The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-05-23
WHICH IS THE SAFEST CARP
Well, That Depends on Things Nobody
Can Foresee.

(which is the safest car on a railroad
train?" repeated an old Detroit railroad
man, as he stroked his chin and seemed
to reflect on the query. well. the best
Answer l can make is that it is the car
which doesn't run off the rails when all
others do, and which is left on the bank
when the train goes through a bridge"
"Ycu'ye travelled thousands of miles
by rail?"
yes, tens OF thousands"
"And been in half a dozen accidentsp"
Give been in exactly seventeen rail-
road accidents, but some of them were
hardly worth mentioning"
"And do You locate yourself in any
particular part of the trainp"
No. When ] first began travelling l
wouldn't ride in any coach but the rear
one. | had about two Hozen reasons
why that was the safest car, and for six
or eight weeks l went rolling over the
country feeling as safe us if in my own
brick house. One night we lost too
much time at u station and a special
overhaulcd us and smashed into the rear
coach. You'll think it funny, but out
of the sixteen people in that car l was
the only one badly hurt. / had a leg
and two ribs broken and was covered
with bruises. When l was able to be
out again | went dead back on the rear
car"
And took the next one to the smoker,
ehpa
'That's what l did. A dozen differ
cnt railroad men had a dozen reasons
apiece why that was the safest place,
and for three or four months | rode in
that car and laughed at the chaps who
carried insurance policies. Then nv
fond dream of safety was rudely shat.
tered. The engine, baggage and smok.
ing cars passed safely ovcr a certain
switch while running at the rate OF
forty miles an hour, but the forward
trucks of my car caught somewhere
and the car was twisted right out of the
train. Yes, sir, it was torn loose at
both ends and rolled down an embank.
ment, and no another car left the rails.
We had two killed and a dozen hurt,
but got off the car with o bad shaking
up. My confidence in the first car was
gone, however, never to be restored"
And then you took the middle of the
%train?"
IN my aOu. SS, L Sul uOWu anu
reasoned it out to my perfect satisfac.
ton that the middle car of the train
was as safe as sitting on tho post office
steps in Detroit. 1t was about q year
before anything happened to undeceive
me. One afternoon, when we were
busting along to make up lost time, we
crossed the tracks of another road gust
a few seconds too soon or too late, just
as you will have it. An express train
on the other road came booming along
and waded right through us. It struck
my car, of course, and what was left OF
it after the grand smash couldn't have
been worked over into a w]heelbarrow.
Five killed was the record. and l got a
broken arm, u scalp wound, and a gen.
cral bad shaking up"
"And after that?"
after that and up to the present
date have no choice. / drop into q
seat wherever | can find one and don't
worry about accidents. I've known a
whole train except the last coach to GO
through n bridge, and I've known
every car but the last to pass safely
over. Ina head-on collision the for.
ward coach may be smashed to splint.
CTS, OH may rear up on emu anu eS'
cape all injury. | was on a train once
where Il locomotive struck the rear cur,
rolled it aside without serious injury to
anybody, and then killed or wounded
every passenger in the next coach. The
man who goes hunting for the safest
car on a train is throwing away his
time. He may take any car and travel
for ten years, and never even be delayed
by a hot box; or he Gay settle down in
the car of his choice and be killed in q
ride of ten miles. | once saw twenty.
two people smashed in a coach, and yet
two fellows Aho were stealing Il ride on
the trucks underneath got off scot-free.
Just buy a tirst-class ticket, get aboard
before the train goes, and leave the res,
to Providence ."-DetroH Free Press.