The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-01-27
IS KILLED, 93 HURT.
Completes Record OF Accidents on
Lines i'm State in 1915.

were killed and ninety-three injured
in accidents on railroads in South
Carolina in 1915, according TO the
annual report OF the railroad COM
mission to the general assembly. OF
the people killed four were passen-
gers and the other dozen railroad en-
pIoyees. The commission says that
careful and painstaking investigation
on their part has failed to disclose
criminal carelessness on the part OF
the railroad employees and states
that they will use every effort to get
more proper observance of the safe
ty regulations.
The express, telephone and tele-
graph companies operating in South
Carolina have been ordered to report
all accidents promptly to the commits
sion, as is required of the railroads.
The three interurban railways OF
the State, the Piedmont and North
ern, the Charleston-Isle of Palms
Traction company and the Augusta
Aiken Electric Railway company, are
declared to be in good condition. At
tention is called to the separation OF
the races on the Aiken-Augusta line
and the improvements in the Isle of
Palms line by the building of con-
crete trestle between Mount Pleasant
and Sul1ivan's Island and in reinforc-
ing the trestle between Sullivan's Is
land and the Isle Of Palms.
New Rail Laid.
@ During the year 1915 131 miles OF
new 80 and S5-pound rail were put
down on the main lines of the rail-
roads, replacing lighter rail, and e6
miles of relay rail were put down on
branch lines. Approximately 10000
cubic feet of stone and gravel ballast
have been put in; roadbed drain
age has been greatly improved by
placing of concrete and iron pipes in
culverts or waterways, and the re-
newal of crossties has been up to the
average. ''It appears to be the policy
zof the larger lines to bring their road
bed improvements up to the highest
and most modern Standards says
the report.
81 Great Improvement is noted in the
terminal and track facilities, which
has prevented congestion. I'VE COM
mend the railroads for the steady i'm
provement of their roadbeds and
track says the commission, assert
ing that 'Sthe physical condition. OF
the railroads is better and nearer the
standard of perfection than ever be-
fore in this State In another part
saf this same paragraph, in speaking
of the safety first propaganda and
the attention given this matter, the
commission says: In spite of the
financial depression of the past two
years the railroads have steadily kept
up their maintenance of way with ad-
ditional improvements
@ The replacing of wooden coaches
with all steel structures is commend
ed. Attention is called to the grad
ual restoration of trains which were
taken off during the depression a
year ago. :.
Steel Replaces Wood.
The substituting Of steel trestles
for wood ones has been widespread,
and today three-fourths of all rail-
road -trestles in South Carolina are
concrete. Very few wooden trestles
are left on the main lines. After the
Issuance by the commission on March
IS, 1911, ordering the replacing of all
wooden trestles by modern, substan-
itiaI structures, the total cost to the
railroads in carrying out this order
to June 80, 1915, was as follows:
Filling trestles, s219,27S.S0; ballast
ed deck trestles, s343,919.10; steel
bridges and viaducts Gncluding fill
ing approaches S1,413,225.10; to-
.dal of S1,976,422.S0 spent by the
roads on this item alone in South
Carolina in that time.
During the past year there were
erected six new depots, four were en-
larged, five passenger shelters built,
while there is one new depot under
construction.
Attention is called to>the extension
by the Carolina, Atlantic and West
ern of it's line from Andrews to Char
lesion, distance Of 57.4 miles, and
OF the absorption of this system by
the Seaboard Air Line.
The commission refers to its efforts
to eliminate grade crossings, but says
that while it has authority over such
crossings, it has not the power to pro-
rate the expenses Of either eliminat-
ing or making the safety appliances
more perfect.