Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-19
Commerce Board Urges
Greater Railroad Safety

were directly caused by mistakes OF
employees These mistakes were OF
the same nature as those noted by
the commission IN its last annual
report, namely, disregard OF fixed
signals. improper Tagging, failure to
obey train orders, improper checking
! of train register misunderstanding of
orders. occupying main track on time
of superior train, block operator al
! lowed train 10 enter occupied block,
dispatcher gave lap order or used I'M
proper form OF order, operator made
mistake in copying order, switch left
open in face of approaching train, ex-
eessive speed, failure to identify train
that was met.
These errors are exactly the ones
which figure i'm the causes of train
accidents year after year. Their per-
sistence. leading always to the same
| narrowing results, points inevitably
! to the truth of one or the other of the
| following alternatives: Either q
! great majority of these deplorable
railroad disasters are unavoidable or
there exists a widespread lack OF in
| telligent and Well-directed effort to
minimize the mistakes of employees
in the operation of trains. 1t Is not
believed that all those accidents
which are caused by the mistakes of
quite true that man is prone to err
ror, and as long as absolute reliance
Is placed upon the human element in
the operation of trains accidents are
bound to occur, but until it can be
shown that all reasonable and prop
er measures have been taken for it's
prevention no accident can be classed
as unavoidable.
Simple Rules Violated.
"All of the mistakes noted above
are violations Of simple rules, which
should have been easily understood
by men of sufficient intelligence to be
entrusted with the operation of trains.
The evidence is that in the main the
rules are understood, but they are
habitually violated by employees who
are charged with responsibility for
the safe movement OF trains. The
evidence also Is that in many cases
operating officers are cognizant OF this
habitua1 disregard of rules, and no
proper steps are taken to correct the
evil Many operating officers seem to
proceed upon the theory that their re-
sponsibility ends with the promulga-
ton of rules, apparently overlooking
the fact that, no matter how in
herently good a rule may be, it is OF
no force unless it is obeyed. On very
many railroads there Is little or no
system of inspection or supervision Of
the work of train service employees,
so far as pertains to those matters
which vitality affect safety. En-
ployees are not examined on the
operating rules except at the time OF
their promotion, and only the most
eerfunctory efforts are made to de-
termine their fitness to perform the
duties assigned to them from time to
time.
This lack of supervision and in
spection with respect to matters az
facting the safety of trains is unex-
plainable when the careful supervi-
sion OF all matters directly affecting
the revenue Of the roads is considered.
The auditing. and checking systems
used for detecting the dishonesty of
employees are marvels of ingenuity
and careful attention to detail but
means of determining whether trains
are operated in accordance with the
requirements of safety and in con-
fornity with the rules are almost en-
tirely lacking.
Would Enforce standard Rules.
ssIn previous reports the commission
has recommended legislation requir-
ing the Standardization of operating
rules. It Is vital to the safe move
ment of trains that rules should be
explicit and uniform in character, so
that they may be easily understood
and that there may be no doubt as
to their application. To this end fed
eral legislation is necessary.
"Disobedience of signal indications
on block -signaled railroads IS one
of the most serious phases Of the ac-
cident situation. Such disobedlence
often occurs in connection with the
movement OF important high-speed
passenger trains and when 1t results
in a collision or derailment most
deplorable casualty list is it's inva-
riable accompaniment. Fourteen OF
the Investigated accidents which
which have occurred on blocks sig
nailed roads since July l. 1911, were
caused by enginemen running by stop
signals or failing TO reduce speed as
directed by caution signals. In these
fourteen accidents 105 persons were
killed and 81 We're injured. In seven
of these accidents the cupable en-
ginemen themselves were killed.
mo adequate reason can be offered
for these serious lapses from duty by
men who in many cases suffer death
as q consequence. Frequently 1t is
hard even to suggest q plausible ex-
DlullaIlOn lOT ZIG uiSOOSoiSilSS I'll
nal indications. That they are dis
obeyed, however, Is a fact, and the
lives that are annually sacrificed
from this cause call loudly for some
means of arresting it's results.
Best Systems Fail.
1.-THE most disastrous accidents OF
this character occur on roads equip
ped with modern systems of auto
matte block signals, where elaborate
precautions to prevent accidents
(short of guarding against the con-
sequences of signal disobedience)
have been taken. The trains involved
in these lamentabe disasters gener-
ally are operated by trusted en-
ployees Of long experience. But the
record abundantly proves that even
splendid signal equipment and ad-
mirable discipline coupled with long
experience and high moral character
on the part of employees, cannot pre-
vent the occasional man failures
which produce such fatal results.
These facts are brought to the atten-
tion of the Congress, with the sug-
gestion that these man failures in