Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-25
HOLD UNCLE SAM
FOR TRAIN SPEED
Burlington Chief Tells State
Commission Postal Officials
Dictate Schedules.
9O-MILE RATE Is CITED
Superintendent Robert Rice of Rail.
road Makes Admission at
Chicago Inquiry.

Chicago, July 25-Uncle Sam and
his desire for speedy transportation of
mail was drawn .ltc the inquiry as to
causes of the Western Springs wreck
on the Chicago. Burlington & Quincy
railroad by the state commission yes
terday.
With Robert Rice, Burlington super
intendent, on the stand. Orville F. Ber-
ry, president of the railway body, de-
veloped the fact that the postal author
tiles dictate mail train schedules and
that engineers on such trains are CIV
en- free rein.
Ninety miles an hour they have
been known TO travel" testified the
superintendent before the commission
ers. 81 have been on trains doing 80
miles an hour"
You have been on trains going so
miles an hour and still live!" gasped
Commissioner B. A. Eckhart, evoking
smile from the railway official.
The superintendent disclaimed
knowledge of the dickering between
the government and railroads over
mail contracts, but the roads attorney.
J. A. Connell, volunteered the informa-
/ tion that the railroads were furnished
with a certain schedule to be made by
mail trains.
DATA ON SPEED REQUESTED.
| Then President Berry directed the
superintendent to furnish the commits
sion with data on the speed of the mail
train and the Overland Express for the
week prior to the rear end collision
in which Is died.
Mr.. Rice stated that with the SPEED
p ometer~records from. the engines he
would be able to report accurate fig
ures on the speed of the trains at diff.
ferent points.
You say that it is the public that
demands high speed of passenger
trains, Mr.. Rice. What do you sup
pose could be accomplished by impos
ing an additional charge for tIansIor.
tation on the fast trains and by start
ing an educational campaign on the
danger Of those trains at the same
time?" asked Mr.. Berry.
"Why, those fast trains you speak OF
would be filed up every trip" was
Mr. Rice's answer.
For more than an hour the state
commissioners questioned and arguet
with the closing witness, James B
Latimer. signal engineer for the Bur
lington system. He asserted that The
Burlington signal system was the bes
in existence. but later qualified the
statement.
DEFENDS SIGNAL SYSTEM
do you consider your manual bIocl
better than the automatic block?" ask
ed Hiram w. Belnap, government ex
pert.
81 most certainly do. The automati,
block is permissible at all times. Ac
cording to our system two passenge
trains are not allowed On the sam
block. Interstate commerce report
show four times as many rear-end col
lisions on automatic block territory a
d under the manual block system"
: Don't you think that distant sis
i nal would mean additional protecLIo
with your system? Don't you bei.ev
such a signal under the circumstance
s of the morning of July II would hav
/ prevented that rear-end collision
r asked Mr.. Belnap.
Yes, | suppose it would"
Mr.. Belnap was referring to a di,
= tant signal of the variety which wa
7 recommended by the coroner's juIy |
=. Its finding along with recommend;
D tions for employment OF men in TOW
p ers and less speed.
Frank Woodwork, fagman on tn
r. Overland Express, told his story to th
Y commission and other trainmen wer
examined. after which the state il
quiry was closed. The commission
finding will not be forthcothing or
few days.
With the conclusion OF the stat |,
= quiry, Mr.. Belnap. chief inspector fc
the interstate commerce commission
j left last night for Washington, wher
his report on the wreck will be mad
!. TO that body. His report will be mao
public there.