Now, there was no excuse for the engineman and conductor not complying with the order. They both got off without injury, as the parties to blame for such accidents generally do. Neither was there any excuse for the train dispatcher not knowing that the order was being disregarded daily, as the train sheets would tell him that, and he should have stopped it. To my mind, he was just as guilty as the engineman and conductor, and should have received the same punishment. And when disregard of such orders and bulletins are not winked at, until an accident happens, there will be fewer cases of failure to observe them.
Don't try to run around curves 50 or 60 miles an hour, as a train I was riding on a few weeks ago did and went in the ditch; neither should freight or passenger trains run over interlocking switches faster than 15 and 25 miles an hour, respectively, because it is not safe to do so, and Rule 5 says you must not. Conductors, who are in supreme command of the train, should pull the air on any engineman who is running too fast around curves, over bad places, or through stations, and when you get in, report the matter to your superintendent, as reckless running should not and will not be tolerated.
Next we have the accidents resulting from occasional derailments, which were not serious, but might have been, and it is the cause, as well as the result, we want to eliminate, such as:
Mrs. K. Smith and four other passengers, train No. 6, which was derailed at Heilprin, Sept. 3. The train was very crowded and these women were standing up at the time of the accident and were injured.
Mrs. Jessie Doan and five other passengers, injured Oct. 11, caused by train No. 15 being derailed one-half mile east of Morse station, caused by reason of a brake-shoe on the tank of the engine coming off; this brake-shoe had an old defect.
J. E. Fitzsimmons, passenger, injured near Hedley, by derailment of train No. 316, on which he was riding.
None of which would have happened if some one had not failed to perform his duty, and when every accident, no matter how slight, is investigated by an expert—who reports not to the officer who may be primarily at fault, but to the chief operating officer—to ascertain the actual cause and find a remedy, such cases will be largely eliminated.
The same is true of injuries like the following, resulting from trains breaking in two:
R. B. Janeway, passenger, and J. P. Mitchell, baggageman, injured Jan. 9th near Gray. Train No. 280 broke in two and rear end ran into head end.
George Burgan and W. L. Smith and two other stockmen, injured at Newport, Neb., Nov. 21st; train broke in two, and when the two parts came together these men, who were sitting on the locker in way-car, were knocked down.