East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-08-14

Testimony to the efficiency of |
the enginemen on the Hartman sys-
TEN is offered by the statement from
an authoritative source that out of
| 1895 Surprise tests" in only 16 in
stances did the engineers fail to OBJ
serve the signals set in the use of
| safety appliances. In these days of
unprecedented wreckage of trains and
dire losses of life, this assertion takes
an added significance, and, inasmuch
as it Is indorsed by the management
of the Hartman roads, should be
filed away by the roads employees as
valuable evidence in future possible
differences between employer and en-
ploye.
The statement was doubtless elicit
ed because of the meeting here of the
commission appointed to investigate
the safety appliance situation in the
United States. Claims have been
made that railroad managers have
actually suppressed valuable inven-
tions for insuring the safety of pas
sengers, buying the patents and thus
procuring control for nonuse of de-
vices which would render travelling
much safer.
1t is asserted that the roads have
done this because thsg followed the
shortsighted policy of straining to pay
dividends instead of improving their
systems, Notwithstanding often dam
\ ages for injuries to passengers and
employees cost more than the safety
\ device would cost to prevent the ac-
4 cident , q.
Ignore Congressional Law.
1t may not be generally known that
\ congress several years ago passed a
law requiring the use of certain safe
ty appliances, which the roads up to
j date have ignored. contenting them
selves with adopting the appliances
: in a lelsurely manner, a few miles
a year being added to the proportion
of their systems on which the plain
law was being obeyed.
@ None appears to know whether OIL
not to expect anything substantial
:. from the safety device commission
|. now under the orders of the interstate
II the extent that hoping may have tele.
Is pathic influence on the members o.
4, the commission, every one here u
IA "a-hopin'.'
IA To be fair, the Hartman system
,c authorized statement on the subjec
% should be appended, Notwithstanding
AZ it contains the admission that the fed
>. eral law relating to safety appliance
;, has been disregarded for the create
=, part, only percentage of their mile
- having been supplied with the thing
~ the law commands. The followln
~ ~ statement has been handed Washing
~ ton correspondents on the subject
- The Hartman Statement.
i "Recults OF surprise tests for oh
u servance of signals on the Harrima
u railroads are of unusual interest ow
FE ing to the fact that they have tn
reS longest record of such tests and ar
Oh making the greatest extensions of tn
ng block signal system. With the 275
or miles of automatic block signals al
NJ thorized for installation this year, tn
do Union Pacific and Southern Pacif
le. will have 400 miles so equipped, an
1
- longest stretch of automatical
blocked track anywhere, 1854 mile
"Out of 1896 tests covered by Il
last monthly report available, in on
wv 16 cases did engineers fail to o'
dc serve signals. Eighteen differel
ms tests were applied, besides speci
m. tests, and in no case was the per ce
Ic. of observed signals less than 95 al
oh the average for all is 9S.7 per Ger
Jr All red flags, crossing, station al
ad block danger signals were observe
ret A perfect record Is shown in IL o
mo of the IS classes of tests.
~ ~, "This is the fourth year of su
prise tests on the Southern Pacii
.n and the third year on the Union
. cific lines. Tests are made In pc
y! son by each division superintende
eW and his subordinates, and general s
fit perintendents and each general s
10 perintendents and each general ma
IL ager are required to make numt
W. OF curprise tests every month. T
In results are closely watched, tho
are made by subordinates being report
and inspected by the division superi
tenuent, the BeHerdl Hndnd6er anu
nally to the director Of maintenar
ian and operation of the Hartman 8.
at TENS.
rth. "The tests are made under 81
ow- conditions that the enginemen a
tie trainmen can not know what is bel
the DONE Two or more of each of
in different kinds Of surprises must
wo. made on each division each mon
en- These tests cover the use Of tori
IA. does, fusees, slow and red fla
tot switch lights out and at danger, a
for all semaphore signals.
had at is not uncommon now, offlci
,eo- say, to receive reports from nu
arc ber of divisions for an entire nor
tl,e showing a perfect record under h,
,oor dreds of tests carried out to ms
of sure that signals are being obser,
ot. by engineers"