Railroad Accidents, Their Cause and Prevention

by R. C. Richards

Wagon belonging to the Empire Novelty Company struck at Calkins at 9:37 a.m., October 29; wagon and contents badly damaged. Flagman at crossing claims to have been sick at the time of the accident, was in his shanty sitting down. He could not speak or understand English. Driver injured.

Many of these crossing accidents occur and no one on the engine knows that they happen. Whether it is because of the kind and position of the headlight now used or because the men on the engine are not keeping a proper lookout or by reason of the recent manner of construction of the large engines, making it impossible for the men in charge always to see an object on the track, I do not know, but I notice that some of the Class G-9 engines have the air cylinder and pump on top of the running board. While riding on a train the other day, I asked an old runner whether they obstructed the view. His answer was an object lesson. He took his hat and placed it in front of the window opposite which I was riding and asked me if that obstructed my view. The cylinder could, I think, be put on the tank and the pump below the running board, which is now made wide enough to hold a political meeting on. Formerly they were narrow, just wide enough for a man to walk on, the old theory of construction being, as I understand it, that there should be nothing protruding from the sides of the boiler which would prevent the man in the cab seeing the bunting beam. If it were practicable to so construct the running boards and place air cylinders, pumps, etc., so that this could now be done, the engineman would certainly have a much better chance to see, and possibly some of these accidents be avoided.

And while the public insist upon our running trains at a high rate of speed and guarding the crossings with gates, flagmen, or warning bells, they, at the same time, for some inexplicable as well as unconscionable reason, attempt to hold railroads liable for all deaths and injuries, no matter how great the care and foresight the companies have exercised, or how gross the neglect of the injured party. It therefore behooves us to do everything possible to prevent such accidents, not only that we may thereby save life, but also money.

If gatemen and flagmen were uniformed and given authority to arrest persons crossing the track when gates are down and a penalty provided and enforced against people attempting to cross or walk upon a railroad track when the gates are down or they are warned by a flagman, accidents at crossings would be greatly reduced. As it is now the public compels the erection of the gates and then almost universally disregards them.

Before leaving this subject of accidents at highway crossings I want to call attention to Rule 12, which says that when cars are being pushed by an engine (except when shifting or making up trains in yards) a flagman must be on the leading car, and Rule 9, which requires that when cars are being switched over highway or street railway crossings a man must be stationed on the ground to act as flagman. Too much importance cannot be placed upon the observance of these rules, not occasionally, but always. If employees would comply with them fewer people would be injured. Try it and see.

In municipalities, run as slowly and carefully as you can and see that the engine bell is always ringing. Rule 3. Freight trains in going through stations should reduce their speed and do so under control, as per Rule 6. The fireman, as well as the engineman, should be on his seat keeping a lookout, and not engaged in waving a signal to some one on another train or elsewhere, or putting in a fire, and the engineman should see that he does this. On the double track when you are going to meet another train at a crossing, try to get the engine over the highway before the tail end of the other train gets by it. If you can't do that, slow up a little, so as to give the people who may be waiting a chance to see you, and, if you think there is danger, open your whistle to let them know that you are coming; that is what the whistle is for.

In the country be sure to sound the whistle; not once, but four times as required by Rule 2, and see that the bell is kept ringing until the crossing is passed, at dangerous and obscure crossings where you can neither see the travelers approaching nor they you; if you are running at a high rate of speed, sound the whistle before you get to the post, as well as at it. The law requiring the giving of this warning eighty rods from the highway was enacted when few trains exceeded twenty-five miles an hour. Now, when few passenger trains make less than forty, and many over seventy, in the open country, so little time elapses between the sounding of the whistle and the reaching of the highway that when possible more timely notice should be given.

And I want to say here that one of the difficulties met with in this class of cases, is the fact that sometimes engineers fail to blow the whistle and ring the bell, and as long as men are human I suppose such things will happen; but let us commence now and try to do it every time. The greater the storm of rain, snow, or wind, the denser the fog, or the darker the night, the more important it is to give the warning. In most of the states the law provides penalties for failure to sound whistle or bell. Some day they will be enforced.

If there is any way to discover whether the engineman and trainmen are observing the signals, which are located along the track for the protection of the passengers, other employees, travelers on the highways, themselves, and the property in their care, other than having inspectors observe their action on approaching signals, and ascertain if they give the required warning of their approach to highway crossings, etc., and you will advise the managements what it is, I am sure they will be glad to adopt such a plan. It has always been customary to have auditors examine the accounts of officers and agents handling money to see that not only are their accounts correct, that the money collected is remitted, but also to ascertain if the business of the company is done in accordance with the rules and a correct record kept of the transactions. No one for an instant thinks that the fact that the officers' and agents' accounts are examined is any discredit to them; most of us are not only willing but anxious that it should be done, as it is a protection to us as well as to the company. And if it is necessary to check up the officers and agents who handle money, is it not much more necessary to check up men who handle human beings and property of immense value, to see that they observe signals and rules before, instead of after, an accident?

And as it sometimes happens that an engineman will not notice that his headlight has gone out, especially when there is snow on the ground, any employee who sees an engine moving after dark without the headlight burning should stop it and tell the engineman; if you can't do it yourself call up the train dispatcher, so he can do it at the next station.