Evening star., 1907-07-04
FORMAL COMPLAINT FILED.
Virginia Commission Asked to Act in
W., A. and F. C, Wreck.

The attention of the Virginia corporation
commission has formally been drawn to
the wreck on the W., A. d F. c. road in
letter mailed to that body last night by Mr.
William ]. Brown of the firm of James A.
Bates & Co. Mr.. A. o. Won Herbulis, the
architect, who a passenger on the
wrecked car has consulted his attorneys
and will today draw up a formal complaint
against the methods employed in the opera
tion of the road. This communication Mr..
Won Herbulis expects to forward tomorrow
to tine commission. Mr. Browns letter fol-
lows:
Gentlemen: Referring to the terrible ac
cident on the Washington, Arlington and
Falls Church railway of tbs morning, l
beg to take the liberty of saying that it is
the direct result of trying TO public
st wee conveyance without sufficient equip
ment lived in Vienna for three summers
and up to the first of June OF this year,
Travelled the trolley entirely and had
ample occasion to observe the methods used
in its operation.
The road has been conducted by the
local management as well as could be ex-
pected, when the fact is known that the
owners of the road limited it's discretion
and powers within such bounds that nothing
could be accomplished.
The accident of this morning is directly
traceaDle to the present schedule. This
schedule started about May q, and
believe has been operated or has been in
force since that date without change Now,
this schedule calls for more cars than there
is power to operate. And / know by per-
sonal observation of times when one car
would stop for the purpose of letting the
one ahead get a start. Then, of course,
there would be a mad rush to catch up
usually, if not always, on the down grades.
There is no system of block signaling in
USE the cars wafting at switches until the
usual number has passed so any extra or
work train is liable to accident unless the
crew of the last regular car signals the
waiting cars to wait for the last one coming
behind him. This method worked fairly
we'll where the cars could keep schedule
time, but to my certain knowledge have
lost from one to two runs during the day
and consequently have run anybodys
time and turned in when they got there
These conditions have certainly been
brought to your notice. and should have
been remedied long before this but it seems
tions are remeded only at the cost of hu-
man life and limb l realize that COM
muters are chronic kckers. but it Is my
honest opinion that had the present man.
agement been al owed to suit the schedule
to the needs Of the traffic and the cars to
the strength of the current furnished the
accident this morning would never have
happened the patrons would have been
better satisfied, and the road made to serve
is purpose common carrier.
| 1T is my intention to publish this, if pos
sible. both in Washington and Virginia pa
| pers in the hope that some plan may be
discovered to enable your commission to
control outside capital in the management
| of local publc-service corporations Very
respectfully yours,
civilian ]. BROWN
The state commission recently completed
| long investigation of the management
| of the Washington, Arlington and Falls
| Church railway instituted by the COM
| monwealth of Virginia on behalf of COM
| p.aining patrons of the road The hearings
| were held both at Richmond before Judge
| Crump and at Fort Myer courthouse. The
| commission expressed the opinion that
| better accommodations should be provided
| by the company during the rush hours in
] the morning and evening" especially on
| the main Ane, and that additional cars
| should be put on during the heavy travel in
| the morning and evening hours.