The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-02-03
STATE SAFETY BUREAUS
FIND SAFEGUARDS PAY

Chicago, Jan. 3d. The safety
departments in connection with rail-
road and labor commissions of a few
states. notably Wisconsin, has led
many more states to consider the
plan. III Illinois the railroad com
mission has consulting engineer OF
national reputation, in Wisconsin a
safety department headed by safe
ty expert" formerly signal engineer,
in Indiana an Inspection bureau.
The general adoption of the plan
has been retarded by difficulty i'll
getting competent men who have not
absorbed from employment with the
big signal companies prejudice
against improvements which mean
progress but change of method. Nee
essarily the men are recruited from
the signal companies and signal ser
vice OF the railroads.
The annual and alarming gain ot
| deaths and injuries in the operation
of steam and lnterurban electric
roads has brought the safety expert
| into demand. The record of 10000
miles of interurh&n roads is not re-
ported TO the Interstate Commerce
Commission, but 1910 particularly
saw disasters in Interurban operation
with loss Of life so appalling that
they We're the subject of inquiry and
conferences called by the railroad
commissions Of several states, par
ticularly New York OIL January 10,
1nterurban roads are not yet equip
ped with signal safeguards
TO anyone VINO has experienced
the horror of wrecks and accidents
in which humanity has been mangled
and dismembered the record of 1910
read With full realization of its signi-
ticance, is no less than appalling"
says a bulletin of the League for
Public Safety which has headquar-
ters in Chicago.
Comparing it with previous years,
it seems still worse Following is
only the steam roads record:
1910, killed, $685. injured 81
40.
1909, killed 2,791; injured, CO.
900.
1908, killed, a,7G4; injured 6S. :
$3.50.
In Wisconsin the commission has
discovered through its expert staff of
inspectors that financial heads of the
railroads have not known the money
benefits of safety equipment The
gain in handling traffic (without ad-
ding also the reduction of the enor-
nous losses Of wrecks) in many cases
in two years would pay for the cost
of installation of safeguards in the
movement of trains, in other words
they were so per cent per annum in
yestment. A few railroads have vol
unfairly provided the best signal ap-
paratus yet available.
The wreck loss per annum now is
estimated at $3.50, 100000 without
regard to loss due to impeded traffic,
because of wrecks. In ten years that
waste will aggregate $4,000, 900, 600
plus an estimated sum of 100000 |
600 for the interruption to traffic |
and overtime wages Total, $4,500,-
900.
The best signal equipment of to
day is automatic, operated by cleo
trical track circuits When a train
enters block the signals are set al
danger against any train behind
But congress seeking to find means
to stop trains as well as signal to
nal and Train Control which ever
since has been overwhelmed with
devices and, most of which Were
hepelessly Impractical. Consequently |
the board has been able to make lit |
tie Roadway. The discovery Of the
practical, simple, inexpensive stop
equipment will add Immediately Ia
train safety. The automatic block
signals cost from $1,000 to $4,000
mile. Manual block signals, opera.
ted by men in towers, cost about ST.
500 a mile.
The cost Of the installations yet to
be made may be estimated.
a.. CGtn oon nno
roads, $60,0o0,000. Total $500, 900 I
600.
Here is the money investment
which the safety expert will have to
be responsible for, but the theoret-
cal profit in the investment is not.
less than four billion dollars, or ar
added 3 per cent per annum during
the 10 years on the outstanding can
ital of today of $13, OOO,G0O,0O0 If.
wrecks could be ended entirely. That
is not impossible, perhaps, even when