Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-10
STEEL CARS NEEDED
TO INSURE SAFETY
OF PASSENGERS
Interstate Commission Rec
ommends Their Use-Re-
port Shows Many Deaths
Due to Carelessness.

WASHINGTON, Dec 1o.-steel cars in
passenger-train service should be re-
sulred by law. the Interstate Commerce
Commission says in It's annual report
made public here today. II also declares
that the use in passenger trains Of
wooden cars between or In front Of steel
cars should be prohibited.
The commission Is desirous Of making
the railroad hours Of service act more
stringent. and proposes that the penalty
for violations Of this act be changed to
= hxed and definite sum, or that a min
lnum penalty OF siOO be established in
stead Of the penalty Of mot TO exceed
300" as now provided.
''sixty-three train accidents were In
vestiRated by the Commission during the
year ended June 40. 1914" says the re-
port Forty Of these accidents were coll
lislons, and az were csrailments. They
caused the death Of 16s and the injury
Of 2154 persons. The collisions investi-
gated were responsible for los deaths and
1852 INJURIES. and the deraiments caused
q deaths and s72 injuries. Thirteen Of
these collisions. causing 30 deaths and
ff2 injuries. occurred where the block
system was in use. and ~ collisions. In
volving 50 deaths and Ii3 injuries, occur
red upon the train-otder system Three
collisions, causing deaths and in
iuries, occurred in yard movements
where the system of train operation was
not faotor.
'Collisions caused by improper flag
ginE continue TO be prominent feature
OF these Investigations Eight of the
40 collisions investigated were due to
this cause. In these s collisions, As per- |
Sons were killed and ss6 injured. In one
collision, due to improper tagging, which |
caused IA deaths and 294 injuries, the |
fiagman at fault had been employed only |
~ days. and was entirely without previ-
Gus railroad experience
THE inherent weakness OF the train |
order system continues to manifest itself |
~ a prominent feature of the accident
record. In t3 OF the 40 collisions inVes-
tigated 1t appeared that were caused
by trains encroaching upon the time OF
superior class trains and we're caused
by the failure OF trainmen to obey
orders. III these 10 collisions 26 per-
sons we're killed and 179 injured on most
roads where the trnn-order system Is
used the rules require that an order
establishing a meeting point for opposing
trains shall be sent simultaneously to
All the trains involved, and also. when
ever practicable. to the operator at the
designated meeting point, thus providing
} check against the possibility OF train
men forgetting or misunderstanding the
,rder on some roads the rule is not
Observed.
I'm previous annual reports the Com
mission has called attention to bad con-
htions of track and roadway which are
esponsible for many derailments No |
naterial Improvement In such conditions ,
uring the period covered by this report
: noticeable. Six OF the 20 derailments
were either directly caused {
r greatly contributed to by bad track. ,
,he8e six derailments were resDousihla !
or S3 deaths and 1872 injuries, while in >
il derallments investigated 81 presons r
'ere killed and 972 injured. In at least I
hree OF these derailments occurring in
1idely separated sections OF the country,
he track conditions were absolutely un- :
afe for the operation OF trains at speed !
nd 1t did not appear that on the roads !
involved any proper system OF track in ,
pection was maintained. or that ade- \
uate facilities. in the way of material >
nd labor. for keeping track and road /,
'ny IN good condition were furnished"