FAILURE TO DO DUTY

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 11, 1903

FAILURE TO DO DUTY.

Seventeen serious accidents within three months on the Southern Pacific lines west of El Paso and Ogden, have called out a significant explanation from the manager of that part of the company's territory. In course of an interview with a press reporter he said:—

“The Southern Pacific works under the standard rules governing all roads in the country. Most of our wrecks have been caused by violations of these rules. Take the terrible Arizona wreck, for instance. Operator Clough is a man twenty-one or twenty-two years old. He came to us from the Great Northern road with fine letters. He was in an office not considered a big one. Two operators had charge of it, each being on duty twelve hours. Clough was on duty only seven hours when he should have given Conductor Parker of the Limited the order to meet east-bound No. 8. He did not give Parker the order, and that was the cause of the terrible loss of life. It is a case of human frailty that you can not safeguard against. The broken rail on the Milton branch and the heavy rains and high waters on the Stockton line caused five or six wrecks. I do not blame any of the men for those affairs. But you take the Byron wreck, the collision between the Owl and Coast Line Limited near Los Angeles and the one in the East Oakland yard between the Stockton local and a freight, and you will find them cases of gross violation of rules. As a railroad official, I do not see in all the wrecks we have had on account of employees' neglect and violation of rules, that there are any faults in the standard rules governing the operation of American roads.”

“How can wrecks on the Southern Pacific be prevented?” he was asked.

“I can only answer that question by saying that the company should have the best of modern machinery and have the hearty co-operation of efficient men. I know our company has efficient and loyal employees, but some of them fail to do their duty.”

Citing a couple of accidents on other roads, the manager said:—

“The loss of thirty lives on the Grand Trunk a few days after the Byron wreck was due to an operator's negligence. President C. M. Hays of that road says it would have taken place even if the company had had the block system. The latter can not safeguard against human mistakes. Look at the wreck and loss of life on the Central of New Jersey a few days ago. The engineer was blocked by seven danger lights, and for some reason he ignored them, as well as a signal man 1,700 feet from the rear of the train he ran into.”