A. D. Yarrow, injured April 3, at Alberon, while throwing switch near roundhouse, the switch light fell and struck him on the head.
Albert Kaufmann, machinist helper, injured July 6, at Hamburg; was in roundhouse working near dynamo belt, which became unlaced and loose end of belt came round and struck him on the left arm.
ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY OBSTRUCTIONS
Next in order, I wish to call your attention to accidents caused by overhead obstructions, drawbars, lumber, poles, cinders, and other obstructions left too near the rail, holes and trenches left uncovered, and failure to block guard-rails and frogs, etc. Everybody is or should be familiar with Rules 45 and 49, which require blocking of frogs and guard-rails and a clear space of six feet from the rail, and yet one would sometimes think, from the appearance of some yards, side tracks and switches, that the rules, like the midnight closing ordinance, were dead letters. It, however, is the intention and desire of the managements that they, like all other rules, should be enforced, and no one is so much interested in that enforcement as the train and yard men, who work in the yards and on side tracks and switches. If they had been observed, or if their non-observance had been reported by the men who must have known of their violation, none of the following accidents would have occurred:
P. B. Montgomery, brakeman, fatally injured at Mason, while attempting to uncouple car G., P. & A. No. 593 from O., M. & C. No. 1783; chain on pin being broken; blocking gone from guard-rail.
John Lenahan, switchman, killed at Juniper, June 4; footboard of switch engine on which he was riding struck a telephone pole lying in the grass alongside the track, throwing Lenahan under the engine.
P. D. Kendrick, brakeman, injured at Bentley, Jan. 5, 7:00 p.m.; was riding on the side of a box car, when he was struck by a spike sticking in a board, which was part of the fence around the cellar which was being excavated for the new depot at Bentley. It was necessary to amputate two fingers of Kendrick's right hand, his right leg, and he also received a very bad scalp wound.
Peter Alton, brakeman, was climbing up the side of A., B. & C. car No. 2843, at Hackley, when he was struck and knocked off the car by a highway crossing sign at that place, and so badly injured that it was necessary to amputate both his legs below the knee, and his right shoulder blade was also broken. This crossing sign cleared this car only 2 ft.
K. G. Purdy, switchman, killed in Walton yards, Dec. 10; caused by his being knocked off the top of a car by the Avery Street viaduct and run over and killed.
I want to call especial attention to the Alton, Montgomery, Purdy and Kendrick cases. In the former the crossing sign had been in the same place for over 20 years. The man who put it there, roadmasters, and section foremen, who should have discovered its dangerous proximity to the track and moved it to a safe distance, the one required by Rule 49, were grossly careless, and the injured man and other trainmen who had passed it daily for years must have discovered that it was too close to the track, and if they had reported it, as they should have done, this accident would not have happened, and they were blamable for not doing so. In the Montgomery case the section foreman was at fault for not properly blocking the frog, as required by Rule 45, the roadmaster for not seeing it was done, and the car inspector and repairer for not discovering that the coupling apparatus was defective and repairing it. In the Purdy case the management was at fault for not seeing that warning whips were up for the viaduct—they are now; and in the Kendrick case the man who hung up the lamp too close to the track to warn people, instead of making it a protection, increased the danger, and the division engineer who allowed it to be done was inexcusably careless. Such cases not only swell the total number, but account in a large measure for the total increase in personal injury accounts of the railroads.