The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-12-16
ACCIDENTS ARE.
IN
LENGTHY REPORT
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COM.
MISSION TELLS WHY MANY
RAILWAY ACCIDENTS OCCUR.
(By Associated Press. }

Washington. Dec. To- SAFETY
first" is the paramount rule of train
operation suggested by the inter-
state commerce commission in its
twenty-siXth annual report submit
ted today to Congress. Discussion
OF disasters on American railroads
during the last year constitutes an
important feature of the report.
It is pointed out that many OF
the accidents resulting in fatalities
light have been avertcd by the eX-
crcisc of proper precaution or the
employment of suitable devices and
good equipment. Figures given
show that OF the total of S,2l5 de-
railmrnts daring the year. 1877
we're caused by defects of roadway
aLd 3,Ni7 were due to detective
equipment This indicates an in
I
in the dcraimcnls due to- bad road
way, and ,o23 due 10 bad equip
mcnt.
The invest igation by he commits
sion itself Of railroad accidents in
volyng loss of life, the report says,
has proceeded far enough TO indi-
cate the need of more effective meas
urcs than thus far have been taken
to secure safety OF railroad travel
While the previous suggestions Of
the commission as to the adoption
by the railroads Of all-stecl, or steel
undcrframc, cars are being adopted
as rapidly as conditions will per-
init" and "thc danger from the use
of unsOund cars is gradually disap-
rcarng," the serious dangers of de-
fcctiye roadway and the use of un-
sound rails still remain. as result
of which derailments arc likely at
any time to occur. Concerning its
Investigations. the commission says:
"Of the thirty-onc derailments in
vCstigated, fourteen were either di-
rcctly or indirectly caused by bad
track In five of these fourteen
cases the derailments would prob
ably have been avoided had existing
speed restrictions been observed;
hut in all the remaining eases no
adequate speed restrictions were in
force, and in three cases the track
conditions were so obviously unsafe
that dcrailmcntS were likely to oc-
eur even at low speed In one Sc
piOus dcrailment an examination OF
he track i'm the vicinity of the ac-
cdent disclosed 800 rotten ties
within distance of li7 rail
lengths. Under many of the rails
were as many as eleven bad ties, and
| under each of two rails there were
twelve ties so badly decayed and
lrokcn as to be totally unfit for ser
wee. In many of these ties the spike
were so loose that they were easil,
RI moved by hand, the wood havin,
nc longer any holding power. TIL,
track in the vicinity of this acci
dent was poorly ballasted and wa
unsafe for the passage of trains a
ordinary speed. This derailment oc
Cured on straight track while th'
train was running about thirt!
miles per hour"
The report says that "the mos
disquieting and perplexing" featur
in the problem of accident preven
ton is the large proportion of trail
accidents caused by dereliction o
cuty by the employees involved. Th'
commission believes that as a rul'
there are no men that have keene
appreciation of their responsible
ties than railroad trainmen and en-
rinemen," and yet it is pointed Ou
that 63 per cent of the whole mum
Der of accidents investigated wer'
caused by mistakes on the part G
employees.
There is disposition in some
quarters" continues the report, "tt
charge these lamentable errors T.
. failure of discipline and to hold EN-
ployes wholly responsible for sucf
failure. This is a superficial view
, which contains no promise of eff
; fective remedy.
"a remarkable increase in the
speed and weight of trains within
recent years, and the crowding OF
tracks and terminals caused by tn9