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. Babcock, 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 2x4 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 class, 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.