Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-18
Open Draw-Forty Dead.

If record could be compiled of the num-
Der OF lives that have been wasted in this
country In learning the plainest truths re-
garding the safeguarding of railroad patrons
the total would doubtless be appalling
And an even more shocking total. though
not so large, would be that showing tho
number of lives squandered in second, third
and repeated demonstrations of the same
truth before those responsible have put
their dearly-bought experience into practice
In this second category of waste are the
forty or more lives lost in the Atlantic
Coast Line wreck near Norfolk, just re-
ported. If there ever a disaster with
out excuse and plainly avoidable in The
light of not only past experience but the
simplest rules of common sense, it is this
one. And there have been many demon
STATIONS, in various parts Of the country
of truth the ignoring Of which lay at the
bottom of this Virginia horror
This truth is that it Is inipera tive to
avoid accidents, that all trains should be
brought to a full halt before crossing draw
bridges. without exceptions.
Some years ago train on the New York
New Haven and Hartford railroad ran off
a bridge through an open draw at Cos Cob
Conn. a few miles east of the New. York
signals, or they were not properly set or
they blew out, or something of the kind
happened. 1t Is not material just what
the fact remains that the train plunged
through the draw and a score of people
were killed. AS a result of the agitation
caused by the discovery that the lives of
patrons of the line depended upon the fral
reliance of a signal system at a point where
| there was high percentage OF danger
laws were Immediately enacted IN both
New York and Connecticut requiring the
full halting of every train before entering
upon the structure Of a draw bridge, what
ever the circumstances or the hour In
consequence no train has ever since then
been through an open draw in either
New York or Connecticut, but this security
was purchased at the cost of many valuab BILE
lives.
In this wreck near Norfolk It is stated
that the engineer could not see the red
signals which indicated that the draw was
open. If the law had required him to halt
his train before entering the structure he
could have seen the signals. The disaster
would not have occurred. 1t Is all very
simple-after the fact. But what Is to be
said of the railroad authorities and the
state legislators OF Virginia, who, charged
with the duty of safeguarding the public
welfare and presumably studying the rec
ords of the past to learn the lessons therein
taught have for years overlooked this sim
pie point of common precautlon? Is It not
written in the abe manuals of both rail-
road management and state legislation that
railroad draw-bridges are potential death
traps?
These recurring proofs Of the weakness
of the state jurisdiction system Of railway
regulation emphasize the crying need Of
federal control of all matters affecting the
public safety in travelling. The railroad
disaster has grown into a national evil. It
demands radical and immediate treatment
in an attempt to cure the fragrant faults
OF railroad officials and state lawmakers
The annual life tax paid by the people has
become a crushing burden.