New-York tribune., 1906-07-27
BLOCK SIGNAL INQUIRY.
Worb Preliminary to Recommending
Legislation To BE Begun.
lFrom me rribuns Rureau. ]


Washington. July 2s.-AmOng the other duties inn
posed on the Interstate Commerce Commission by
the last session of Congress was investigation
OF the use of block signals for railroads. with
view to future legislation on the subject The COM
mission has been so busy preparing for the en-
forcement OF the Railroad Rate act that there has
been little opportunity taking up the inquiry.
but it is announced that the agents Of the com
mission will, within short time. receive iRstFuc-
tons TO go ahead with the investigation under the
authority OF the joint resolution The number Of
serious collisions that have occurred railroads
in past years has caused the commission TO recon-
mend repeatedly that a law be passed requiring
the OF block signals and modern safety appli-
ances. President Roosevelt has twice referred to
the subject in messages to Congress.
An accident bulletin for the quarter ending March
81. just issued shows that the total number Of col
lisIOns and derailments for three months was $780,
of which 2Ss collisions and 167 derailments affected
passenger trains. The bulletin says:
The most disastrous accident reported. collision
causing thirty-fOUT deaths and injuTins twenty
four. was due to the striking failure Of the train
small and lonely station, who mad been on duty all
on awakening informed the train dispatcher to
what occurred while he was asleep.
There can be no doubt that the commission in
making it's report to Congress on the investigation
about to be undertaken will set forth reasons why
there should be national legislation requiring safe
ty signals on railroads engaged In Interstate COM
merce. The object in first requiring investiga-
tiOn before "a law is placed on the statute books
is to enable the framing of satisfactory and
effective law. The resolution of Congress directs
the commission to investigate and report on the
Of and necessity for block signal systems and appl
ances for control of railway trains in
the United States and the commission further
directed to recommend such legislation as 1t NAV
see it Many OF the important railroads Of the
country have adopted a modern system OF signal
ling, protecting their passengers to their utmost
in this respect. but others seem reluctant to do
away with what may now be regarded as anti
quated methods. and there is a strong public SEN
tment in favor of cOercing these lines to make the
way that automatic cOuplers and air brakes were
made compulsory by law In Great Britain there is
such law in effect.
Regarding the merits OF the block signal system
for railroads. recent report OF the Interstate
Commerce Commission says:
Considered strictly its technical merits the
block system is the acme Of simplicity II is sim
shall ever be started from any point on any main
track until il Is shown that such track Is clear Of
all other trains up to certain point OeyOnd-in
other words, the theory that a space interval must
always be maintained, and no dependence placed on
the maintenance OF time intervals at stations In
the absence OF this knowledge of a clear line for
definite distance have many uncertainties mis-
takes in reading time, failures Of timepeces mis-
ness of hagmen, and the numberless other faults
familiar to those who read the collision records
On single track lines. where the liability to but
ting collisions is danger greater than that
Of rear collisions the block system does away with
another class OF errors which unless we have
than those just mentioned such forgetting tele-
graphic orders and careless reading OF poor hand
liver orders, mistakes OF diSpatchers in keeping
their record Of trains All these advantages OF the
nifty different railroads in this country and every
railroad in Great Britain and Ireland.