Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-01-14

oWAttnSr, uutOlIuti( SVuIhShT, NNctfOuAS
cars and other devices intended to en-
nance the comfort and safety Of pas
sengers and employees. The number of
railway employees killed during last
year within the limits of the United
Staes was 1871, and the number in
jured 25.606. being a decrease of IL In
the number OF employees killed and an
increase Of 2.274 In the number In
jured. This class includes trainmen,
switchmen, flagmen, watchmen and
other persons upon the pay roll Of the
railways. The number of passengers
killed during the year was 10 and In
jured 2.375. which was decrease COM
pared with the previous year Of 154
killed and GO injured. The total for
1895 Is less. both relatively and abso-
lutely, than during any year for which
complete statistics are obtainable.
There was, however, falling Off Of 2i5
in number Of other persons killed upon
railways during the, year and pa in the
injured This includes all persons ex-
cept employees and passengers who
were killed or injured during the year.
1t should be said, however, that the
passenger traffic during 1895 was I'M
usually light, and smaller than for any
previous year since 1880. II Is n re-
markable fact, however. that a total
of 6,136 persons were killed and "a, 74S
were injured upon the railways of the
United States last year. The largest
number of accidents occurred at high
way crossings. From this cause sos
persons lost their lives, and at railway
stations, through carelessness, 3T6 per-
sons were killed. Throughout the
United States only forty persons were
killed in collisions during the year and
only 81 were injured: only AZ We're
killed by derallment and only 81 were
injured, which shows that the larger
part of the fatalities caused by rail
ways is due to the carelessness of the
public, and not to the railway man
ayers.
The next universal postal congress
will assemble In Washington in May,
1897. Invitations will be sent to all
countries having mail arrangements.
The sessions will last two months, and
the debates will be conducted In
French. China and the Orange Free
State are the only countries of impor-
lance that do not belong to the Univer-
sal Postal Union; they will, however,
probably send delegates. The vital
question before the congress will be
that of payment by one country for
the transportation Of its mails across
the domains of every other. Every
grain Of weight of mail matter sent by
one country across the land or water
Of another is now scrupulously paid for
to its destination. The settlement of
the rate of payment causes vast deal
OF vexatious work. The payment Is
made on the basis of statistics taken
once in three years, covering n period
of four weeks. Every country then
weighs all mails it dispatches to every
point outside its limits. and the coun-
tries to which the mails are respective
ly addressed verify the figures. But
the system gives rise to so many com
plicatlons and annoyances that 1t Is pro-
posed TO do away with 1t altogether.
Some countries. among them the Unit
ed States. seek the total adjustment of
these transit rates and the substitution
Of an arrangement by which each
country carries the mails Of all others
free.
Since the present century began the
penitentiaries of the civilized world
have undergone radical transforma-
ton. Instead Of being dens of idleness
as in the time Of General Oglethorpe
and John Howard, the various prisons
Of Europe and America have been con-
verted into places of discipline and la.
Dor. Formerly the object Of prisons
and penitentiaries was to punish, but
to-day the object of these grim insti-
tutions of justice is not only to punish
but to reform. With this latter object
in view n school has recently been or
ganized in the Tombs of New York
city which bids fair to become per-
manent institution. The New York
Tribune is warm In its Endorsement of
this educational reform, and speaks Of
II as one of the most benefcent and far
reaching movements which have been
started in the metropolis for years.
When the fact is remembered that
hundreds of the young waits are incar-
cerated i'm the Tombs each week, the
good effects Of such a school can be
readily imagined and there is no doubt
but what 1t will prove splendid sue
cess.
1t is easy to figure out from the SUI
pervising Inspector Generals report
that person is very much safer while
travelling on n steamboat than when
engaged in any other form Of business
or pleasure. OF 600.000.000 journeys
of this sort made last year, he says that
only 221 ended in fatal accident.
Otherwise stated, the percentages of
| fatalities was .00000036 That Is a
fraction which conveys no meaning to
the mind until it Is turned into the
statement that man with just aver
age luck can make 2,T15, 403 trips on
vessels propelled by steam before his
turn comes to be drowned or blown up.
Nobody. however. gets much comfort
out Of computations Of this sort, since
they form branch Of mathematics to
which everyone gives unquestloning
theoretical belief and then conducts
his affairs on directly contrary princ.-
pies.
On an ordinary dirt road. according
| to 1.-The Philadelphia Record" "a horse
<,o,, .,ro IN, throa titnaS nc u,uch xvaiOb 4