The New York herald., 1922-01-10
Abraitis, Wreck Motorman,
Reprimanded Sixty six
Times for InfractiOns.
81 TIMES NEAR DANGER
Hedley Assistant Says Worker
Is Fair Not Bad Enough
to Be Discharged.

The Transit Commission clearly in,
dicated yesterday after listening t
the testimony of it's own engineering
experts. that it will require the Inter.
borough and the Brooklyn RAPID
Transit companies to take steps te
equip all elevated local lines with ade.
quate safety signal devices. Express
tracks already are so guarded.
Harry N. I.atey, chief engineer ir
charge of the commissions bureau Of
equipment, estimated the cost of such
an installation on TIE Manhattan "L'
lines alone would be approximately
$7.000.OO0 or $s.000,000. For both bor-
ough systems Daniel L. Turner, the
commissions consulting engineer
guessed" it at $1O,ooo.ooo to $15,0oo,-
600.
This climax Of a week of investiga-
ton Of the recent rear end collision
on the Ninth avenue elevated road
was at the close Of a day In which
the record Of Anthony G.. Abraitis
motorman Of the train which caused
the wreck, had been shown to bristlc
with derelictions. Tie disciplinary
data Of the marlborough showed that
in his sixteen years of service as
motorman Abraitis had been reported
sixty-six times for serious infractions
OF the rules.
"a Times in Danger of Wreck.
Thirty-four Of 0his offenses were Of a
kind involving either collision with
other trains or peril thereof. For these
derelictions he had suffered twelve
separate suspensions without pay and
seventeen reprimands. His aggregate
disciplinary suspensions amounted to
ninety-six days, without counting the
time lost since his present indefinite
suspension.
The last witness of the day was Mr..
Turner. He has had thirty-five years
experience in his profession as consult
ing engineer, and for twcnty-six years
has specialized in transit problems. For
two decades he has been the technical
adviser of the present. commission and
its several predecessors.
Mr.. Turner declared he. had listened
to the testimony given last week by OPP
Grating experts and engineers of the rail-
way corporations, and that he had
studied the subject Of collisions. He
said:
II find that on the marlborough. both
subway and elevated divisions. and on
the New York Consolidated (B. r. To-.
both subway and elevated divisions.
there have been during the last four
teen years about 229 rear end collisions.
H., WI
injured and 23 passengers or crew were
killed. That Is a yearly average of IS
collisions. with lis injured yearly and
nearly an average of two killed"
Taking up consideration of the, best
remedial agents, MIR. Turner first dis
nosed of the question of steel versus
wooden cars on the elevated. He con-
tinued:
"we know. Of course, that wooden
cars telescope; but so do steel cars.
That Is our experience. On the other
hand, steel cars are more likely than
wooden cars to be thrown from the
elevated structure in case Of collision.
On the whole. in my judgment, there Is
not much choice between them, so far
AS elevated operation in the open is
concerned. l do not believe there Is
enough difference in the safety factor to
justify the scrapping of the wooden
cars"
"stecI Cars Too Heavy"
The engineer corroborated previous
testimony that the present elevated
structures on the older lines are not
strong enough to support steel car trains.
To substitute steel cars, therefore. would
mean not only an expenditure OF about
s70.000.000 for new rolling stock but
also the rebuilding or extensive strength
ening OF the IL" structures.
Mr. Turner strongly favored the extern
sion over all elevated and subway local
tracks of the safety devices now used
by the Interborough I'm it's subway ex-
press service. That system, he explained,
utilizes both the block signal device and
also the speed control feature.
II believe II is entirely practicable" t"
the engineer declared. ito multiply the
number Of signals on the line to such
an extent as to give a safe operating
line and at the same time not to inter-
fere seriously with passenger carrying
capacity
He agreed with the company engi-
neers that application of the block signal
system alone might impair the carrying
service 25 per cent, but was confident
II would not do SO if used IN judicious
conjunction with the time control expe-
tion In the subway.
such a system of signals can be in
stalled in conjunction with the block
system In such way as to greatly in
crease safety said Mr.. Turner. "And.
with careful analysis of the line. iocat-
ing the speed control feature only where
II Is absolutely essential. 4 can be done.
/ believe. with very little reduction OF
capacity My recommendation would
be that the commission endeavor to de-
velop TO the utmost the possibility of
some such system. That means. II nee
cssary. requiring the companies to ex-
pertinent to the point OF developing such
q system"
Chairman McAneny then said: THE
commission has in view some measure
OF that sort, that is. " it be proved
practicable, the requirement of experi-
mentation and the application of ap-
propriate signal devices TO local tpacks
From what you know OF the daily ex-
perience of operation of the local tracks
do you believe II would be feasible to
conduct experimentation OF that sort
without interruption of traffic or invi-
tstion TO any other Danger"
Mr.. Turner said he believed So.
Mr.. Latey, who testified earlier in the
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