The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-13
To INVESTIGATE
WIRE OK DISASTER
interstate Commerce Com
mission Has Already
Ordered Inquiry
M'CHORD POINTS OUT
COMMISSIONS NEEDS
But Few Inspectors Are Pro-
vided and Punishment
Provided Limited to
Light Fine

| WASHINGTON. D. c., July Ia
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. aroused by the circumstances
of the great wreck at Bridgeport and
the attitude of the New York. New
/ Haven and Hartford Railroad. has or
dered a searching inquiry into the
causes of the disaster.
| The inquiry is now In progress
The New York. New Haven and
Hartford Railroad has not Yet re-
ported to the Interstate Commerce
Commission that there has ever been a.
wreck. Some of the railroads have
| taken the ground that the Interstate
@Commerce Commission has no right
| to require railroad to report it's
wrecks by wire. and the New y ork.
| New Haven and Hartford concern is
evidently one of them. in the opin-
lion of the commissioners.
The only one Of the Interstate
Commerce Commissioners in the city
to-day is Mr.. Charles McChord. who
has charge Of railway inspections
particularly.
Mr.. McChord made the astounding
statement to The Virginian represen-
tative tonight that the commission
has been provided with only four in
spectors for the whole United States
whose duty II Is TO see whether or not
such important railway agents as en-
gineers are worked overtime.
The Importance of this fact can
scarcely be overetimated when 1t Is
charged specifically that a probable
cause of the great disaster was that
the unfortunate engineer had been
worked overtime at the moment of
the accident.
Congress to Act
1t is considered very likely that as
soon as the inspectors of Mr. Nc
Chord. who are now at work endeav-
oring TO ascertain the Immediate and
related causes of the wreck. have
reached Washington their report will
be immediately available for Congress.
and Congress seems to have been stir
red up by the frightful tragedy.
The first indication OF congressional
action is found in bill introduced
by Representative Talcott, of New
York, to prohibit railroads from
sandwtching wooden cars between
steel cars or between the locomotive
and steel car, the law to become ef-
fective January /.
This bill Is intended. Of course. to
prevent accidents similar to that at
Bridgeport, as the day coaches of the
engine and the heavy Pullman cars
and the day coaches were Of wood.
The intimation from the commits
sioo Is that 1t ought to be invested by
Congress with absolute authority to
enforce its regulations. For instance,
the New York and New Haven Rail-
road should have been compelled to
advise the commission by wire the
moment the wreck occurred When
q long time e1apsez between an accs-
dent and the presence OF official in
|vestigators the chances are very re-
mote that the real cause will be as
Icertained.
Interstate Commissioner McChord
said to The virginian representative
tonight:
while we had no report that the
wreck Md occurred. / caught Hiram
Belknap, our chief inspector at New
York, and ordered him by long dis
lance telephone to tho wreck i'm
mediately. Since that time he has
had with him three other inspectors,
and they are making the best possible
investigations, which will be prompt
" In the hands or the commission.
Il notice that It has been stated
SContinued On 1oaftn F11A5