The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-25

injured seems incredible. During these
seven years the exact figures are 16, s57
killed and 172, 100 crippled. MANNED and
injured. Few battles in history show SO
CHASTITY fatality.
In 1898 the slaughter Of railroad en-
ployes became SO great rs to attraor the
attention of congress. For generation
it had been known in general way that
a large number of men were being an
nuaIly killed and manned, but it was not
until 1888 that accurate figures were OBJ
tainable. 1t was also known that largo
percentage of these deaths were caused by
the use Of imperfect equipment by the
railroad companies. There was not a
city, village or hamlet in the United
States but that numbered its manned and
killed. In thousands of homes widows
and orphans mourned the loss of fathers
whose lives had been crushed out beneath
the wheels of railway cars.
In 1898 the list of killed and injured
railroad employees reached the appalling
total of 2, 1877 dead and 81, 729 wounded.
1t was time to call halt, and in re-
spouse to appeals from all over the United
States Congress took up the matter. and
after bitter opposition passed the safety
appliance act. In view Of the fact that
this is one of the most successful pieces
of legislation ever enacted in the interests
of worknen, and the further fact that
its provisions are now going into effect,
+I,o of ~; III
quoting at this time. The act reads in
part as follows:
Be it enacted by the senate and house
of REPRESENTATIVES, of the United States
of America in Congress assem- bled, that
from and after the first day OF January,
1898, it shall be unlawful for any COM
mon carrier engaged in interstate COM
merce by railroad to use on its line any
locomotive engine in moving interstate
traffic not equipped with q power driving
wheel brake and appliances for operating
the train brake system, Or to run any
train in such traffic after said date that
has not q sufficient number of cars In it
equipped with power or train brakes that
the engineer ON the locomotive drawing
such train can control it's speed without
requiring brakemen to use the common
han brake for that purpose.
That on and after the first day of JAM
uery, 1898, it shall be unlawful for any
such common carrier to haul or permit to
be hauled or used on it's line cars used in
moving interstate traffic not equipped
with cnuplers coupling automatically by
impact and which can be uncoupled
without the necessity of men going be-
tween the ends of the cars.
That from and after the first day of
July, 1895, until otherwise ordered by the
interstate commerce commission, it shall
be unlawful for any railroad company to
use any car In Interstate commerce that
is not provided with secure grip irons or
hand holds to the ends and sides of each
car for greater security to men in COUP
ling and uncoupling oars.
In its remaining sections the act au-
thorizsd the American Railway Associa-
ton to designate the standard height of
drawbars for freight cars and stipulated
that on and after July l, 1895, no cars
used in Interstate traffic should be used
unless they complied with this standard.
Section provides that "any such COM
mon carrier using any locomotive engine.
running any train, or hauling or permit
ting to be hauled on it's line any Car in
violation of any of the provisions of this
act, shall be liable to penalty of 500 for
each and every such violation, to be re-
covered In suit or suits to be brought
by the United States district attorney in
the district court Of the United States
having jurisdiction in the locality where
such violation shall have been committed,
and 1t shall be the duty of such district
attoi ney to bring such suits upon duly
verified information being lodged with
him of such violation having occurred. J"
The last section is so framed that any
employe injured by train not equipped
in conformity TO the act assumes the
risk occasioned thereby" He would,
therefore, have no redress in suit for
damages.
This bill was approved by President
Harrison March 2, 1898, and was one of
his last official acts. The prediction was
made that 1t would be disregarded by the
railroad companies or that it would be
fought in the courts and defeated.
Neither prediction has come true. On
the contrary, the railroad companies have
with n few exceptions, extended their
most hearty cooperation in an effort to
fully meet the requirements of the safety
appliance act.
The Times Herald is in q position to
authoritatively announce that on OF be-
fore Jan. /, 1893, all of the great trunk
lines of the United States will have COM
pl led with the provisions of this law.
More than that, the more important
roads have already made such progress
that the death rate from accidents to rail
road men has already decreased So per
cent. In 1894 the number killed had de-
creased by eO4 and the injured by ,307. 1t
Is doubtful If any law ever enacted an
snow such direct and startling results.
study OF the table published above shows
that there has been no decrease in the
railroad fatalities among the passengers
and nthap la