Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-28
The Official Investigation

nave peeu SlioOtiieu III
The Official Investigation.
But the claim department is not the only
branch of the service that is busy with af-
fairs connected with the wreck for a con-
siderable time after it has occurred. The
operating department starts a rigid investi-
CATION into the cause of the wreck synchro-
nously with the arrival of the superintend,
ent at the wreck. and 1t is followed until
the cause is decided beyond doubt. Then,
il any employee has been to blame, there
swiftly comes the railroads punishment
instant dismissal. Then also practicai ~
every big body connected with the safe
movement of trains tries to puzzle out some
way to prevent similar wreck.
Such a scheme is well-nigh Impossible 70
think out in these days of scientific rail-
roa ding. when the chief end may be said to
be the safeguarding of passengers, that
railroads business may prosper, 10 say
nothing of the humane reasons actuating
the operating department to employ all the
Safeguards that human ingenuity inyents.
Safeguards Against Wrecks.
There is the automatic electric block sig
nal system, which protects train from the
one Immediately following Even should
the current that controls the system be IN
terrupted, the semaphore is so set that the
force of gravity will throw 1t up to danger.
Another great safeguard is the high-speed
power brake, giving the engineer full and
instant control over the entire train; All ne
has to do is to release-"cut his air in the
train line and the outside atmospheric pres
sure of fifteen pounds to the square inch
sets the brakes-the emergency brakes, SO
called.
There is the train crew. picked body OF
men from conductor down, drilled by years
of experience in minor positions and select.
ed for passenger runs only after severe
physical and mental tests. not the least OK
the tests being that of colors
not scheduled, 1t Is not enough that the
automatic block signal system is protecting
1t in the rear. Back goes the nagman the
prescribed distance, with his flag by day. or
light by night, as the case may be- Inere
he remains to flag any approaching tram
till he is called in by the locomotive whistle
signal Then, before he returns, swinging
flag or lantern, by day he places torpedo
on the track, and by night slow-burning
color fuse. These precautions survive from
the days when the automatic block signal
was not known. Every railroad equipped
with the block signal system still employs
these means TO make assurance aouoiy
sure"
Again, there is the dispatcher, as expert
a man in the safe movement OF trains as
can be hoped for while human nature is as
1t is at present. Every minute he is on
duty he knows where every train on his
division is. He knows every side track,
switch, cross-over, turnout. The whole di-
vision is ever before him as he sits at his
all these trains so that all will reach their
respective destinations in safety. That he
may do this, he is in constant touch with all
the railroad telegraphers placed at stations
along the division. To them he issues or
ders on the minute, knowing that they will
be executed as speedily. g.
One Great Cause Of Wrecks.
All these men are carefully picked. So,
also, are the men In the maintenance of
NH dntv ia n
the track is in perfect condition, to the
slightest detail The maintenance Of way
men work at the track all day long, par
ticuIar portions are patrolled day and night
by track walkers, bridges are sedufously
inspected and guarded. Yet half an hour
after a section gang has been working at
some spot in Its section, to make it perfect.
a train may be wrecked right there by a
broken rail.
The simple truth of the matter is that
by far the big majority Of the wrecks
occurring railroads are due, not to the
negligence of the responsible officials to
throw all the safeguards possible around
the travelling public, but to the breakdown
often unaccountable, of one or more Of the
human cogs in the intricate system MAIN
tanned to safeguard the public. An
gineer with a clean record reaching back
score of years. cuns by a signal set dead
against him. A splendid telegrapher trans
lates order wrong, or trusts it's delivery
to station lounger. A switch is set wrong
by an old hand A mistake is made by
some one, 1t is not caughtrin time, and
the result is-a wreck.
This in spite of scrupulous selection of
men all along the line. The railroads have
not yet hit on plan of making all their
men, or even one of them, infallibe. If
any one has such scheme and desires
large fortune, let him HE himself to the
nearest general offices of a big railroad For
the railroad official hates a wreck above
everything else. He would make great sac
rffices to prevent one on his line.