The herald., 1912-07-25
SAFETY OF RAILROAD TRAVEL"

The following is a statement by Mr..
Julius Krutschnitt, Director of Main
tenance and Operation of the Southern
and Union Pacific Systems, same hav-
ing reference to the remarkable record
made by those lines in the safe hand.
ling of passengers:
The Union and Southern Pacific
Railroad Systems are now reaping the
benefits of years of consistent effort to
promote safety of travel on their lines,
and their success has been such as to
inspire even greater future effort.
Within period of four years the rec
ord of the Southern Pacific is abso-
lutely clear-not one single passenger
lost his life through a collision or de-
railment of it's trains. This means
that during that time 151 100000 pas
sengers were safely carried TO their
destinations on its lines, travelling an
average distance of forty-two miles, or
total of 1884, 900, 900 miles. or 90, 900
times around the world.
The Union Pacific, in approximately
the same period, fell short of this per-
feet record by but a single accident re-
sulting in the death of one passenger.
Without attempting to make invidi-
Gus comparisons, it may be stated that
these records, covering nearly 1880
miles, surpass those of the railroads of
Great Britain, covering $4,000 miles,
which are considered models of safety.
That this remarkable showing is the
result of something more than chance
is obvious, and it may be well to point
out briefly what has been done by the
management to carry out its policy of
safety first" in the operation of its
properties.
Within the past five years, $4,000, 900
have been expended in installing auto
matte block signals. Every miles of
the lines of the Union-Southern Pacific
Systems to San Francisco, Los An
SeleS anu Oitl 10 no" ploIcSlou'
To reduce to a minimum the hazard
of accident, the Union and Southern
Pacific Systems, during the past ten
years, have been drilling their train
men in the observance of danger sig
nails by a system of surprise tests, the
results of which have been very salts
factory, showing of approximately 90
900 tests made during the past year,
80 per cent were fully respected, and
practically all of those classed as
failures" were respected sufficiently
to have averted accident.
Every accident involving a hazard
of human life is promptly and fully in
vestigated to determine the cause and
to prescribe, if possible, the remedy
against recurrence. This is done by
converting board of inquiry composed
of division officers and two or more
prominent citizens, as representatives
of the public. The findings of the
board of inquiry are given freely to the
press for publication and are trans
mitted with all data to the president,
who, if the report is not conclusive,
may convene successive boards of in
quiry and employ technical experts If
necessary until the real cause is deter
mined and the responsibility located.
Employees are encouraged to make
suggestions in the interest of increas-
ed safety and their suggestions are
systematically and carefully consid-
cred by committees appointed for that
purpose. Through the frequent distri-
button of government reports of inves-
LEGATIONS of important accidents and
company bulletins, all employees are
taught that Eternal vigilance is the
price of safety"