The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-12-21
SAFETY MUST COME FIRST.
COMMERCE COMMISSION URGES
EXTRA CARE ON RAILWAYS.
Investigation Has Proceeded Fur
fectivc Measures for Protection.

| washington, Dec. l6.-"Safety first
is the paramount rule OF train opera
| tion suggested by the interstate COM
merce commission in its 26th annual
| report submitted today to congress.
Discussion OF disasters on American
railroads during the last year consti-
tutes an important feature Of the re-
port.
1t Is pointed out that many Of the
accidents resulting in fatalities might
have been averted by the exercise of
proper precaution or the employ
ment Of suitable devices and good
equipment.
Figures given show that Of the total
OF S.215 derailments during the year,
l's77 were caused by defects Of road
way and 3,s47 were due to defective
equipment. This indicates an increase
over the previous year Of $50 In the
derailments due to bad roadway. and
1923 due to bad equipment.
The investigation by the commission
itself OF railroad accidents involving
loss of life. the report says. has pro-
ceeded far enough to indicate the
need Of more effective measures than
thus far have been taken to secure
safety Of railroad travel" While the
previous suggestions Of the commis-
sion as to the adoption by the rail-
roads OF ah-steel, or steel-underframe.
cars are being adopted "as rapidly as
conditions will permit" and "the dan
ger from the use Of unsound cars is
gradually disappearing" the serious
dangers of defective roadway and the
use OF unsound rails still remain, as a
result Of which derailments are likely
at any time to occur. Concerning it's
Investigations. the commission says:
"Of the 81 derailments investigated,
IL were either directly or indirectly
caused by bad track. In five Of these
II cases the derailments would prob.
ably have been avoided had existing
speed restrictions been observed; but
In all the remaining cases no adequate
speed restrictions were In force, and
In three cases the track conditions
were 90 obviously unsafe that derail-
ments were likely to occur even at low
speed. In one serious derailment an
examination OF the track In the vicin-
IL Of me accident disclosed SOC rot
IN tes within distance Of l47 rail
lengths. Under many of the rails
there were as many ~ II bad ties,
and under each OF two rails there were
IL ties 40 badly decayed and broken a.
to be totally unfit for service. In many
Of these ties the spikes were 30 loose
that they were easily removed by
hand. the wood having no longer any
holding power. The track In the vi
cinity Of this accident was poorly bal
lasted and was unsafe for the pas
sage OF trains at ordinary speed. This
derailment occurred on straight track
while the train was running about 80
miles per hour"
The report says that "the most dis
quieting and perplexing feature In the
problem Of accident prevention Is the
large proportion OF train accidents
caused by dereliction Of duty by the
employees involved. The commission
believes that as a rule there are no
men that have a keener appreciation
Of their responsibilities than railroad
Arainmen and enginemen." and yet 1t
Is pointed out that 63 per cent Of the
whole number of accidents investi-
gated were caused by mistakes on the
part of employees.