Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-02
BLOCK SYSTEM FARCE
Startling Statements Made by
Commerce Commissioners
Anent B. & O. Wreck
OFFICIALS BLAME THE CREW
OFFICIALS BLAME THE CREW
Intimate That Trainmen on tho Extra
Ran Past Danger sisnaIs-commis-
sion to Make a Thorough Investisa-
ton Of Block systems-company
Management is Scored.

WudHdSStfSuS - SS0I Gus
Washington, Jan. 2.-Ohicials Of the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad are con-
Quoting an investigation Of the wreck
in Baltimore for the placing Of the re-
sponsibility for the disaster. General
Superintendent Todd exonerated Mil
ton Phillips, the operator at the Ia
koma block station, the last signal sta
ton that the equipment train passed
before crashing into the passenger
train at Terra Gotta
The superintendent declared THAI
Phillips was obeying instructions when
he went home at $3.50 o'clock leaving
the double green" signal burning.
While making no positive charge,
Superintendent Todd intimated that
the burden Of the blame would fall up
on the engineer and crew Of the extra.
The five members Of the crew, who
were arrested shortly after the accident
are now being held to await the result
of the official investigation.
They are: Harry Hildebrand, engi-
neer; Ira c. McClelland, fireman;
Frank F. Hoffmeister. conductors;
Ralph Rutter, brakeman, and William
A. Norris, baggagemaster.
Entirely independent Of any white
washing investigation which the Bal
timore & Ohio may make OF the GRIM
inality which caused the loss Of more
than half hundred human lives. the
interstate commerce commission has
decided to have an investigation OF its
own.
Authority for this action on the
part of the commission was found un-
der the joint resolution Of congress IN
structing the commission to make
special inquiry OF the block signal sys-
tenn as operated by the railroads.
The frequency Of rear end collisions
or the telescoping of one train by an
other, has aroused the members of the
commission, as well as congress and
the entire country, to the belief that
something is radically wrong in the
pretended operation OF the block sys-
tenn, and the commission proposes now
to find out the facts.
Astounding statements, made by ex-
perts of the commission, indicate that
the people Of the United States have
been misled into the impression that
the block systems Of this country are
adding greatly to the safety Of travel
To the contrary, the experts say these
systems have had no such effect. The
commissions statistics prove that q
constantly increasing proportion OF ac-
cidents occur.
The explanation given by the experts
Is startling. Briefly, they say that the
principles Of the block system are flag
rantly violated; that more and more
business Is sought at the expense OF
safety: that overworked and underpaid
men are placed in the towers to signal
trains; that excessively long hours for
these men, and the low quality Of SER
vice that can be secured for the wages
paid, combine to nullify the benefits
that ought to be derived from rigid en-
forcement Of the block system.
One member Of the commission said:
L 4S10 6lSSOuASS SA4dI OF 4cnOlA4b "a n
only a day station is maintained, and
that the safety signals were left there
for the night. If that is true, it is an
outrage. That a station should be main
tanned in that manner on great and
busy railroad, practically within the
limits Of such city as Washington, Is
mighty close to criminal negligence"
Another discovery, 1t is explained,
was that the block within which the
carnage happened last night is five
miles long.
Gazing vacantly between the iron
bars Of his cell, Engineer Hildebrand
is too full Of emotion to make an defi-
mite statement.
Tt will all come out at the invests
CATION" he said. II don't believe that
there is anything for me to say and /
couldn't say it If there was.
Before he was arrested the engineer
made statement in which he declared
that If the danger signal light was dis
played at Takoma he failed to see it
on account Of the dense fog.
Melton w. Phillips, the operator, who
also Is a prisoner, says the equipment
train ran past his danger signal at a
speed of from fifty to sixty miles an
hour. He says there was heavy fog,
but not enough to hide red light He
declares he Immediately notified the
operator at University station that the
train had taken the block against or
ders. His statement is corroborated
by the University station operator, who
says he received the message.
OF al
at Takoma Park, will testify that he
saw the signal light in its proper place
and that Hildebrand drove past the
signal. Fred Lemkum, gatekeeper at
Takoma, makes a similar statement.
How's This?
We offer one hundred dollars reward
for any case of catarrh that cannot
be cured by Halls Catarrh Cure.
F. J. CHENEY & CO., Toledo, o.
We, the undersigned, have known F.
j. Cheney for the last Is years, and