The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-20
TRAIN ACCIDENTS
DUE TO MISTAKES
Commission Urges Necessity for
Action TO Provide Greater
Safety.
LOSS OF LIFE 283 IN YEAR
Important Recommendations Are
Made i'll Annual Report
to Congress.

Washington, December I?.-Empha-
sizing the necessity for further action
by tho Federal government to provide
greater safety for travellers and en-
ployes upon American railroads. the
Interstate Commerce Commission in its
annual report submitted to Congress
to-day makes vigorous recommenda-
tonS for additional powers over the
physical construction and operation OF
the roads. The commission also re-
commcnds that it be given authority
10 supervise the issue Of railroad
curitics, ana some measure OF control
over the capitalization
Conditions disclosed by tho commits
Sion's investigation OF railroad acct
dents during the year present n sit
uation which, the commi ssion believes.
ought to be the subject of immediate
legislation. seventy six accidents in
vcstigated comprised hfty-one colli-
sions and twenty-five derailmcnts. and
caused the death OF 2S3 and the IN
jury OF 1850 persons
Accidents Caused by Mistakes.
The commission again is compelled
To note the exceedingly large proper
ton OF train accidents due TO derc-
Hction OF duty on the part of en-
ployes. I'ifty-six OF the accidents in
vestigated during the year. or nearly
- per cent OF the whole number. wero
directly caused by mistakes OF en-
ploycs These mistakes were Of tho
same nature rs those noted by the
commission In It's last annual report.
namely. disregard OF fixed signals: I'M
proper tagging: failure to obey train
orders; improper checking of train
register: misunderstanding of orders:
occupying main track on time OF sI-
perior train; block operator allowed
train to enter occupied block: dis
patches gave lap order OF used I'M
proper form of order; operator made
mistake In copying order; switch loft
open IN face IF approaching train;
excessive speed: failure to identify
train that vas met
These errors are exactly the oncs
which figure in the causes OF train
accidents year after year Their per
sistenco, leading always to the same
narrowing results, points inevitably to
the truth OF one or the other of the
following alternatives: either a great
majority of these deplorablo railroad
disasters are unavoidable. or there eX-
lists n widespread lack OF Intelligent
and well directed effort to minimize
the mistakes OF employees In the opera
ton OF trains. II is not believed that
all those accidents which are caused
by the mistakes OF employees are un-
aNoldable. 1t is quite true that man
IS prone TO error, and as long as abso-
element in the operation OF trains. ac-
cidcnts are bound to occur; but until
1t can be shown that all reasonable
and proper measures have been taken
for it's prevention. no accident can he
clasScd as unavoidable.
In Violation Of Rules.
"All Of the mistakes noted above are
violations of simple rules, which should
have been easily understood by men of
Suihcient intelligence to bo intrustcd
with the Operations Of trains. The cvi-
dencc is that in the main the rules are
understood hut they arc habituauv
violated by employees who aro charged
with responsibility for the safe move
mcnt Of trains. The evidence also is
that in many cases operating officers
are cognizant of this habitual disrc-
gard of rules, and no proper steps arc
taken to correct the evil. Many opcr-
ating officers seem to proceed upon
the theory that their responsibility
ends with tho PRONUNCIATION of rules
apparently overlooking the fact that
no matter how Inherently good n rule
may be. it is of no force unless II Is
obeyed. On very many railroads there
is little or no system of Inspection or
supervision of tho work of train SER
vice employees so fur as pertains to
safety.
Employees are not examined on the
operating rules except at the time or
their promotion, and only the most
perfunctory efforts are made to de-
termine their fitness to perform tho
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