The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-06-02

Total. ................1 .159 ITO
II will be seen that Of the l59 persons Kill
led upon the New York railroads last year,
only ~ were passengers. The report goes
on to say that mot one passenger has lost
his life during the last year from causes BE-
yond ha oua control, although ten millions
Of passengers have been carried in the cars
an aggregate distance of .fre hundred mill.
ions Of miles There were but two deaths
hon such causes du6ag the prsoedins
yeaf" Only 19 persons were killed last
ye.~ id aths-Srste nf Nrw York, withits 2, ,00U
miles OF railroad, by accidents 10 the trains,
and of these none was . passenger The
twelve passengers killed during the year met
their death either by jumping from train
while in motion, or by standing on the plat
form of the car, or by some other act ofper-
sonal carelessncss. Eishty.onc persons, more
than one.half the whole number killed on the
railroads Of the State, were run orer uhile
standing on the track. In the last two
years liz persons have been killed in this
way upon the railroads Of the State Of New
York alone.
This very satisfactory statement ought to
quiet the nerves Of many people who now
tremblc for their lives whenever they or
their friends have occasion to travel . few
hundred miles by railroad. If they nHl
persist in standing carelessly upon the track,
or upon the platform Of the cars, or will
Jump from or 70 tho cars while in motion,
the calamity which may be the result ought
not to be rcckoned as belonging to the inevi-
table Incidents ofrailroad travelling. Within
few days two persons have been killed at
Michigan City by attempting to spring on
board the train after it had started. and sim.
liar accidents are Of almost daily occurrence
somewhere in the country. The want Of
forethought and prudence is doubtless more
perilous In railway than in other modes Of
travelling, but the statistics absve presented
demonstrate that the number Of necessarily
fatal accidents is almost ininitesimal in pro.
portion to the number Of those who are car
ried safely TO their destination.
Travelling by railroad is attended by con.
sderably less danger In Europe than in this
country, for the reason that the roads are &c.
nerally more substantially built, and the
trains more carefully and systematically
run, and the people who travel upon them
compelled to take better care of their limbs
and lives In Prussia, Austria, Belgium and
France accidents arc very rare, and when
they do occur the most thorough inquisition
is made, with view to the punishment OF
those who have been negligent Of their du.
ty, and to guard against their recurrence.
In Great Britain there Is more travelling
by railway than in any other European
country, and of fcoursc there are more acci.
dents, yet the ratio Of danger is considerably
less than in the United States. According
to careful analysis Of railroad accidents in
that country, made by DR.. Lardner, it ap.
pears that the chances Of an accident fatal to
life to . passenger travelling ten miles by
railroad, are only ono in cir and a half mil.
lions, and in travelling hundred miles one in
six hundred thousand. For example, the
whole number Of persons killed upon the
railways Of Great Britain, in period Of two
years, was 4l3; the total travel of passen.
gers for the same period being / $50, lS4, GIT
miles. OF the 4l3 persons killed only 90
were passengers, killed from causes beyond
their own control; while 20 passengers and
232 employees Of the companies all 255
Of the 4l3-were killed through causes
which they might hare prcrented; and SO Of
the remainder were killed by ccrelessly eros.
sing or standing upon the railroads. Thus
32l OF the Alb were killed solely through
their o,en .taalt.
The conclusion to which the above state.
ment leads US is, that while the managers Of
railroads should be held to strict account for
casualties which q proper attention to their
duties might have prevented, they should in
justice be exonerated from the responsibility
of many accidents which popular opinion
now lays to their change There is con-
slant improvement in the management Of
railroads, by which increased conveniences
arc secured to the public, and greater safety
insured, and il the people themselves will
but improve equally in forethought and pru-
dcncc, tho chapter of accidents will 10 ma.
terially diminished from year to year.-M.
Press.