Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-08-11
STATISTICS NOT FAIR
AMERICAN RAILS FULLY EQUAL
TO THE FoREIGN-MADE.
Weight of Locomotives and Cars Must
Be Taken Into Consideration
Average of Accidents Is Con-
stantIy Being Reduced.

On April %, the bureau of stand
ards, at Washington, made a report
On railway material which indicated
hat rails of foreign manufacture were
superior to those produced in this
country. 1t is understood that the re-
statistics, such as derailments, al
though, of course, the rail making
processes of Europe and America are
generally known to the bureau. 1t
was found that derailments in the
United States are &c times as numer-
Gus for each thousand miles of track
as in Great Britain; three times as
numerous as in Germany, but not so
numerous as in Austria-Hungary. Low
accident and derailment figures are
shown for France, Russia and Sweden.
In France one person is injured out
of every 100000 carried; IA persons
out of ever 100000 transported in
the United States are injured. In
France one rail out of 1000 has been
found defective; in Germany, one in
1850; in the United States, one in
40.
This, apparently, is bad showing
for the American rail. Generally
speaking, American rail transporta
ton is not regarded as being as safe
as that in England, but explanations
are necessary. The News is in re-
ceipt of d communication from George
G. Pyle of Indianapolis, who writes
from Leeds, England. The report of
the bureau of standards was not fair,
in the opinion of Mr.. Pyle. "The bu-
reau," he writes, latter having an
nounced rail accidents, derailments
and rail breakages, should state the
possible cause and not allow the aver
age American mind to discount home
made goods. The rails used here Tin
England) are as heavy as those in use
at home. The freight cars here are
only Is feet lOng-On four wheels
and ten tons is n good big load for
them. The passenger cars here are
about as long and perhaps less in
NClSIIL IlIttil Tic lIitCI VI van NSAS vi
tering your city and many are much
shorter. The average locomotive here
is only about One-half the weight of
ours, and l doubt if any of them could
pull three Pullmans forty miles an
hour. Compare the weight of our roll
ing stock to that of any European
country and l think any schoolboy can
figure out why we have more rail
breakages."
The deficiency in the bureNl of
standards report, which Mr.. Pyle
points out, is covered, however, in
many reports of investigations made
by the interstate commerce commits
sion. A few years ago, when the New
Haven was having a series of bad ac-
cidents, it was shown that rail break
ages were due to many causes. 1t is
difficult to discover flaws which eX-
list in steel rail. These may develop
through age and use. A rail which
might stand up on a straight stretch
could not bear the strain of a cross
over. Possibly the most important
factor is the weight of equipment. AT
ter that the element of personal re-
sponsibility enters. Perhaps the aver
age European train crew is subject to
stricter discipline, though, not, of
course, when the comparison is made
with the best American roads. An
other point which may be brought out
is that American railroad transpOrta-
ton, which is without doubt the most
highly developed in the world, is year
ly reducing the average of accidents
from all causes.-Indianapo News.