The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-14
MISREPRESENTATION AND
UNPREVENTABLE.

There are TWO sorts OF WreCkS-preVent-
able and unpreventable. OF the first class
was the rotten tie wreck near Raleigh
last month. That was the result Of crimi-
nal negligence and the responsible parties
ought not to escape punishment. Of the
second class were the flood wrecks If
South Carolina last week. The railroads
were not there guilty of negligence. In
stead of being criticized, they are every
where commended for the quick work
done to repair the damage which no care
or foresight could have averted
There is still another class of wrecks
which, strictly speaking, do not belong
to either of these classes. They are, in
deed preventable, and should be prevent
ed, though they are not the result of
such criminal carelessness as in the case
of the rotten tie wreck We refer to
such wrecks as the one on the Southern
Railway near Danville last week, con
corning which the Salisbury Sun says:
"a little more pay would have COM
manded a better operator at Pelham and
the Southern's wreck of yesterday would
have been averted No class of men on
earth are more scantily remunerated for
their services than the telegraph opera,
tors"
The Greensboro Record commenting on
the recent wrecks, asks: rs There
Remedy" and says:
Surely the Affections of the Southern
Railway, especially on this division, are
great. Hardly has The public time to
catch its breath after one bad accident
before another occurs. OF course with
such large number of trains these things
will occur in spite of everything, yet it
is evident there is some cause for so many
of them. So frequent have they become
that the public is talking and talking
great deal, and in all of it no doubt grave
injustice is done in part, though where
there is so much smoke there is always
to be found some fire. That is wise
saying imputed to Col. A. b. Andrews,
of the Southern, one of the best known
railroad men in the country and a gentle
man Of wide and varied experience. He
said could a way be found to keep man
from forgetting. many of these accidents
would not occur. There is a way to help
man from forgetting so often and that
is by not working him so many hours on
streteh-working him until he becomes
ool-gathered' becomes so muddled and
worn out that he is incapable of controll-
ing his thoughts. In these days of scien-
tifc railroading, wherein labor unions
have to be dealt with, wages are computed
by miles and by overtime worked so that
there is very little kicking done by the
employee, for he is making more money.
One hears a great deal about how much IS
made. 1t is said that an engineer last
month made about 500 extra How true
this is we are unable to say, but il a
third Of it is so it is clear that this is one
cause of so many catastrophes. Engineers
and conductors forget orders; telegraph
operators forget them-the whole push
becomes s'woolgathered" and so it goes.
We all know that the road is put to il
to handle its vast traffic, that it is and has
been for years greatly handicapped by
having only single track, but a large
part of the responsibility rests with this
system of overworking men or allowing
them to remain on duty so long. OF
course this is no saving to the railway
company in dollars and cents, because
they must pay for all extra time, besides
running great risks, so that it must be
that men are scarce and in order to keep
up with the business the regular runs
must be broken into and men must be
worked overtime. 1t is hard problem to
solve. but it must be. solved for the same
ratio OF accidents for year or two more
will bankrupt any road on earth, not to
mention floods, law suits and the rest
There is no class of men In America,
charged with such great responsibilities,
who are so poorly paid and so over
worked as the telegraph operators in the
employ of the railroads Their hours are
often too long to permit a man to keep
his head clear and many wrecks are to be
charged up to over-working those faithful
men to point beyond which they are
not capable of attending to their duties
intelligently and efficiently.