Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-10
The Verdict of the Jury.

In holding not only the trainmen and an
onerator but members of the railroad
executive staff responsible for the Terra
Gotta wreck the c0roner's jury has rem
dered a service of value by laying the
foundation for a perhaps effective refcrma-
tory procedure by the courts and by con-
gress Usually in such cases jurles are so
hampercd by inconclusive testimony that
they are forced to return perfunctory or
intiecsive vcrtiicts. from which the puphc
derives no later advantage. Or they holu
in blame merely the unfortunate operatives
whose blunders. while directly the cause
of disaster areethemselves due to bad sys-
TEN or incompetent management.
In this instance the jury has gone up
the line to seek the ultimate cause of the
catastrophe finding it primarily in the mis-
talk. or incompetence of signal operator
and secondarily in others whose neglect OF
or failure to enforce the railroads rules
contributed to the tragedy.
OF particular Importance too is the dec
Iaration of the jury that the block signal
system in vogue on the Baltimore and Ohio
Is not a sufficient protection 10 the public.
and that il should be continuous and not
intcrmittent: that the wages paid to opera
tors and signalmen are not sufficient TO
secure competent and reliable men, and
that a more systematic inspection of time
pieces is necessary This Indictment Of the
railroad management has been clearly JUS
titled by the testimony. 1t is plain beyond
any possible doubt that the elastic block
system is conducive to errors and disasters
thst Incompetent men are employed anu
that an amazing laxity in the matter of
time standards has prevailed for an in
Discriminate period. OF Importance, also. is
the recommended ton that the signal opera
tors he relieved of all other duties than
those pertaining to the dspa itching of
trains 1t may reasonably be believed that
some part of the fault in this rests
UPON the short-sghted economy which re-
uuires a man to be at the same time tele
grapher-both for the railroad and the pub
Ic-signa! operator. station keeper. express
agent. freight agent. and, in some cases,
gsteman.
The grand jury and the court will now
proceed to define in precise terms the de-
gree OF criminal responsibility. which may
attach 10 the persons who have been named
nv the coroner's jury. But meanwhile the
question of safeguarding the public
mains to be answered effectively. Ii is
not sufficient 70 rely upon the railroad
company to adopt the recommendations of
the jury reasonable and necessary as they
appear to be. If our railroad companies
would in every case proceed after wreck
to apply the remedies and adopt the re-
forms which the disaster plainly teaches
there would soon be a material reduction
Of collisions perhaps an end 10 them al
together The shocking increase in the
number and seriousness OF these catas-
trophies is ample evidence tina; the corpora
lions are not willing to do that which the
public safety demands. Legislation is inn
peratively necessary.
The Interstate commerce commission is
now engaged in inquiry into this mat
ter. with the Terra Gotta wreck as a start
ing point. A resolution for a congressional
inquiry is pending There should be no
lack Of information upon which to base
action by Congress in the near future II
IS to be hoped that any remedial measure
that may be adopted will provide for the
regulation OF hours OF all operatives for a
standard system of block signaling for a
reliable inspection 10 maintain efficiency
and discipline. and. above all FOR the adop-
tion of automatic safeguards to supplement
the manual signal system. which depends
for its efficiency upon human agents This
legislation should he framed as TO cover
the entire country. under the interstate
commerce clause of the Constitution but
In any case. there should promptly be an
enactment for the benefit of the District
of Columbia, which is now without statu-
tory safeguards against economies and
misma Management on the part of the rail-
reads which expose the public TO the
danger OF death.