St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-10-29
Comparative Safety of Travel on Eng
lish and American Railroads.

We have lately had occasion TO draw
some comparisons between British and
American railroad practice not alto
gether favorable to the former. The
impression remains in the public mind,
however, that travel on British rail-
roads is attended with less danger than
upon American lines and this aSSump-
tion Is made good Use of in answer to Il
criticism of the English railway system
from an American standpoint. Let us
see, so far us available statistics will
permit, To what extent this assumption
is warranted 10y facts. In the United
Kingdom, during the past year, 2l25
persons were killed and $3.50 injured :
Il total of 7475. Taking the best avail
able records of accidents for the United
States we find that there were POI per
SONS killed and 975 wounded for the
year ending with August. 1875. These
are only the accidents that are of IL ma
turc sufficiently serious to be reported
In the number killed, however. they are
practically correct. In some of the
States the returns are kept with Il con
siderable degree of accuracy. and some
of these are available ut the present
moment. In the State of PcnnsN I>ania
the number of passengers carried WAS
T. .11 los. the number killed in this
time WAS Ii, aud H3 were injured. or
one person killed among 2,6I3.J12 pas
ScngcrS. In England the rate WAS in
:aiO,O and fraction, or almost T.
times aS many aS in the State of Penn
sNlrania. In Scotland :'S.WD.WW pas
SrngerS were carried and 2lI persons
We're killed, or l.0OO.OOO less persons
carried than in PcuuSN NlNania and l95
m"lc persons killed. On the Pcnnsyl-
Nania Railroad G.OS-. lob passengers
we've carried and one person killed
This passenger was found dead on the
track, and it is probable that he fell
from the platform "t Il ear. where he
Was standing contrary to the rules of
the company. In this G.OW. 600 of pas
SengerS only II were injured. At this
rate there would have been but 20 pas
scngcr> killed in England during the
NcaI. instead of ll15. and instead of
li,i- persons injured there would have
been only 1850. or tritic over one
fourth aS MANY.
Another railway company. not par
ticularly noted ioI safety. carried 900.
900 passengers during the wear. and
killed only one. The Philadelphia and
Rcadina Road carried 6.MH.OOO passed.
gcIS, and killed two. ON investigation
il WAS found that the passengers killed
and injured were violating the rules of
the company. and 81 10y their own acts
were responsible. On some ten differ
cnt roads no passengers were killed
during the year. although the number
carried on them WIS very large.
In the United Kingdom there were
some l2IJ accidents reported during
the year. among which we find no less
than 229 from broken aNlrS. From
averages which we have made we think
this about five times as many as were
reported in this country. There were
III failures of wheels and tires. which
we think very much larger than here.
With these facts and figures in mind. it
is evident that the admitted superiority
of British permanent way does not Sc
cure ;iS great an immunity from accl-
dents to trains as that resulting from
better rolling stock and better manage
mcnt in this country. Were American
trains no better provided with brakes.
in proportion to thciI weight. than the
English trains, travel 10y rail would he
come 81 hazardous that few would ven
turc it who could travel 10y amy other
method. and the immense traffic on our
trunk lines would hc subject to serious
and constantly recurring Interruptions.
We have much to learn from English
engineers. perhaps. hut not Il great
deal about railroads or their manage
ment Iron iJc.