The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-11
,uch time should be enacted wi,hon:

such time should be enacted withon:
delay"
Commissioner McChord's report re-
Views exclusively the evidence de-
veloped at hearings and at corner s
inquest and says in part:
AS to the effort to place blame for
this accident upon the engincmen's
attention is called TO the rules laid
down In that agreement:
Rule ! of article 3: spare engi-
neers shall be run first in and first
out SO far as 1t is possible with the
requirements of the service and when
engineers are assigned TO temporary
vacancies they shall remain on same.
provided they are competent. until the
regular engineer returns. They shall
receive rates OF regular engineers
while on the road.
Rule /. as amended, exception c.:
No engineer who mas less than one
years roster rating as an engineer
shall be allowed TO run through pas
sengcr trains
This rule has two plain and definite
EXCEPTIONS:
"'CD SO far as it is possible with
the requirements OF the service and
"(2) Provided they are competent
primarily the determination Of %.
the requirements Of the service. and
20 competency OF engineers is for
the MANAGEMENT OF the railroad. The
most important requirement OF the
service is tho safety requirement.
I'm this case it is shown that no
reliable or effective system was IN
operation for the determination of the
safety requirements OF the service IN
The selection OF an cngineman for a
particular service or FOR the deter
mluatiop OF the competency OF an en-
gineman when he was first given n
hish-speed passenger train.
The neglect OF precautions for
safety was here neglect upon points
which the enrtneman's agreement LETT
open TO the management
Freight Service Men.
The mere absence OF demerit marks
while IN freight service was considered
a good record. sufficiently determined
to Justify employment on fast passen-
ger trains, Il class Of service rcquir-
ing the highest degree ot quaMhca-
ton.
40 determination Of special qualih-
cation for higher grade OF service was
made. The agreement with the en-
ginemcn in no manner restricts cX
animation or competency tests on the
part OF the management. The absence
OF all competency tests OF this engine
man Is 4 matter for which the man
agcment IS solely responsible. His
good Judgment in bringing an express
passenger train TO stop ought not
TO have been tried out at the risk of
passengers lives.
When. IN handling a Hrst-class pas
senSer train. this engineman on his
first trip went by a station and re-
ported that il was due to the brakes
being no good, II is strange that no
one in authority then saw any neces-
sity for n test. either OF the man or the
brakes. before he was again sent out
in the same lire Of service The gem
eral manager. however, reached the
conclusion that there was no suspicion
that he was not in all respects capable
when this vnGineman was assigned TO
tins high class train. This conclusion
was In no respect justified by the facts
NO organization but that OF the New
York. New Haven and Hartford Rail
road Company is responsible for piac-
ing a man in charge of this locomotive
without tests or supervision by travel
ing engineers of his qualifications and
Judgment for this special work
The determination OF the ability.
fitness or qualifications of an engine
man is the duty OF the railroad itself
II was not delegated TO any other or
ganization. nor could IL be so dele
gated. 1t was neither delegated nor
performed. 1t was neglected
1t was unwarrantably assumed that
a man at the head or the list Of spare
enginemen was qualified, without any
special consideration of the character
OF the service in which he had expc-
rience."