The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-24
Interstate Commerce Commis-s
sion atsNcxt Session. e.

(From Our Regular Correspondents
WASHINGTON D. c.. Nov. 23..-The
Interstate Commerce Commission has
drafted n bill which will be introduced
at the coming session OF Congress. prob
ably, which will make the use of,Sthe
block system compulsory the opera
Ition Of trains on MI railways in the
United States. The commission does mot
WnntEt to put the roads to the extraordinary.
expense at once OF Installing the systc1m,
SO the bill provides that each road shall;
complete one-fourth of its equipment
until the principle OF the block system
applies to all tho roads In the limited
States, and every mile Of eacl:. sSi
3 Tho bill will be opposed, for while the
greater portion Of the progressive roads
OF the United States have adopted the
block system, there arc many still on
which 1t Is mot In use. and trains are
moved In the old haphazard way. The
system is inHunversal use in England,
and one train cannot bo let into a block
until the train preceding It has gone out
or has been side tracked FL 55
What System Is.
That is all that Is meant by the term
"block system.n When d train starts
for tho next station the conductor knows
that another train will not bo allowed
to pass the station Ahe has Just left until.
tho operator ut that station Is notified
that the first train has left tho next
station. or course, the trains do not
have to stop at all stations In order to
receive information from the opera tors
ms to tho whereabouts ofsthe train next
ahead. This fact Is communicated to
tho engineer as he Dles past the station
by a system Of signals, colored boards
or flags for use In the day, and lights
Of different colors for use t5night.
tion OF the block system means the prnc-
tical abolition Of rear end collisions. OF
course, the engineer! may fall to read
the signals Alright; he may fall to see
them at all, as was tho case with ona
engineer. who was engaged In trying to
mend an Indicator when his train passed
the station. and he rushed into the rear
end OF a train In tho same block, and lost
his life, All systems will bo imperfect
so long as imperfect humanity has to
execute them.
Will Fight Bill.
Some OF tho railroads viii fight the
BILL Tho roads which are not willing to
undertake any improvement which Will
not result In increased revenue Will op-
pose the legislation, but It is not believed
that tho roads which have Installed the
system OF their own yolltions will make
n fight against the legislation sought, .8
Tho appalling list OF killed and Injured
In railroad accidents In this country In
tho past twelve month has shocked the
country. It Is said thar more people We're
killed on the railroads OF the United
states In the twelve months ending June
80, 1904, than on MI the rest Of the rail-g
roads In the world. 1t Is admitted that
collisions have caused practically all the
loss OF life. The use OF the block system
on double-track road makes collision
practically impossible. and on,a singles
track road only front end collisions are
possible 1t Is the great Increase In the
number OF rear-end collisions and the
consequent increase IN the loss OF life
that have caused the Interstate Cons
merce Commission to undertake to press
tho bill to require the use OF the block
system The commission was largely re-
sponsIble for the law making the use OF
tho air-brake and the automatic coupler
compulsory on all American railways,
These laws were strenpously opposed bY
the railroads Of the country.