The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-22
STEEL AND IRON RAILS.

It was at one time claimed that when steel rails should replace iron ones on the railroads, danger from accident would largely decrease. but now there Is something even more than doubt about the matter. The cause of the trouble. in the language of The New York Commercial. lis a question con- sidered by railroad men as demanding a prompt solution and an answer that will be absolutely satisfactory. As the railroads do little more than put the rails in place, they very naturally refer the stability. or the lack of it, to the manufacturer. Statistics show an alarming number of breakages in rails during the last year and a de- plorable number of wrecks resulting therefrom. A committee of experts, comprising representatives of the rail- roads. and manufacturers. Is expected to get at the facts and make a report that will throw considerable light on the situation. One railroad official at- tributes the deficiency in the rail en- tirely to the manufacturer, while Chair man Gray of the United States Steel Corporation declares that the railroads do not use rails heavy enough. Ex- periments. 1t Is claimed by others. de- monstrate that the lighter rails of the make of former years endure tests more satisfactory than the rails made in 1906. The fact remains that last years record of breakages was enorm- ous and the railroad officials cannot be blamed for attributing the defect to the manufacturers, when the latter's specifications alone are followed.
 It will be something of a setback to the mechanical and engineering world If it shall be demonstrated that iron rails are really safer than steel. So much has been claimed and hoped for the latter that it would be very dis couraging, to say the least of 1t. to find that the old rails were really the safer. Not only that, but it would be evidence of want of judgment or knowl- edge.
 But there is encouragement in the statement of The Commercial that complete investigation is to be made at once, so that responsibility. if there is any. may be properly placed. for the waste of human life is shameful. and we know that many of the recent train wrecks have been attributed to broken rails. If the fault lies in the material used or in the method of man. ufacture, the truth should be made hA nlaHad where 1t belongs. If, on the other hand, it is proven that the ignorance or parsimony of railway constructors has led them to use rails which are not large and strong enough to ensure safety the blame should be placed and a remedy applied.
 That something should be done ought to be plain to all who read the news papers. Rarely do we take up a morning paper without seeing details of one or more wrecks, where life and property are sacrificed. It has got to be such a common thing to read of wrecks that they have ceased to cause any wonder; rather, it would almost be 8 wonder if an entire day and night should pass without a disaster in some portion of the Union. It is not only horrible and depressing, but it Is dis creditable to us as d people. for they are far more common here than in the old world, and If there is not found and applied a remedy railroad travel in the United States will soon rank with ballooning. Surely there must be blame that can be placed. and a remedy that can be applied. and it should not be delayed