New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-06
TIE ACCIDENTS or OCTOBER.

record of railroad accidents has been kept for
. number of years by The Railroad Gazette
| and in making up the roll for OCTOBER iast tha1
raner finds the number Of persons Killed. lZV, 10
| 10 the largest for any month except August 1887,
| c,bich included the Chatsworth disaster NO
a.hor monthly record reaches 100 deaths. OF
,hooo killed So per cent were passengers, 81 per
cont were employees, and per cent are cassed
&C others Considering that the number OF
EMPLOYEES is only small proportion Of the number
NJ passengers it Is clear that the sacrifice OF lie
and limb is relatively much greater among EN-
| nIoves than among passengers This is even more
apparcnt in the showing Of persons merely in
iured by accidents. These numbered 223, of whom
100. or "a per cent, were employees, and 90, or
only "A per cent were passengers. The explana-
tion Of this is to be found in the fact that three
| forrtbs of the accidents OF the month affected
freight trains and only one-fourth passenger
trains.
The total number of accidents during the month
was l46, of which eighty two were collisions,
Gfty-eight derailnents and six others miScelan-
eous The record OF October 1887, by contrast
while it shows III accidents of all kinds, gave
only thirty-four persons in all killed, and only
/ 90 injured Although the passengers suffered
less by comparison than the employees, there were
at least eight important accidents to trains
well filed with passengers. Six Of these had
fatal results That at Mud Run was the most
notable. /" The Gazette complains that in all the
cases where veriicts were rendered by coroners'
uries they do not seem TO look into the question
of the possible negligence of officers of the roads.
| Train men and minor employees are held RESPONSE
bic for disobedience of rule, without considering
whether the authority making it might not have
so arranged matters that obedience would be
less difficult and more certain The point is GER
tany we'll taken. 1t is very easy-and juries like
| TO do things easily-to find the cause Of an acct
dent in the circumstances Immediately attending
| il, when the fact is that the true cause may lie
| some distance back in a chain of events which
attract attention.
| But for the Mud Run accident the loss Of life
among passengers for the month would have
been small, instead of being exceptionally large.
The Mud Run disaster was responsible for all
but seven of the fatal accidents to passengers.
A summing up of all the accidents of the month
assigns defects of equipment the cause Of IL
per cent, negligence in operating % per cent,
Unforeseen distractions per cent unexplained
So per cent It would probably be found that
almost every accident except possibly those classed
as duo to unforeseen Instructions directly resulted
| from negligence of one kind or another. The
price of safety upon the railroad is eternal vigi
| lance. But it is worth while TO examine the
| figures in detail to see that even when they are
at their worst the loss of life is not so great
| as many suppose. In fact authority positively
declares that there are more deaths by falling
out of windows than by railroad accidents.
- ---
The Aldermen voted public money for the
flowers they sent to Mr.. Forsters funeral, probably
to show that they wanted others to share their
grief.
II holding public meetings for the discussion
of important topics by experts results in prac-
teal good something for health and long life
ought to be accomplished by the annual gather
ing of the New-Jersey Sanitary Association at
Trenton tomorrow and Saturday. The subjects
for formal discussion pointed and practical,
such as Water Filtration" Impure Milk as
Cause of Disease Ice as q Source of Disease"
Adulteration of Foods" Disposal of Garbage
| Well-Water." Hyg1enic Arrangement Of School
Tasks and. Of course. tho everlasting Defective
Plumbing The programme bears the names of
| various recognized authorities on these and cog
nate topics and the general discussion following
each paper will doubtless bring out the results
| Of extended experience and observation. New
Jersey with its numerous cities and large manu-
featuring towns, and its proximity to the largest
three cities in the Union, is deeply interested in
the problem Of maintaining healthful conditions
lem the work of the Sanitary Association ought
TO be potent factor.
To overlook the trcachery in OBrien's district
because he stood by the party on the Presidential
vote would be like pardonng traitor in the
army because he did his duty part of the time.
Loyalty which Is intermittent won't work in
politics any better than IN war.
committee of the Board Of Aldermen has
reported in favor Of abolishing the bob-tail car
for good and all Why the Board should not
have passed the ordinance promptly is hard to
understand. OF course reasonable time should
be allowed for the companies TO make the change,
but the sooner the limit is set the better. 1t
has been stubbornly contested fight that has
been waged against the bob-tail, but its fate now
seems to be sealed The companies which have
bowed promptly to the plainly expressed public
sentiment on this subject deserve word of praise,
and they will doubtless reap their reward
in the increased patronage to which they are
Justly entitled.
Kilgore's luminosity to Revolutionary heroes is
nothing new He seems TO be against heroes on
principle-for example. Sheridan.
Some interesting evidence rs to the value Of
expert testimony has been furnished at the hear
ngs Of the Elevated Railroad Commission. which
recently made its first award as to the damage
caused TO property in Forty-second-st by the
putting M of the elevated structure One expert
declared on oath that in his opinion the damage
In that case was not less than $4,000. An
other, apparently of equal honesty, was equally
certain that the property IN question had not been
damaged one cents worth. If the Commissioners
have similar experience in regard to every
niece Of property brought to their notice, the
strain upon them in the process Of making equi-
table awards may readily be imagined. The eX-
mi ho,rerer will cnntinnn TO nnnrish. and viii