The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-11-09
CUT TING
[)l)T PAII.
ACCIDENTS


Nh G. o. Dunn. Western editorial
manager Of the Railway Age Gazette
IN an article entitled. eliminating
Technical World Magazine for Novem
hur, makes following reference to the
". X. & / Ry
| It was ep3ried short time ago. b.
press dispatch that passenger had
Leen killed in train accident on the
| Missouri Kansas & = -Xas Railway
| The management of the Katy imraudi
ately denied the correctness of the re
port, aud stated that there had never
been passenger killed on its lines
! This statement was true. During the
forty yeois that this road has been in
operation no traveller has met deatf
upon one OF its trains through a trait
accident In this respect II has rec
ord that Is l0G per cent do no.
know whether any other railroad sys
ten IN The country of equal mileag'
md density Of traffic can pass an
equolly good examination
Americas railroads neve bad
reputation for accidents. whether they
merit as had name as they have Is
another matter BE that as it may
The fact tnat n railroad of the size Of
the Katf' has never killed passen-
ser is nc,able How it had made so
eood a record seemed to merit investi-
cation. But when one of its officers
was asked how it had managed TO do
so we'll he replied 80 many feat
tres cntcr into consideration of the
matter that we do not know whore to
begin nor to what particular condi-
ten We Cen attribute the enyiable rec
crd wo nav hold" The speciGc usual
J, prescribed for accidents is block
afforded much protection to passen-
signals But block signals have not
credit on the Katy" because it has
now on,y 100 milos OF them on its
> orc milts Of line Double track is
great safeguard against train acci-
dents, especially where traffic is
dense: but double ,raeN is not famil.
Tar IN the Southwest and the Katy
has no more Of II than other roads
there
Tho ov. .anadon of this reads en-
viablc record may. perhaps, be
| summed up in the two words Good
management II : not free from ac-
G.. i,n's ps Is SHOWN by thc week o.
it's "Flver" near Sedalia. Mo, on juno
! %. 1905 but II has taken care TO
| oguip iSs passenger trains With heavy
cars that win stand very hard strains,
and when the FLYER collided with a
stock train while running at high
| speed 80 make up time and the loco.
rotiyc and the baggage car next to II
were demolished, not one Of the 2OO
passengers on the train received a
scratch and num0ee did not know
until some time later that a serious
accident Lad occurred The manage
ncnt als1 requires that special atten
ton shall be given constantly to traci
and that iield inspection shall be made
lut brakes and the running gear of cars
J, EMPLOYS train auditors to collec'
the tick ITS so that the conductor car
4 givc his entire attention to running his
train
4 II you win trace This matter of thf
cause and prevention Of railroad ac
cidents far enough yon will Away
encounter the human element. II is
the most important element of all
he best track car and signals. over
head crossings. depressed crossings
are desirable, but they viii not prevent
acidents mangled bodies and untinely
deaths Ii the men at the top and tne
II HOttOm do not know their duty and do
a. The Katy owes it's clean acci
dent record largely TO the fact that
the men Is; the top. knowing and doing
tholr duty, have disciplined or dis
charged employees who did not know
aud do their duty ana have kept EN-
9lorea Wdo have known and done theil
ipty There are en- this road 1l5 loco
Eo,ive cnpineers who have been ii
continuous service for fifteen or more
wears. their average term of service
being twenty-three-years. and the lOug
ste term of service being thirty-eighi
years. The engineer VINO has worked
for .~s' ltns n" o. ap 10 q 10y
u 30 ID and TO give II and It's patrons
The most conscientious and sNillful ser
wee no ,An. Ittfit S rr Z.
ln ~ syc.v rf' "f tpcIatan e,tr9
Il 81, .tsgiut -OYV slelA esst a