The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-04-13
DEADLY CARCOUPLER.
The Railroad Slaughter in
New Jersey Last Year
Comptroller Heppen-
heimer's Figures.
Special 10 The Jersey city vc,u,.

Heppenheimer. 1t Is always an interest
ing story. because of the large number of
railroad corporations that operate in the
state and use it as a terminal. There are
4,146 miles OF railroad tracks in the State,
the better part of it In the most populated
section, and in consequence accidents are
numerous.
The State Comptroller Is at the present
time collecting Information for his report
on railroads and canals, which is supposed
to contain a special account of the acci-
dents that have occurred during the year.
The law equires this statement of facts
from the railroads, but they hare q pecul-
lar way Of evading the requirements OF
the statutes whenever they can do SO.
Tine accidents have always been re-
ported, but not in a classified form so
that 1t would appear on sight just how
the cowcatcher cuts the people down.
This peculiarly interesting information
is Obtained only by the liberal use of
paper and pencil.
TO TABULATE RESULTS.
As the accidents have been heretofore
reported they rave contained no direct
information, and Comptroller Heppen-
heimer has discovered this. When he
prints this years report he will give Il
tabulated statement. All the railroads
have not yet gone into the table. but the
principal corporations are down aud the
tale of destruction of human beings will
soon be ready for the printer. BY max
ing this taUuiated statement IL Will be
possible to make a comparison each year,
which is now Impossible. The main
causes of injury and death on railroads
nave been4the coupler and the striking
down OF men while at work on tracks.
There has been quite b number or acct
dents caused by getting on and OF OF
tr.i,e mud a nnfahia iunrQpaajn rha n1m-
Der OF people injured and killed while
driving across tracks In front Of trains.
Last year there was injured on the rail-
roads 953 people, two-thlfds of them en-
ployes, who met their accidents while at
work; $40 persons were killed. The num-
Der or persons injured and Killed IN one
year would be enough TO populate a small
will ge. There was injured by the
coupler $3.50 lrainmen, BILLED II; injured
while at work IN the road %, killed IL;
injured while at WORK on the train 19l,
killed 81; injured getting on aud off
trains 116, killed 16; injured driving
across tracks 1872, killed 1877; those injured
from other causes 10, aud killed 10.
PENNSY's SHARE.
THE United Railroads of New jersey,
which has 513 miles of railway in the
State. killed ITO people on its New York
division aud Amboy division. 1t shows
the biggest number of accidents by the
use OF The coupler. On the New York di-
vision there were 146 injured II 8 killed,
and on the Amboy division 26, injured
anu 4 killed. There were 80 injured on tie
New York division while at work on the
railway tracks, and none of the employees
killed. There were So injured working
on trains aud 4 killed: AZ injured getting
on and off trains, 2 killed; " were In
jured driving across the track ana "
xilled. On the AmDoy division only 2
were injured working on the track aud
killed; Is injured working on trains.
10 iniured driving across the track Is
Killed. There We're 6 injured in collisions
aud 3 killed. Walking on the track
causes considerable loss of life on
the New York division, owing TO the
number of men tramping between New
York and Philadelphia. L st year rs
we're injured aud % killed. A notable
decrease is noted III the lumber OF in-
inred and killed while stealing rides.
This is due to the fact that it is becoming
harder each year for unfor5nnates to be
carried from point to point on freight aud
conf trains. the custom now being, when
ever a ma is discovered stealing a ride.
the conductor telegraphs ahead for a sta
tion officer, and he is arrested and COM
mitted to the County Jail.
THE CENTRAL.
The Central Railroad, which has 156
miles of railroad track in The State, makes
its usual strong showing OF accidents and
deaths there being 255 persons injured
and IS killed. The coupler got in its work
on S3 u~nfortunates, 2 of them fatal; 81
employees were injured while working on
tracks. 2 Of them dying of their injuries;
A working on trains were struck down., d
of them fatal; 40 people were injured get-
ting off and OH cars, and l died; 70 people
were injured driving across tracks and 10
killed. There were "a people injured III
collisions; s people injured oy Ialllng OH
trains aud l killed.
The Delaware & Bound Brook, which is
the Philadelphia extension of the New
Jersey Central, injured IL men at coup
ling while at work within the State, 2 Of
them fatal; 4 men were killed in collision.
THE Morris & Essex Railroad. on its 119
miles OF track, inbred 122 and killed 30.
The largest o. their accidents were caused
by the coupler, So being injured. 2 of them
fatally: Is were injured working on
tracks. Z fatally; 81 men working on
trains were injured and 4 Of them died.
Only 9 were injured getting OIL n on
trains, 5 of this number proving fatal.
This road was more fortunate IN the mat
ter of accidents being caused by. people
driving across the track, they injuring
only 26 and killed 10.
SOUTHERN ROADS.
The Atlantic City Railroad had a larger
number of accidents than heretofore. 1t
Injured % by the coupler. 2 while at
work getting off and on trains and 5
driving across tracks. Ofthe entire num-
Der only 2 were killed.
On the Belvidere and Delaware Rail-
road II were injured while coupling, l
fatally. OF the IL people injured while at
work 2 died. Only 2 accidents at railroad
crossings, l of which proved fatal.
The Camden and Atlantic Railroad in
iu-ed 9 at railroad crossings and killed 2.
They report only 4 coupling accidents.
The Jersey City and Bergen Railroad
report a number of tri1ing accidents with
Is injured while getting off and on
trains.
The New Jersey Southern Railway.
Notwithstanding that 1t traverses d large
amount of trackage through the New
Jersey pines. had but a few accidents, 2
people being killed at crossings and l In
iured: 4 men injured at work and 3 by
the counter.
New York & Greenwood Railway in
iured s While coupling, killed l while
working, and 1 while crossing in front OF
trains.
The New York & Long Branch killed 4
people driving across tracks and injured
/. They Killed / man while at work, in-
jured 8 getting off and on trains, and 8
were hurt by the coupler.
The West Shore Railroad reports 10
accidents by the COUPLER none fatal; II
men struck down while working on the
tracks, / dying, IS while working on
trains, 2 dying; 4 injured while driving
in front of trains.
The West Jersey was particularly Tor
tunate. 1t killed only 4 people and In
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