The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-28
Says MOST WRECKS
OCCUR IN BROAD DAY
Mucnstcrbcrg Aid AstOunds
signal Engineers With the
Psychology Of Mishaps.
BL\ME WITH MAN IN CAB

Twenty signal engineers and other
mon who hold practical jobs with sew
oral Eastern railroads listened with con
siderable sccpticism last night to a re.
,,rt from q. V. Fry on what he had
f,uud out in Prof. Hugo Muensterberg's
laboratory at Harvard regarding the
p,r, that various kinds of signals play
Z, accidents. MIR. Fry and Dr. Muenster-
bcrs talked at a meeting of the newly
organized Economic Psychology Assoc
,s,ion in Schermerhorn Hall at CO.
lumhi, University.
The Harvard Investigators studied the
dat, OF se~yenty-two wrecks which we're
,,used by misinterpretation OF signals.
The greatest number OF them. said MIR.
Fry. occurred between IL A. NJ. and 1
+ NJ. or. contrary to general suppose
lion. IN the broadest daylight. In forty
,ro cases the weather Was clear. MIR.
Fry said the fact that fewer trains
smashed in a fog could be attributed to
the extra attention which the railroad
man gives 10 his work under bad condl.
tons.
OF the seventy-two wrecks twenty.
nine were due TO misinterpretat!on of
ryed color signals and the rest to mis-.
Interpretation of me position Of soma
,hores. For sixty OF the accidents the
engine driver was tine only responsible
p,rson in the other twelve cases there
we're contributing causes.
These figures the signal experts seemed
70 aNept. but there was soine shaking
O, heads when Mr.. Fry said II had beer
proved that in tine day time color signal.
were read by engineers with greater
accuracy han sonaphores because theii
eve and mind caught the appearance oi
a color more aut ky thar the position o'
the arm OF a seinaphore. He urge,
psyc~noiechnical tests In employing
men. Nj. Fry also insisted tina
railroad officials who thought them
selves capable Of selecting employee
by merely sizing them w. an,
Judged an engineer merely by the mum
be- Of accidents he caused or avoided
were mistaken. He said that ever!
man should he subjected to what h
called psychotechnical tests.
When the speaker finished F. +. j
pa'euell. signal engineer of the Balti
more aud ohio Railroad. said that m
was still from Missouri. but that as tn
argumen would last all night II ono
started the society ought to devote
whole day TO discussing h e Fry repor
ateome future time. This will be done.
Prof. Muenstcrberg told how two year
ago he tried with attention. memory an
Intelligence tests TO select statesmen 10
the American Tobacco Company.
II felt sure he said. that the ma
whom | selected had a stronger men
tsl,y thar those whom | rejected. Ye
1. had been asked to select not sales
mau but men to be executive officers O
The company or bankers or promoters o
inventors ! should hardly have been abb
TO apply different methods
II. :. Rogers OF Columbia told OF hi
study whereby a business man. by
few minutes test. can know just who I
hire among the stenographers n type
writer's that answer his advertisement
Among the railroad men at the NEE,
In. were {. II. Morrison. signal enRinee
Of the New Haven road W. II. Averel
general manager. n +. ID. 5. Patenel
signal engineer of the Baltimore & Ohio
@ W. Creighton. general superintendent
OF the Pennsylvania T.. ST. Elmo Levi
81 he Marquette n II. $. Ballet. chic
signal engineer Of the New York Ger
tral.
T. George Frederick was elected pref
dent " the association.