Railroad Accidents, Their Cause and Prevention

by R. C. Richards

28. Conductors must call the attention of the repairer of cars, or that of the station agent in his absence, to any damage which may have been done to the cars, or to any which may come to their knowledge, that they may be promptly repaired, and they must note these in their reports. Cars in bad order, set out at stations, will be reported at once by the conductor, by telegraph, to the train dispatcher, stating number and initials of car, contents, nature and extent of damage, and will note the nature of defect on waybills.

29. Enginemen must use every precaution to prevent damage by fire from their engines. They should report all defects in netting, ash pans, etc., at the end of their run. Ash pans or front ends must only be cleaned at designated points.

30. No person will be allowed to ride upon the pilot of a locomotive, either in the discharge of duty or otherwise, and they are prohibited from getting on the front end of engines or cars approaching them.

31. Turntables must be locked with a switch-lock by enginemen and others immediately after use, except when in charge of employees. When turntables are found unlocked, and when tables or locks are out of order, report at once to the Superintendent by wire.

32. Engines must not be permitted to stand nearer than 100 feet to a street or highway crossing, or under any bridge, when it can be avoided, nor in the vicinity of waiting-rooms, offices, or near cars occupied by passengers, where the noise or smoke will disturb occupants.

33. Agents are instructed to make a personal inspection of all special loadings and where same do not comply with these requirements and illustrations and where there is any question in their minds as regards the safety or proper loading of the same they should at once communicate with the Superintendent of Car Department, who will send a man, competent to judge, for the purpose of inspection and passing on same before car is forwarded.

(a). Yardmen, conductors, and trainmen must familiarize themselves with these instructions and will not take cars into their trains unless they come within the requirements of these rules and illustrations. Where defects occur in loading of cars in transit, unless they can remedy the same, they will set the car out and notify the train dispatcher.

34. Whenever passengers or employees are injured, see that everything is done to care for them properly, calling the company's nearest surgeon to treat them, or, if prudent, remove to the nearest place at which the company has a surgeon, and leave them with such surgeon for care and treatment.

If the injury be serious call the nearest competent surgeon obtainable to attend until the company's surgeon arrives.

35. Whenever an accident happens to any train on which passengers are carried, whether collision or derailment, of whatever nature, on main line or siding, or within the yard limits where trains are reconstructed, conductors must take down the name and address of every passenger on the train, and ascertain from the passenger, and note opposite his or her name, what injury, if any, they received. In such cases, conductors, after first making everything safe, must give their undivided attention to the care and comfort of their passengers, especially to those who are injured. Bedding and linen may be taken from the sleepers for this purpose, the conductor keeping a careful account of all material so taken, and its return or safe keeping attended to; and when deemed necessary, injured persons may be put in the sleepers. When a number of persons are injured the service of competent surgeons in the vicinity should be at once secured, and every possible effort made to care for the injured, the company's surgeon in each direction being notified by wire to come immediately to the place of the accident.