Railroad Accidents Part 5

Paul Rhelips, injured at Dragitt, May 15, at 5:30 p.m.; caused by his being struck with a block of hard wood which was tied to a letter thrown from train by the baggageman, while pa.s.sing through the station at 45 miles per hour.

ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE ENGINES

During the last two years there has been an epidemic of accidents caused by defective grate-shaking rigging and defective shoveling sheets on engines, especially of the former. A few years ago they were practically unknown. Now they come so often as to create no remark.

The following cases will demonstrate the necessity either of some different apparatus for shaking grates of engines, of greater care in using the apparatus, or of some better method of inspection and repair:

A. G. Kenly, fireman, injured near Windermere; caused by the shovel which he was using catching on the shoveling sheet of engine No. 418.

James c.o.o.ney, fireman, injured June 19, in Caster yard, was shaking grates on engine No. 917, and connecting rod broke, catching his hand between shaker rod and quadrant.

H. D. Porter, fireman, injured near Mansfield, May 10; caused by grate rod breaking as he was shaking the grates on engine No. 1280.

Next we come to a cla.s.s of accidents which is also on the increase and which is of comparatively recent origin, and which, I believe, could and should be absolutely prevented by the exercise of a little mechanical ingenuity or which, even under present conditions of engine construction, would be avoided by greater care on the part of the engineman. And some day when an injector breaks or a blow-off c.o.c.k is opened as some mechanical superintendent is pa.s.sing an engine, and his legs are scalded, I will bet my next month's salary against an 1899 bird nest that they will find a way to prevent such injuries, which are as painful as they are unnecessary and expensive, either by putting the blow-off c.o.c.ks under or on top of the engines, instead of having them project from the side.

W. P. Willard, engineman, injured July 22, 4 miles west of Janesville; injector on engine No. 4618 broke, and Willard was scalded about face and head.

Henry Jennings, conductor, injured October 1, at 5:55 p.m., north of Rathburn; was walking by engine, engineman started the injector and threw hot water on Jennings.

Edward Sterns, night engine inspector, injured at Granby roundhouse, January 12, at 8:45 p.m.; he told engine dispatcher to open valve to see if sand was running properly; dispatcher opened the blow-off c.o.c.k instead of sand valve, and steam and hot water scalded Sterns' right hand and leg.

Every year a number of accidents occur to employees caused by defects in engines and appliances furnished enginemen, nearly all of which could and should be avoided if there was a more thorough inspection, greater care taken in repairs and, what is just as necessary, more care taken by enginemen in reporting defects; and when you report defects, and repairs are not made, call the attention of your master mechanic or division roundhouse foreman to the matter and I doubt not that not only will the defects be repaired but greater pains will be taken in the future to see that your engine is kept in good condition.

William Curbin, stripper, injured at Elmwood shops on the 10th of March, was taking boiler front off engine No. 3461; removed all bolts except one, and while waiting for crane to be attached to the door to lift it away, the door fell on Curbin's leg, who was standing on the pilot beam of engine. Investigation showed that the bolt which had not been removed, and which had been left to hold door, was a "dummy."

G. M. Cramer, fireman, injured, September 9, at Huntingdon, was climbing up on cab of engine No. 784, to get coal chute down, when brake released, and on account of leaky throttle, engine started back, and caught his leg between cab of engine and chute.

J. B. Olsen, fireman, overcome by heat on engine No. 941; caused by absence of lagging on side of engine.

M. H. Woodrow, engineman, and Douglas Evans, fireman, injured half mile east of Peverly, June 19, caused by whistle valve on engine No. 2605 becoming stuck, they being unable to fix it, and they were almost deafened by the continuous whistling. Whistle had been reported on the trip before by the engineman, but was not repaired.

Henry Winterson, a boiler washer, injured on May 15, at Kendrick, was using a 4-ft. nozzle to wash out boiler of an engine, when the collar of nozzle came off, and he was thrown against cab of engine, injuring his back.

The thought has often occurred to me that if the master mechanic or some one other than the foreman, whose duty it is to inspect and repair, would check up the work slips Form No. 141 and inspection records to see that the repairs called for on them were made, we would not have so many engine failures or accidents of this kind.

Before leaving the subject of engines I want to say a few words about accidents caused by the breaking of lubricator gla.s.ses and water gauges; they grow more frequent every year and until somebody invents something to take the place of gla.s.s--possibly the celluloid gla.s.s now used on automobiles may be available--which will not burst, as you value your eyesight, which becomes more necessary every day as the number, speed of trains, and signals increase, carry the s.h.i.+elds, which the company has provided for your, not its, protection, over the gla.s.s, not in your seat box as many enginemen do now, and then when the gla.s.s breaks, and no one can tell when it will do so, there is little danger of your vision being impaired or lost by your eyes being struck by flying particles of gla.s.s.

DEFECTIVE SCAFFOLDS, DERRICKS, ETC.

Accidents caused by use of defective derricks, scaffolds, and the careless handling of derricks are comparatively new and are one of the recent surprises in the business. I venture to say that the companies have paid out during the last 18 months in the investigation and settlement of accidents caused by defective scaffolds enough money, not only to furnish the most approved scaffold now known, but to nickel plate them as well. The following cases will show what is going on in this way:

R. B. Babc.o.c.k, bridgeman, injured at Ferncliff, a mile and a half north of Whiteston, Jan. 14, while standing near derrick mast, which was being raised and put in position on abutment; the mast suddenly slipped, and knocked this man off the abutment to concrete foundation 34 feet below, breaking his leg in two places and his arm, and bruising his hip.

H. R. Roberts, bridgeman, killed near Red Creek, March 4, at 11 a.m.; derrick car in rounding curve an attempt was made to swing the boom of derrick to outside of curve, but it suddenly swung over to the other side of car and tipped the derrick car over; Roberts was standing on front end of car and jumped, falling back onto the track, and the derrick tender, which did not leave the track, ran over him. A 24 cleat, nailed on side of mast to hold sling-lines in place came off, allowing ropes, which control swinging of boom, to slacken so that movement of boom could not be controlled.

B. H. Jackson, seriously injured at Leicester, Dec. 30; caused by the plank on which he was standing, used for scaffolding, slipping out of the hooks, on account of its being covered with ice and snow, and allowing him to fall 15 ft. to the ground.

Within the last few years injuries caused by defective jacks and drop cables, which, when I commenced to investigate accidents, were unknown, have become very frequent. I mention the following to show what they are. All of them would have been prevented by proper inspection--not by inspections made to find things O.K., but by inspections made to find defects; and if not made for that purpose they had better be discontinued.

L. M. Lumpkins, section foreman, injured Feb. 20, at Graves; he was helping car repairer, and had jacked up a car in order to move the trucks, but when ready to let the car down the jack would not work, and all at once gave way, and Lumpkins was struck on the head by the lever and knocked down, injuring him.

R. J. Hopkins, laborer, injured June 22, at Osazi, was giving signals to have train, loaded with ties, moved, when cable broke and hit him in the face.

In the same category, while perhaps not of the same cla.s.s, come accidents at coal chutes and water tanks, roundhouses, stations, and other places. Had inspectors, repairmen and employees using the appliances, done as they would have done if the loss occasioned by neglect was to be theirs, none of the following accidents would have happened:

Will Flanigan, cinder pitman, injured May 21, at Cranby shops, was raising cinder bucket with hoist; chain broke, and the bucket fell on his foot.

Frank Hogan, fireman, injured in Colby yard, March 16; had just finished coaling engine and pushed up lever to shut off the coal, when the pulley, over which cable works, dropped and struck him on the head.

W. R. Brady, fireman, injured at Quarton, June 1; was standing on tank of engine to take water; rope was frozen and coiled up and he could not reach it; got the ash hoe and caught the rope and pulled the spout down; when it was part way down it fell and struck Brady in the back.

D. W. Dalmann, operator and leverman, injured Aug. 12, at Hampton; was in interlocking plant throwing distant signal, when chain connecting lever with counterbalance weight broke and he was thrown to the floor.

Stanley Lord, freight brakeman, injured at Rembrandt, May 20; was unloading freight from a car; the skid which was being used was broken off at one end, causing it to slip, and allowing Lord and the boxes to fall to the ground, injuring Lord.

ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE FLOORS, PLATFORMS, ETC.

Another cla.s.s of accidents which might also be avoided is that caused by defective floors and platforms in roundhouses and at stations, the failure to keep tools in repair, lack of light, and failure to properly secure lights on switches. While, fortunately, they are not so great in number, yet they go to swell the total, as well as the expense, and ought to be cut out, as they could be with proper care and supervision.

L. N. Corbey, brakeman, injured at Calton, Nov. 28; went into coal shed to get coal for caboose. In coming out he stepped on a broken board in the floor of coal shed and sprained his left knee and left hand.

H. L. Minturn, injured at Acworth, Jan. 16, while running to throw a switch, he ran into a three-throw switch upon which there was no light.

Jacob Paley, boiler-maker helper, injured July 11, at Hinsdale; was striking punch knocking out rivet; the punch came off the handle and struck him in the eye.

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 s.p.a.ce 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 gra.s.s 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 pa.s.sed 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.