Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-10-06
Railroad Accident Insurance.

Railroad passengers have for twenty. six
rears been familiar with the practice Of
insuring themselves against accident Ut
1t will be a surprise to more raii-s"d traV-
elers to learn that railrosS companies IN
sure themselves against the pecuniary
damages to which a railroad accident
makes a corporation liable.
The loss of life and the injury to limb is
to the public the first consideration in a
railroad accident. To the railroad managers
an early, if not the first, consideration is
the damages in which the company will be
cast for an accident. A year ago, Septem-
Der Q, 1898, through freight train on the
Fitchburg line in Massachusetts, crashed
through passenger train standing on
siding at West Cambridge, telescoping the
rear car. Ten were killed and twsnty- eight
injured The report of the company just
issued credits this accident with s154, $50.
Most railroad men will feel, remember
ing the gross carelessness which led TO the
accident, that the company escaped cheap
". Nearly nineteen persons have been
killed in railroad accidents in the past two
months, and these accidents probably rep
resent amoney loss in damages ofupward of
81, $50, 900, with at least $500, 900 for smash
ed rolling stock. Several insurance COM
panies make a business ofinsurance against
these lossers, though the premiums not un-
naturally, do not figure conspicuously in
railroad accounts.
The Long Island Railroad Company
was carrying SIS, 900 at the time of the
Parkville accident, August 5. This showed
such carelessness that it is reported the
insurance company refused to continue the
policy and its caution was abundantly JUS
titled by a still heavier accident on August
&c. The Boston d Albany was carrying
a $50, 900 policy at the time of the Chester
bridge accident, which it at once collected
though the sum cannot be third large
enough to meet the damages due to that
gross piece of carelessness.
The net safety of railroad travel is in all
probably neither increased nor diminished
by this practice. The direct damage done
by a serious railroad accident is so great
that insurance against its direct damages
does little more than save the trouble OF
finding means for large payment out OF
a single years earnings. No railroad man
will be more or less careless because his
company carries accident insurance
The real need in railroad accidents is not
the prohibitions of insurance against dam
ages by the companies, but careful nves-
tigation. This does not exist in this State
or in New Jersey. If "a railroad accident
happens in Massachusetts, or Connecticut
it is adequately investigated. This is also
true in Iowa. A fair inquiry is made In
New York and Illinois. Alabama is anoth-
er State with Commission whose inves-
LEGATIONS are reasonably efficient. In most
States, there is no adequate examination;
First come the newspaper reports, then
loose Coroner's inquest, then some scat
tering reports and the public never has
Judicial finding, properly apportioning
the blame.
Nothing would do more to improve rail-
road management than careful inquiry
into each railroad accident. Its effect in
England has been marvellous. If the In
terstate Commerce Commission were given
the power to make such investigations,
the effect would be at once seen in asteady
decrease of accidents, just as it las been
in Great Britian.-Philadelph Press.