N&W and Virginian in 1909--Jobs, etc.

[NW Mailing List]

>From my own experience and my readings of history;  the majority of 'safety improvements' within industry have been imposed by government and not from good intentions by employers.  Not a negative comment, just economic fact.

Railroads were reluctant, to say the least, to install knuckle couplers and air brakes.  The Federal Government had to provide regulations and deadlines for compliance.  In the chemical industry (in which I worked) 'personal protective equipment' was not provided or was optional in the 1950's; fifty years later, with OSHA, such protection was law.  Think about all the workers in several industries who were affected by asbestos; and the residents near chemical facilities who were exposed to toxic vapors, contaminated groundwater, etc.  Bhopal, Love Canal, PG&E, Three Mile Island - being 
100 % careful came too late.

Jerome Crosson

In a message dated 02/21/09 08:16:05 Eastern Standard Time, nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org writes:
It’s really hard to believe all of the accidents that happened to railway employees in the early 1900’s. I know that the N&W went on to win awards for safety, does anybody know when the N&W began to become more safety conscious and what were the driving reasons? Thanks.

Mike Weeks
Charlotte NC

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Subject: N&W and Virginian in 1909--Jobs, etc.

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
April 1, 1909

IN CITY AND COALFIELD
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Yard Master at Princeton
     Frank Shaffer, of this city, left yesterday for Princeton, where he will be yardmaster for the Virginian Railway.
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Get Jobs on Virginian
    Harve McCoy and Ferd [sic] Melcher left yesterday for Princeton, where they have secured positions with the Virginian Railway.
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Both Legs Cut Off
    Kyle Wheeler, brakeman on the Norfolk and Western work train which operates between Roanoke and Radford, had both legs cut off at Walton yesterday.  He was taken to the Radford hospital.  His condition is said to be serious.
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[I suspect that the Bluefielders who found employment with the Virginian were N&W employees who saw greener grass on the other side of the fence for whatever reason.]

Gordon Hamilton
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