The Washington herald., 1914-05-10
One Person Meets Death
Every Seven Minutes with
Regularity Of Clockwork.

measures. including the regulation of
c,eed.
Investigation by the commission on q
certain Eastern railroad that has been
much in the public eye within the last
few years showed that two wrecks in
which couple Of score OF lives were
lost were caused by precisely identical
conditions that had caused wrecks on
the same line a few months previous
To make the matter worse and to ac-
centuate the fact that these wrecks could
have been prevented. it was shown that
the commission in the case of the earlier
wrecks had made recommendations which
the railroads had deliberately ignored.
The report states that there is a vital
need for the compulsory use of the block
SYSTEM and for the use Of automatic stops
in certain situations. and also for a uni
form code of signals and rules.
The inherent weakness of the train
order system appears from the fact that
of forty-seven collisions investigated
twenty-three were due to failure of con-
ductors or enginemen to understand or
obey ORDERS" the commission says. Ac-
cidents also due in the train-order sys-
TEN are mistakes of dispatchers or opera
tors in issuing, transmitting. copying, or
delivering orders
The high speed of trains has developed
defect in rails that is dangerous, par
ticulariy in that the defect cannot be
protected under present methods in the
making of the rail or after it is COM
pleted. Use of the rail by the heavy
train running at a high speed develops
the defect. and ultimately a derailment
takes place that causes loss of life and
injury to many persons This defect is
what is known as transverse fissure, and
its elimination calls for better mill prac-
tice. the experts of the commission say.
and they are now enga ged on a series II
tests with steel rails that may result IN
revolutionizing the making Of rails in
the United States.
Safe Limit for Speed.
Derailments and collisions are respon-
sible by far for the large loss of life
and injury to persons. and these general
in conjunction with high speed.
1T is, of course, extremely difficult, II
not impossible. to say absolutely what
Is a safe limit for the speed Of
trains" is the commissions conclusion
With heavy rails. well maintained track
and roadway. properly spaced signals.
and track kept clear of slow trains
high-speed trains can be run with COM
parative safety. But the effort to main
tain the schedules of these fast trains
and to bring them in on time creates
an undesirable mental condition and in
creases the chances of mistakes by en-
ployes.
This mental condition-this desire to
bring the fast train in on time at all
hazards-leads to the disobedience OF
many rules and such disobedience is
often winked at by the very officials
whose duty it is to enforce the rules.
Trainmen are thus encouraged 10 take
dangerous chances. knowing that if they
come through without accident their in
fraction OF the rules will be ignored II
thus happens that most of the accidents
to high-speed trains are directly caused
by failure Of some employe to perform
his duty.
Failure of railway officials to deter
mine with scientific accuracy the limits
of safety. especially with respect to
speed on curves, no doubt has led 10
many derailments. In a number OF de-
railments investigation showed that
track conditions were unsafe for the
movement OF trains at even ordinary
speed. and no adequate measures had
been taken by those in authority TO in
sure speed reductions.
Investigation of derailments due 20
broken rails has developed the fact that
current specifications for the manufac-
ture of rails are not sufficient to guard
against the most common type Of fraC-
lures and that the drop test does not
reveal the presence of interior defects
of a serious character"
Summarizing the situation the commits
sion says:
NO specific cure for these disasters
can he offered. for none is at hand. Ex-
perience has shown. however. that the
number and severity of railway acct
dents can be materially reduced by the
of methods and appliances
which are entirely practicable, and il :
encouraging to note that
there has recently occurred a general
awakening among railroad managers and
railway trainmens organizations which
has led to Il well-organized movement "a
the more prominent railroads of tie
country to secure greater safety"