The morning call., 1894-09-25
COST OF RAILROAD ACCIDENTS.

TIE co0stisgtisazl e0oVeatI8n Of New
York has adopted an amendments repeal
isE he Iiz1it O $500 now set upon life
taken n a rsI-sad accident. The limit
was set in New YORK. IBIaois and other
States many years age. u the Fsilrozd-
bGllIiDg era. on the gr01nd that VIXEN
railroads were in iHeir infancy, their
hands inexperienced and .hsr tracks and
machinery new, accidents E0gld Dc fre-
Gusuf, aud that If the ueIga bors CT al il
Igr=d person were Tree 70 assess the dan
ages az ther Ehin lines which were
eeded for the pHblic convenience would
be hzukrHLtsi. The principle CT law
never EhoI : eamusuded Itself &c public
approval. as i proved By ias fact thai
I1ries have often awarded higher DAMAGES
fer wounds 20 the psrsou than f9c IuIEriss
Ebieh caused death.
One argGEea. which Induced the New
T0rz conveu,io0 70 amend the law was
that 5000 IS not as large sun Ct money
GOV as II was IL the railroad building era,
AID Eazs II the main railroads have
pr9Fed such profitable property that their
aSnerz ought Eot - slloz accidents 10
oeeuL When Al accident does happen the
chances are always against the yieEm's
pr0s Pect Of being IrvpsrlF con pe1sztec,
TIE railroad has IA lgs pay staff Of
trained lawyers who contest every point,
and SIC Instructed % spare 10 expense 20
win their case. I. rarely happens that the
widow and orphan are able 20 retain laE-
yer WHO belong. % the leading ranks az
TIE bar. Tsey are generally compelled 20
pace themselves 10 the hands OF second
elzss practitioner, who takes tne case for
4 conduEen fee. Laboring under this
Disadvantage, L seems hardly far taat
they .hoE.d Dc subjected 20 the faE ther
drawback Of having limit SCI 70 the dam
ages ttey can recover. The Law in t1is
S.a5e-Enieh hzs been adopted IN other
>tz'es-IezVins 70 the jury full liberty 10
asses. damage. II eases OF railroad acci-
felt-, seen. more eQaita be, and The
prospect is that az The next session CT the
Illinois Legislature the New YORK example
VIII Be followed.
In England. an aitempt was made,
many years ago, 20 sssIs, iariss N assessing
damages ia cases Of fatal railroad zcci-
dents Il was provided that where The
man killed was in the service OF the con-
pzny, ais family could net recover sun
greater than lis wages for three years
companies from eeatesii1g claims fer
damages II Ne had such Ia~ here, tie
heIrs Of conductor or engineer ree=Iy-
Ing SEQ q month would have 8 right n
d=msr from Ias company S9I6J
IN the case OF his death from accident
AMI most companies would raiEeT pay
tnst sum than 70 70 the expense AID incur
TIE odium OF defend .ng the suit Ia some
Continental countries, 4 railroad accident
i al oEease Of wnich the STATE taxes cog
niz2nce. and uolsss the eonpanT can SHOW
tazt /. va. eaGzsd by the hand OF Cod, as
tor Instance bF Landslide, or : fre.hsE, CT
The giving way Of bridge when was con
si1sEed SQUAD, tie accident So ojeeis the
corporation % fine aud the dreciers 70
ImprisoBue1t There Is z good deal C
philosophy n this doctrine.
There Is 10 reason Why railroad zcci-
dents shculd oecur. except az rare later
Tzls, zad from unavoidable causes TErss-
foGrEhs CT the accidents which happen to
this e0untrT result from collisions which
might have been sFoded WIFI pro per care.
10 France, they are becoming very rare,
usialY because Of the strict zceouu ability
to which railroad employees are held. Per
hzps we are too lax u til. respect
sEi;chmsn and EateEm4n Cceupy the
same position as seuIinels IL tine OF war.
II tie ssDiinel goes 20 sleep CT his pos', or
allows his attention % be diverted from
rIs duty. be IS shot; some modified rule OF
I'll. kind might be applied % railroad
szitehmen aud traek-HslkeEs. Ia the
early stage Of rzIroadinZ il England,
when accidents were Of frequent oecuI-
renee, il va. suggested tasta bishop snouId
be carried ca the locomotive OF express
trains, CT the theory that the killing Of
church iuuInary would Re followed by ex-
euplery punishment No usm Der Of the
Bench Of Bishops has ever taken such
forcsd ride, Dug the railroad service mas
oeen so much improved Of late years thai
in 1892, out Of go. Coo, 600 passengers car
rI.d. oaIy 1914 were killed and 10.4 In
jared: the compensation for the Injuries
paid bg the companies being a. nearly as
rgrasfhte a N linn Golfzrs