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apparatus, besides necessary mainte
nance.”
The same authority goes on to say:
‘ There is one thing that should] not
be overlooked, namely, that with an
automatic signal system trains can
follow each other more closely than
they can on the telegraph or manual
block system. This in itself is a fac
tor or economy which should be con
sidered.” This same engineer esti
mates (from experience on a large
trunk line) the cost of maintenance
of an electric automatic system at
sll4 per mile per year.
Cost of Two Types.
Another eminent authority places
the cost of the two types of sig
nals as follows:
♦ *•
Automatic $700.00 $60.00
Telegraph 70.00 10.00
♦Average cost of signal; **Main
tenance per signal per year.
From which it can be seen that the
question is largely one of operators*
salaries, and of the number of sig
nals per mile. It must be kept in
mind that the automatic system elim
inates operators’ salaries.
The results of the operation of the
railroads of Great Britain indicate the
value of suitable signaling for the
safe conduct of traffic. In 1901, fur
instance, the total railroad casualties
in the United States were 58,185 kill
ed and injured, while during this
same year the British railroads made
the extraordinary record of not a
single passenger killed. Although car
rying nearly twice as many passen
gers annually as the American sys
tems, the railroads of Great Britain
average only about one-sixth of the
number of casualties due to all causes.
This remarkable showing is, we be
lieve, due to the very complete man
ner of equipping the several rail
roads with signaling apparatus.
Although the block system was al
ready largely employed by the British
• railroads, its use was made compul
sory by law in 1889, and since 1898
practically all of the roads of Great
Britain have been entirely operated un
der this system.
A table giving a summary of rail
road accidents in the United States
for the year ending March, 190<3, pub
lished in the Railroad Gazette, and
based on the reports of the Inter
state Commerce Commission, shows
that out of a total of ninety-two dis
astrous collisions reported, fifty “ap
parently would not have occurred if
the block system had been in force.”
These fifty collisions caused the death
of 130 persons and injury of 447, be
sides a money loss of over half a
million. Or, to put it another way, a
careful analysis shows that 75 per
cent of the deaths, 78 per cent of the
injuries, and 94 per cent of the finan
cial loss on non-block signaled roads
would probably have been prevent
ed by proper blocking.
A recent accident bulletin, cover
ing the first quarter of 1906, reports
a total of 1,921 collisions and 1,569
derailments, resulting in 1,126 per
sons being killed and 17,170 injured.
The Interstate Commerce Commission,
commenting on this appalling record,
suggests that the block system, re
peatedly advocated by the commission,
“is the true means that ought to be
adopted for the prevention of such
distressing accidents.”
In 1892 less than 2 per cent of the
total railroad mileage of the United
States was operated, under the block
system since 1900. The upper curve
contains approximate curves, showing
the progress in the use of the block
system since 1900. The upper curve
shows percentage of total mileage un
der the block system, and the lower
curve the percentage of total block
ing that is automatic. It will be noted
that for the year ended June,
J 905, about 23 per cent of the total
railroad mileage of the United States
was under the block system, this 23
per cent representing approximately
50,000 miles of road. It is significant
that since 1892 there has been an in
crease front 2 per cent to 23 per cent,
notwithstanding the enormous actual
increase in railroad mileage during
this period.
Demand Legislation.
Immediate legislation looking to
the compulsory use of the block sys
tem by al Irailroads of the country,
is regarded now as necessary. For
several years bills, having this end in
view, have been introduced in con
gress, but as yet none has become a
law. To such legislation the railroads
are, generally speaking, opposed. Cor
porations often appear to evince a
great antipathy to patented articles.
Experiments are, and ever have been,
distasteful to them. Yet this con
servatism of the railroad companies
has often provided nothing more than
short-sightedness. For many years
they annually crushed out the life
of hundreds of trainmen engaged in
coupling cars. This was before the
act of congress of March 2, 1893, made
the use of automatic couplers com
pulsory, even after their utility had
been fully established. Legislation
was also required to enforce the use
of the now standard air brakes.
A recent technical journal says:
‘ Betterments have invariably been
found, perfected, and applied by the
men whose business it is to make
transportation, and it happens that the
function of the lawmaker has never
been advantageously applied to com
pulsory use until after the substan
tial perfection and long-continued
voluntary use of the devices for bet
terment.”
A Step in the Right Direction.
From an unprejudiced consideration
of the manner in which the block sys
tem has vindicated itself in service,
when properly enforced, it appears
that “substantial perfection” has now
Been reached. Its use, also, on some
of the more progressive roads has cer
tainly been “long continued.” It
would seem, therefore, that the time
for the lawmaker is at hand.
As a step in this direction Public
Resolution No. 46 has been passed by
the last congress. The resolution pro
vides; “That the Interstate Commerce
Commission be, and it is hereby, di
rected to investigate and report on the
use of and necessity for block-signal
systems and appliances for the auto
matic control of railway trains in the
United States. For this purpose the
commission is authorized to employ
persons who are familiar with the
subject, and may use such of its own
employes as are necessary to make
a thorough examination into the mat
ter.
“In transmitting its report to the
congress the commission shall recom
mend such legislation as to the com
mission seems advisable.”
The recent series of terrible acci
dents will add a new Impetus to this
investigation, and it Is reasonable to
believe that It will bear fruit In the
near future. Much as Washington
has lost by two of these accidents, the
sacrifice will not have been in vain
if it results in the compulsory use
by every American railroad of a block
system that will really prevent head
on and rear-end collisions.
THE WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN.
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