New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-29
LOWER SPEED URGED
FOR FAST TRAINS
Result of States Inquiry Inta
Wreck of the Twentieth
Century Limited.
RAILROADS ARE IN ACCORD
Suggestion Is to Lengtheu
Time Schedules of Long Dis.
lance Runs in Winter
and Early Spring.

Albany, July B.-The Public 6
Commission Of the ID District IN ,,s y"
port, made public to-day, on its ,r,.',
CATION Of the wreck OF the Now w.
CentraPs Twentieth Century r,r,,,os
Hyde Park. March 10, makes the sp0ys,
ton that In the future all railroads e.
ming extra fast limited trains over To-.
distances should materially reduce a..
speed OF such trains during the win,.,
and early spring because OF the d..
or accidents due to alternate freezing an,
thaWing. which makes uneven tracks
In report OF many pages on the cau,.
OF the Hyde Park wreck, the comrnis,,o,
declares that the freezing and thav,,.
makes uneven tracks and that the d,m
Guilty Of inspection and repairing 10 great.
~ increased Instead Of the elastic rosd.
bed OF summer. the structure becomes
almost as solid as rock, and the strain
on the rails, on locomotive tires and on
car wheels and axies is greatly ans
mented, often to the breaking point.
The accident under discussion, in vh,eA
seventy-three passengers and employsr
were injured. was due 10 an irreTuiar,,,
in the track caused by freezing and thsu.
ing, says the report and not a sroksp
rail, as was generally supposed A IN,
time
Touching on the reduction OF speed th.
report says:
The important element 70 consider IN,
connection with the study Of this cues
ton Is the necessity OF continuous high
speeds imposed by the maintenance az
fast long distance schedules during IN.
winter. The record OF accidents to faepi
trains during the last year raises the
question whether the schedules are moi
too fast for safety. Ii appears 10 be eyi-
dert that, whatever the factor Of SAFETY
may be In summer, IL must be materially
reduced under winter conditions.
In view OF this accident the commits.
sion has felt IL desirable 10 suggest
reduction OF speed during the winter Of
some OF the long distance runs, notably
the Twentieth Century Limited. The
subject has been discussed with the
principal operating officers OF the New
York Central and Pennsylvania
The proposal 10 lengthen the schedule
of these trains IN winter has been favor.
ably received by the officers OF both CON-
panies. and wish TO reach an agree.
ment on the subject has been indicated
AS result We expect that the schedule
OF the Twentieth Century Limited trains
between New York and Chicago will b.
heightened from eighteen 20 twenty
hours next winter.
The commission, In It's long nvestlga-
ton Of the cause of the Hyde Park &C
cident 10 the New York Centrals Chi.
cago train while running at high speed
along the Hudson finds IL was an irreg-
ularity in super OF the outer
rail, or what is more commonly known
as a low spot in the track.
The report of the commission states
that the breaking Of the rail appears 10
have been the result OF the accident and
not the cause. All of the pieces OF this
rail were found, and the fractures were
carefully examined by the commissions
representatives in connection with the
United States Bureau OF Standards al
Washington. No flaw could be found
At the point where the accident oc.
Cured the curve was an easy one. The
outer rail was supposed 70 be elevated
about four inches TO enable trains to
pass safely and easily at high speeds
The low spot appears 20 have resulted
in change in the elevation from ~
inches to "a inches in distance OF about
fifty feet. This drop would be sufficient
TO cause serious lurch in the locomc-
tive, with sudden increase Of pressure
against the outer rail.
Considerable attention is given In the
report 10 a study Of the speed record
of the Southwestern Limited, New YORK
Central Limited, Twentieth Century
Limited and the Empire State Express
As to the speed OF the Twentieth Cen
fury on the day OF the accident. II
stated that, Judging by the train sheet
speeds OF az least seventy miles an hour
were reached at two points on this run
The train was one hour and twelve min
utes late. and the desire OF engineers 70
show good running record leads then
to make Up as much time as practicable
on these important trains" The report
continues:
In our judgment large number o.
men fail to appreciate the dan
ger and excessive cost of allowing enzf-
neers TO run at the highest speeds pos
sible, especially around curves, and ~
this respect IL seems very desirable 70
consider the example set by many for..
eign railroads in strictly limiting speed
by rule and checking the actual perform,
ance by speed recording apparatus. Al.
OF the French railways, we understand
maintain speed recorders on both passen.
ger and freight locomotives, and tnss
practice Is quite general Throughout
Europe
rrrrNJy JUOMAN WAS SLAIN