Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-28
Another Railroad Slaughter,

Two railroad trains are running in the
same direction on the same track, the fore
most one a slow local. composed of light
cars and drawn by an inferior locomotive,
the other one of the heaviest in the service
and drawn by powerful engine. The train
ahead is subject to accidents and delays,
but 1t is entitled to the track until GER
tain point is reached. Its presence Is known
to the engineer of the swift express and the
precise degree of danger can be figured to
a certainty Block signals line the way to
give the rear train warning of it's too close
approach to the local. The express goes
hurting forward at the rate of sixty miles
an hour. a veritable cannon ball in de-
structive capacity. momentarily narrowing
the margin of safety. The engineer is
bound by the schedule to take the utmost
risks.
theoretically a collision is impossible,
even under such dangerous conditions. The
block signals are supposed to be set inva-
riably, engineers are supposed always to
observe them. the forward train is equipped
with signal flags and lanterns and torpe-
does and a man to use them in case the
train is accidentally delayed. If every man
does his full duty the tracks are absolutely
safe. The 7agman is supposed to be the
liudl SdleSudIu III CASE tile Low DluH-
ders or the engineer of the rear train ig
nores the signal when properly set.
Yesterdays horror in New Jersey came
out of Just such a situation. The system
failed there completely and awfully, not
withstanding the fact that it's fallibility has
been repeatedly demonstrated, apparently
in the judgment of railroad managers it is
the best system which can be devised. The
New York funnel disaster and this latest
collision accumulate the proof of its unre-
liability. In this latest case all of the men
on the trains who could possibly be held
accountable for the wreck are dead or dy-
ing. 1t is certain that a f1agman was sent
back by the stalled local. and presumably
he set his torpedoes, two for lessening
speed twelve hundred yards back, and one
for full stop six hundred yards from the
local. Whether he did so no can tell.
for he was the first to be killed. If he did
SO, whether they exploded cannot be
learned. for the engine crew of the express
were fatally injured. Possibly persons
standing alongside the tracks may have
roted whether the torpedoes exploded.
Otherwise the mystery will remain I'M
solved. 1t will be possible to ascertain
whether the signals were set properly. If
they were so set then the responsibility will
rest squarely upon the dead engineer.
But all such inquiries, however often pur-
sued, seemingly bring the public no greater
safety in railroading. The ultimate need
Is not for more reliable men at these dam
gerous and responsible posts, but for de-
vices which will with automatic accuracy
replace these human agents, SO liable even
at their best to blunder. Two such devices
have been announced. one in this country
and one in Germany, the latter having been
approved by the government. 1t shuts off
the steam and reverses the throttle when
ever a locomotive enters prohibited block.
The engineer is powerless to err. Finan-
cially the railroads could afford to spend
hundreds of thousands of dollars in expert
ments with such appliances. Morally and
perhaps even legally they are under obliga-
lions to do
In former times and to the extent today
that this work has not yet been done the
public in self defense has demanded the
double-tracking of railroads to prevent
head-on collisions The number of these
horrors has decreased in consequence of
the work done in response to this demand
But the number of rear-end collisions has
increased at the same time. in proportion
as the express service is developed, and
now the demand is becoming general for
the construction of two extra tracks on all
roads which maintain close Roadway be-
tween locals and fast express trains. This
of course involves heavy expense, but If
the railroads cannot find reliable auto
matte shut-off which will preclude the pos
siblity of rear end-collisions it Is inevitable
that eventually they will be forced in turn
to establish the four-track system. This
slaughter must be minmized even If the
dividends shrink