there is nothing to it; that the use OF
ordinary care and precaution will side
track the supposed hoodoo.
Action by Congress Unnecessary.
Western railway officials have beer
much interested in the talk of congress
sional investigation into the causes o.
frequent wrecks. An operating On1clal II
Minneapolis said to-day:
The politicians in congress who are always
SO anxious to make political capital by in
vestigatng the railroads will find after they
how tod dc
concerned than anyone else III eliminating
accidents and disaster of all kinds on theiI
lines. In addition to the loss of life there is
the property loss which the railroads must
face. have been endeavoring for many years
to bring the accident record Of our roa is
down to the lowest possible minimum, but a.
long as human memory is fallible you have
the element of uncertainty to contend With
The notion that accidents are due to tbs
fact that railway employees are much over
worked is wrong. There may be something il
the suggestion in the speech of James j. Hill
at Fargo in which he attributes the increas-
ing frequency of accidents to the efforts 81
the road to keep up with the demands OF
traffic on their equipment, necessitating add.
tlonal trains. Accidents of course are more
likely to happea on track carrying seven
or eight trains than on rails carrying hall
that number. But the carriers are earnestly
blockade, and If the extra trains were moi
put on there would undoubtedly be a greater
roar from the shippers, the interstate CON-
MERGE commission, and the politicians in con.
gress than is being heard now over the fire.
quency of accidents. Every road in the
country has been buying rolling stock fol
two years. Every car building shop has beer
working to full capacity for three. But tbs
increase in the demand is terrific and the
roads are to-day just short Of rolling stock
in proportion to the demand as ever.
An Automatic Alarm.
The Chicago & Eastern Illinois rail
way is preparing to install a system O
electric signals designed to prevent &C
cidents. The new device displays al sig
nal in the cab of the locomotive. Thu
track is wired in blocks, the rail beins
used as the conductor. When there il
but one train in a block, the signal in tn
cab will burn white. Should anothe.
train touch the same block the light il
instantly changed to red, which mean
danger. The signal is not affected b,
snow or sleet or by weather of any kind
and it will do its work among a maze o
switches and crossings as we'll as on
straight track. ..-