The Delta independent., 1913-09-19
REAL REMEDY FOR PREVENTION
OF MANY RAILROAD ACCIDENTS

w. l.. Park, vice president of the H.
linois Central railroad, in charge OF
operation, said some things in his ad-
dress at the annual convention of the
Roadmasters' association the other
day which are fmore than technical
interest and should stir general public
thought on the subject of railroad ac-
cidents and their effective prevention
We have abundance of legislation on
this subject, most of which is well in
tentioned and much of it misdirected-
Whenever a railroad disaster occurs
there is public clamor for more legis-
lation, and the lawmakers hasten to
comply Yet, as Mr.. Park well said:
IF flagman fails to do his duty, au-
tomato signals are to be forced by law
and a maudlin public sentiment eX-
cuses the real culprit. If the block sig
mails fail to stop an engine there is
cry for automatic control" though
such device has not been invented
and is considered by practical railroad
men to be impossible, as the respon-
sibility cannot be taken away from the
engineer railroad manager would
be criminal to put money into eXpen-
sive track elevations, separation OF
highway crossings or steel cars if the
railroad had only mud ballast, wooden
bridges. inadequate drainage and pro-
lection against washouts. landslides.
etc. items well known to practical op-
Grating officials as those which should
receive first consideration in order to
secure real safety"
The trouble with much of our public
regulation of railroads is that it puts
/ the cart before the horse, as in the in
I stances cited by Mr. Park. Steel cars
are probably good, but they will not
prevent washouts, and it is crime to
lorce a railroad to spend its money on
steel cars to the neglect of proper
protection of its tracks against flood
Very many Americans have child
ish confidence in mechanical devices
as sureties of safety. They constantly
forget that behind every machine must
be a man to keep the machine going.
II the man be negligent the machine
will sooner or later fail And if what
Mr. Park rightly terms "maudlin pub
! lie sentiment excuses the mans negii-
gence and resists firm discipline that
Z enforces care, with proper penalties on
/ the real offender, all the automatic"
devices that can be invented will not
prevent railway disasters.
The human factor cannot be elimi-
mated by any sort of mechanical de-
vice. The great cause Of railway acci-
dents is that various influences COM
or negligence caucbni cmfwyp cmfwyp
bine to shield men whose recklessness
or neglect causes the accident from
wholesome discipline and deIrrant
punishment for their misconduct
The organizations OF railway EN-
ployes have much to answer for in this
matter. A recent passenger train dis
aster in an eastern state was due to
the fact that the engineer who was on
call" had had practically no experience
in running passenger trains over that
road. Yet only few months before,
at a conference over the rules. the en-
gineers' union had refused absolutely
to accept rule which would have pre-
vented such inexperienced men from
taking out passenger trains.
The real remedy for railroad acci-
dents is a state of public opinion that
will sustain railway managements in
firm discipline that effectually holds
to personal responsibility and deter
rant penalties the man whose negli-
gence or recklessness caused the
wreck-Chicago Inter Ocean.