Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-25
CONGRESS TO CONSIDER BILLS
At THE DECEMBER
SESSION.
OUTCOME OF FINDINGS OF
INTERSTATE COMMISSION
lnvsstia ations Follow scathins De-
nouneemsnt Of New Haven Road
Commissioner Mechord Preparing
Bill to Empower Commission to
Compel Use Of Steel Cars.


Of the interstate commerce commits
sion's scathing announcement OF the
New Haven road for the recent Wal
lingford wreck in which 1t was held
that man failure. beginning with high
officials and ending with its trainmen
was responsible for the loss OF twenty
one lives, sentiment in congress rap
Idly began to crystalize in movement
to take UP the whole subject Of leg1s-
lation for train safety at the Decem-
Der session.
An effort will be made to empower
the commission to deal with such Ques-
tions as steel cars and modern safety
equipment.
Mechord Drafting Bill.
Commissioner McChord. who has In
vestigated many recent wrecks, 10
drafting a bill to place such power with
the commission. Representative Stew
ems. of New Hampshire, chairman Of
ub-commlttee of the interstate COM
merce committee today began hear
ing preliminary to the drafting Of a
similar bill.
The MoChord bill will be ready for
introduction in the house next week.
After public hearings Mr.. Stevens
hopes to present a report and revised
bill to the house late In November 30
that it may be taken up as soon as
congress convenes in December.
The hearing today was devoted to
inventors. Experts In railroad opera
tion will be heard before q report Is
made.
Officials and Employees Scored.
Washington. Sept. 26.-"Man failure"
all along the line. from officials and di-
rectors Of the New Haven railroad
down to it, trainmen. IL held by the
interstate commerce commission to
have been the cause Of the Walling-
ford wreck. Sept. 2. In which twenty
one were killed and thirty-five injured.
In tts, report the commission blames
the crews Of the wrecked trains for
lapses and scores officers and directors
for inefhciency Of management.
Operating officials Of the New Haven
and the officers and directors OF the
system are grilled scathingly for
promulgation Of regulations that were
permitted to become practically dead
letters and for not seeing to It per-
sonally that operating conditions were
what they had directed them TO be-.
Man failure in this case" says Com
missioner McChord. who prepared the
report after an exhaustive personal
investigation Of the accident. began
high up in official authority and 1t was
not an unnatural sequence that 1t
reached down to those In positions low
er In Official rank. but still weighted
with great responsibility"
In use at the time Of the disaster. tho
report points out were Anticipated
signals condemned by the locomotive
engine men as well rs by the public
service commission Of Connecticut"
and old wooden cars resulted by con-
struct:on for such traffic as they were
expected to accommodate. These were
held to be contributory reasons for the
excessive number Of casualties.
Commissioner McChord indicates the
results of similar recent accident at
Tyrone. Pa, in which tho equipment
was all steel, and In which none Of the
passengers were killed, as an object
lesson in favor Of the use Of modern
equipment
The commission demands Of the
New Haven road the immediate adop-
tion Of IAN adequate system Of super
intendence and supervision, which will
give those In authority definite and
positive information as to whether or
not the safety requirements and rules
of this railroad are observed"