The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-03
MEMS DANGERS
STATISTICS SHOWING NUMBER OF
I'M URED AND MANNED.

a Compilation TIL at Will Be Read by
knights of the Rail-Baby Beatrice's
Future-General State News.
An interesting article from the pen
of Joseph Fisher on Railroad
Casualties" appears in the last report
of the Labor Bureau. 1t says that in
New Jersey there is a record for rail
way casualties for thirty-six years
past and their increase has been
noticeable especially during the past
two years. An act of the Legislature
requires the railroads to make annual
reports, under oath, of accidents, but
so little attention has been attached
to the statistics so gathered that no
attempt has been made to analyze or
summarize them before the present
article was begun.
At the beginning of the SOS there
: WA less than 400 miles of track in the
State; in 1865 over $50, which in 1874
had been increased to 1857, and to
over 1000 in 1887. The total casualties
of all kinds from 1852 to 1S87inclusive,
foot up 10, 499, of which 1904 were re-
ported as fatal. Employees suffered,
1929 of them, with 1,208 as fatal, and
passengers and others, 5,S77, with
2, 500 as fatal.
THE RATIO OF FATALITIES.
In 1887, the ratio of fatal casualties
to road mileage was / to 10, and that
of not fatal injuries, 1 to g.. The
average for ten years has been l to 80
and 1 to z, respectively. This is, ap-
parently, a less favorable showing
than most of the States, due, partially,
to the more careful reporting of acct
dents in this State than is generally
observed. The comp arison is not
much more favorable when the ratio
of killed and injured othe total num-
Der of employed is considered. Ac-
cording to an estimate based on the
returns from the railroads operating
four-ffths of the State mileage, there
were 81, 400 employees who spent a
part of the time within the State in
1S87-that is all included in the re-
spective divisions.
These figures mean that in 1887. 1
in every 314 employees was fatally,
and 1 in Al not fatally injured. De-
Quoting the number of general Off
GERS, clerks and shopmen and only
counting those engaged in the general
management of trains, who constitute
70 per cent. of the total employees,
Iil0 IdGlO was i LII SlO, tttlu 1 LII 20
killed and injured, respectively.
OF the total number killed and in
iured during SO years, there were
i.S47 trainmen, 1, $40 miscellaneous emf
ployees, and 1925 whose occupation
was not reported in the returns. OF
the latter number, the larger proper
ton, probably, were trainmen, who
are naturally the most liable to meet
accidents. In Massachusetts, during
the ten years ending September 30,
1887, out of 2 .044 casualties, 1,611 hap
pened to trainmen-that is, rs per
cent. In 1887 the percentage was "a;
while in Michigan, in 1860, it was
only so.
SAFETY APPLIANCES.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany, ZIG miles and II, 900 employees,
reported in response to an enquiry as
to whether improved appliances were
in general use on both passenger and
freight cars, that atmospheric brakes
and automatic couplers were in
general use on passenger trains;
freight trains partially equipped. Cen
trail, 1914 miles, 5000 employees, re-
ported automatic brakes on passenger
engines. and l passenger, 16 freight
and 2 switch engines with steam brake
hDDllhlCCCs ALI R0OOCt1SO4 JIo |
air brakes and Miller platforms and
couplers. Six freight cars have air
brakes and 90 pipe connections, but
these are used in connection with
passenger trains. d., L. y w,
1877 miles, 3,700 employees; air
brakes on passenger engines and
coaches, automatic couplers on freight
cars, and steam brakes being applied
TO freight and coal engines. Lehigh
Valley, 173 miles, 1000 employees; VI
tomato couplers and air brakes; pas
senger cars steam heated. Philadel-
pKia and Reading, 1903 miles, 642 en-
ployees; automatic couplers and air
brakes in general use on passenger
and freight cars. N. Y, L. E. and W.,
70 miles, 3,19S employees; same re-
port.
CHIEF CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS.
About one-half of the casualties to
employees occur while coupling or
handling cars, or are due to falling
from trains, usually freight, while in
motion. This is the story everywhere.
In New Jersey, out of 1863 casualties
in 1887, 1853, or 43 per cent, were due
to coupling, uncoupling or handling
cars; and for the ten years the num-
Der was 1,572, or 45 per cent. of the
total employees killed and injured
during that time.
Baby Beatrice's Future.
Captain Perry, the ex-attorney for
Mrs. Evangeline Hamilton, went to
Philadelphia from Atlantic City yes
terday and called on Mrs. Rupp, at
the residence of Special Policeman
Shourds. After a short conference
with Mrs. Rupp, the deputed guardian
Of Baby Beatrice, he went to New
York to see Mr.. Hamilton, and arrange
for the disposition of the baby during
the imprisonment of Mrs. Hamilton.
The baby is still with Mrs. Hamilton
at Mays Landing.
The date of Mrs. Hamilton's removal
to the State Prison at Trenton is still
carefully concealed. 1t has been as
serted that the Sheriff has the
authority of law to keep her in Gus
tody until October s. Under an
old law he has, but a statute in the
Z,1x@ln,o1n 4 Oh cna4sAS. 90 ~~uzrsloo