The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-06-01
From the Cincinnati Gazette.
railway Accidents In Great Britain.

We learn from the Philadelphia North American ,ha, .
Papei was recently read before The Statistical Society OF
.son1on on hsiway accidents from 1910 1852 ncu
sive, by +. q Z. Nelson This paper referred onIv n
accidents occurring British rail WAYS but so general an
, IS now ieit IN whatever relates 10 the subject
ha even Tue imperfect reports OF the contents OF the pa
per- contained IN The London newspapers will be read
with interest
Mr. Nelson divides railway accidents into twelve an
efen kinds, according TO their causes and these again
into two: the first into accidents which the railway
companies have CONTROL and the other where they have
no control. The most remarkable fact in Mr. Nelson's
examination is, that during the twelve years which
his inquiries have extended, The accidents of the rs
kind.-hose under the control Of the companies-have
rapidly diminished, compared with those of the second
class. where the companies have no control The dim-
mutton OF this class OF accidents has been lrne over
81 per cent for the twelve years AT the time
uates over which the companies have control, the
most OF which attributable to the OF pas
sengeIs themselves, have increased ratio of more
than so per cent E
The following table shows only the relative increase
or dminuon OF accidents from the two classes OF
during the three periods Of four years EACH but is moi in
Tended TO show The absolute increase decrease OF acc
- ror csniof Peresn,. OF Per cent. OF
p Under control Of eompanies. .saso 5lss ssIs
Beyond the control OF companies. $3.50 4s4A 0si
singular feature distinguishing the two kinds of ac.
cdens is that such result from the careessn OF
passengers are much more fatal than those which are
every hundred persons injured by their mprudence
die while only eleven in every hundred die from accidents
or Wh'cn the companies are responsible In this
the number OF persons who lose their lives from the
own carelessness bears proportion to those who suffer
from the careIessness of railway officers; but in England
seems that The companies take better care OF the lives
OF their passengers than passengers willing take OF
their own.
Mr. Nelson shows that there is, from year to year,
marked decline in the frequency OF accidents in England
Thus IN 1910, one person killed in every million o
passengers In 1851 one was killed only in every two
and halt millions. Oh injuries no, resulting in death
one occurred IN ls4o to every 100000; but in 1851 only
one IN every $4,000 was injured.
Mr. Nelson's calculation of lfe-chances on railways
are curious. During the eight years from 1914 to 1851 in.
elusive, 7o44 Ao9sl miles were travelled by passengers
In this lime 76 passengers killed. which is equiva
lent TO death for little 10000 600 miles ,rav
eed 10 respect to time Mr. Nelson computes supposing
railroad passenger TO travel twelve hours every day
and every day in the year, at the rate OF twenty miles
hour It would take him 456 years TO get through his forty
odd million OF miles, and just long before his time
came for being killed by on the railroad
These conclusions go TO show what vgllant police
and careful rules and regulations effect The CON.
parison OF American accidents with the above would
show appalling difference. Yet the same precauton
the same sense OF the sanctlty OF human life, and the
same legislative restraints upon private cupidy exist
il. Great Britain would railways the safest
well the speedlest mode OF travelling known the
world since the world began.