New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-07
HOUSE VOTES $4,000
FOR SAFETY DEVICE PROBE
Republican Leaders Force
Amendment Through Despite
FitzgeraId'S Protest.

| Washington. Sept. 6.-As a result Of the
recent New Haven wreck, the House to-
day adopted an amendment to the urgent
deficiency bin appropriatinG $4,000 for an
! investigation by the Interstate Commerce
| Commission Of block signal systems and
other railroad safety devices.
The amendment was offered by Mr.
Mann. the minority leader. and was OPP
posed by Representative Fitzgerald, chair
man OF the Appropriations Committee
who contended that the commission al
ready had authority TO conduct the in
vestgation. Mr.. Mann urged specific di-
rection and liberal appropriation 10
bring about thorough investigation ~
any plan which would tend 10 promote
the safety OF the travelling public.
Representative FAR. OF Pennsylvania.
referring more specifically than other
speakers to the New York. New Haven
e Hartford Railroad wreck. attributed II
To- speed recklessness. He advocated Civ
ing to the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion power to regulate the speed OF trains
in interstate commece saying
we are losing sight Of the real cause Of
the accident the other day. You may in
stall all the safety appliances YOU can
and vet YOU will not eliminate accidents
resulting from the high speed al which
these trains we've going. The engineer
said they were going so fast that al
though he saw the signal he could not
stop his train in time 10 prevent the ac-
cldcut
THAT train could not have been stopped
tsif h
I'm 1850 feet Eytn II he had seen the
signal at greater distance. there was
no way To prevent that accident except
by lessenng the speed OF his train. and
he was going At that speed under orders.
The dispatcher gave no Instructions about
slowing down these trains running so
closely together within few minutes
apart in foggy weather, and said he had
no instructions from the head office as TO
their regulation. and he acted on his own
judgment
THE way TO stop accidents on road
like that is to give the Interstate COM
merce Commission the power To regulate
train operations particularly where wood
en- cars are used. Steel ears on the New
Haven Tram NpN'h hshfN f''NN 'N'''N
undoubtedly, but would not have elImi-
mated the possibility Of fatalities
Mr.. Farr said the commission needs
additional power 10 regulate the train
movement Of roads whose equipment Is
bad and whose roadheds are bad. He
quoted from report Of the block signal
and train control board. saying that mo-
where I'm the world have appliances for
safeguarding railway transportation been
so highly developed as In this country lie
also quoted from the Interstate Com
mcrce Commission report declaring that
excessive speed necessary 10 maintain
train schedules has been an important
factor In many train accidents. and that
conditions of safe operation are often
ignored i'm an effort to bring fast trains
i'm on time.
Mr.. Farr said in ending: III you want
10 stop these accidents give the Interstate
Commerce Commission some power rela-
tive TO the operation of trains. Railroad
men with whom | come in contact are In
state of nervous apprehension The
railroads are anxious TO compete with
other roads. with the result that freight
trains to-day are being run as fast as
passenger trains were fifteen or twenty
years ago."