New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-07
WRECKS FROM MAN FAILURE
Automatic Devices Needed to Pro
tect Trains and Passengers.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.


Sir: Reading your report Of the ate al
Federal boards findings in connection witt
the recent deplorable New Haven Railroad
wreck at Milford, Conn, in which the toll q
+ lives amounted to eleven, 1 note that the pr
mary cause is attributed to the failure Of ,ts
dead engineer of the second train w. E.
Curtis. to obey the signal set against hIr
The finding Of the Connecticut Puzzle Utll
tics Commission also refers to the wreck a.
one similar to those AZ Bridgeport, Westpor'
Stamford and North Haven. within recent
years. All. it points out, were largely, fno'
entirely, due to man failures. the engine mar
in each case having run by signals set
against him The commission further found
that the block signals of the road were re-
liable and absolutely safe.
Although | have not been sctvely cor
nected with railroadng for a number o.
years. the subject, especially that par, re-
lating to train control, has always been Of H.
tense interest 20 NE. Present day engineer
ing ingenuity is striving, and with no small
degree Of success. 20 make appliances ard
machines which have any bearing on pubic
safety what is termed fool proof" as, fo'
example, the modern electric train conuo'
handle, called "the dead mans grip"
/ button the size Of half dollar on The top o.
this controller handle must be pressed cow
and held down by the palm Of The motor
mans hand before he can start his train, sna
/ II for any reason his hand s removed whH'
running the power is Immediately shut o.
/ In yesterdays Tribune is noted news zen
that the engineer OF the second section ''sa
/ involved in a recent wreck near Cleyelsr''
Ohio has been dismissed for running oJ
signal set against him. The psychology "
this and other railway accidents attributed"
mar failure on the part Of an engineer IS ~
terestinp and leads 20 the conclusion tha'H
the public, cannot always depend on me h'''
conscientious and experienced engineer "
some time. under certain unusual condit'0n''
his brain viii refuse TO respond 70 vls'''
Danger signal and he viii pass it unnohee', "
certain doom. As matter Of fact. the -
man brain, the human constitution or oe'V''
the human element is not infalibl' ana .
on the few and rare occasions Of failure 'h''
such heavy toll in lives and property fesS''
Your news tolls us that tho interstate O0-
merce Commission az Washington ID 'he
port Of the Milford wreck emphasizes az
the need for automatic train stops
heard II said In railway circles thar anu
there are several automatic train s.opp.s y.
vices on record In the United states raw.
Ohcc. some Of which are OF undouDlea P'S,
teal value. railroad arrangements 90 ho' 20
ticularly favor their adoption. for TIC 70 -,
that they would naturally deiract rom 10
trained human alertness and cihcie'ey -.
engineer in the cab. This opinion app
ridiculous In the face OF present day i''''
ing appliances. ..,s
Take, for example. the night "S''a"-
clock which records his movements I, .',,a
large building or plant from nigh'"'' led
dawn. Ills activities are recorded Oh q -
device TO which he has no access. me - law
chart indicates TO the manager tn' n't. Ir
what stations about the plant were ,'''',.io.
the Waterman and at what hour. s,op.
that there is practical automatic uS.a %
ping device. it would be simple MAJ.
have il operate through locked time "a. .s,r,
inc device which would indicate Oh ,,o
10 the train dispatcher AZ the end OF ~. lad
how many stop signals the engineer
ignored. "a, Il
In approaching a stop or "home ~ *, Of
the engineer followed the rules ,he
steam and brought his train 70 wv ,rk
recording mechanism would Sho" 10 >. rs
against him, whereas il he disreIs ru.u ,,,e
signal for any reason whatever the ""'s VIA.
train stopping device would engage, .,Ssl
he had failed TO do. viz, stop has r',,' ,h,.
tho same time record by marx on wv su,s-
the fact that the train was s'opp.o .h.r,.
matically after passing signal The s s@ss
TO which the engineer has no see'ss' sooi
thus record a mark against his otherwise e.
record. FRANh n
New York. April 4. 1919