Injuries caused by the moving of cars being iced or on or under which
men are working seem to me of a class so inexcusable as to merit the
discharge of the party at fault. Think how you would feel if you or
your boy was under, on, or in, a car with a flag out and someone moved
the car without notice and you or he was run over. The following are a
few such cases:
Philip Elder, car cleaner, injured at Armstrong, July 5; caused by
train being moved by switch engine while he was on the ladder
filling the water cooler.
Patrick Connelly, car repairer, injured Nov. 29, at Falesburg, was
under end of car on repair track; Switchman Moody backed train No.
27 on No. 5 track, and cars did not clear coach No. 368; it struck
the car under which Connelly was working, moving it about 10 ft.
and dragging Connelly, who caught hold of brake-beam. Flag out as
required by Rule 1.
A. F. Brown, car cleaner, injured at Perryville yards, May 3, at
10:00 a.m., was working in smoker No. 762; engine No. 37 coupled
onto the car and pushed it down track and it collided with some
other cars, knocking this woman down. No switchman riding on the
car at the time of the accident.
Injuries caused by carelessness in throwing switches and derails we
all know ought not to occur, and yet they are of frequent occurrence.
The following are samples.
G. M. Claney, engineman; Alfred Dolan, fireman; injured about 10
a.m., June 4, at Peronia; after going in on side track to get some
cars, got signal from brakeman to come ahead. Brakeman failed to
throw derailing switch, and while going to main line engine left
the track, went down embankment, and turned over.
Richard Jones, brakeman, injured May 7, at Nelson. Foreman Brinson
told him to cut off two cars and ride them out onto main line, and
after he had started the foreman noticed an engine coming up the
main line, and threw switch for side track, the cars collided and
he was thrown down in car.