The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1898-08-18
'RAILWAYC CASUALTIES
AMERICA AND OTHER 6OUN-
Tries COMPARED!

The Effect Of Grade trSssinss In Ion.
heStioa with ASSidSnts-Ths Small
Number Of Fatalities In Great Britain
-Carelessness the Fault Of Americans.
Franklin B. Locke contributes an ar
ticle to the May Century on Railway
Crossings in Europe and America" the
paper being fully illustrated:
With the casualties that are proper
ly classified as due to grade CROSSINGS
are generally included accidents to
trespassers-that Is, persons who at
tempt to cross or walk at grade upon
the lines between the prescribed cross
ings. This class OF accidents forms q
large factor in the sum total of deaths
and injuries, and great care is taken
by the foreign companies to protect the
public in this particular. Fully Ones
third of all the accidents to persons
on the English roads belong to this
class, and while it is generally regard
ed that these accidents are the result
OF carelessness on the part of those
who take the risks of entering upon the
lines, it is nevertheless noticeable that
no reasonable precautions are neglect
ed. In America, as a whole, scarcely
any provision is made for preventing
this class Of accidents
In the state of. Massachusetts alone
there are about half as many deaths
from this cause as in the whole OF
Great Britain and Ireland; and during
the last fifteen years nearly one-half
OF all the fatalities upon the railways
In that state have been of this class.
BY averaging the fatalities occurring
Id Great Britain and Germany, and
comparing with the average for Mas
sachusetts and Connecticut, the proper
tion is about as seven to one in favor
OF the foreign countries. Certain classes
OF accidents are now almost unknown
in Germany. Accidents to pedestrians
at road crossings, or to passengers
from crossing the tracks at stations,
are hardly possible at the present time.
Anyone attempting to walk upon the
track is sure to be stopped, and very
severe penalties are imposed for any
defiance Of the orders Of an employe.
In this connection a few broad com
parsons are very significant. In the
city of Buffalo, for instance, it was re-
ported; a few years ago, that sixty-one
fatalities occurred at grads crossings
in eighteen months, being two NOR
than the number reported for the whole
OF Germany for the previous five years
Again. in the report of the Termina'
Commission to the mayor and com
mon council of Chicago, 1t was stated
that over two hundred people lost theil
lives at the grade crossings in that city
IN 1881. This is nearly as many ia.
talities as occurred in the whole Of
Great Britain and Ireland from thu
same cause DUNG the succeeding iav,
years. These figures seem to indicat,
that these two cities afford from thre,
to five times as many fatalities OF thi,
class as the whole Of Great Britain ant
Ireland and Germany combined.
Generally speaking, the objections tt
grade crossings were clearly foresee1
in England, and the remedies were an
piled in the cities when the railway,
were established. In the country dis
trfcts there are still a considerabI,
number of grade crossings. They ar,
by no means SO numerous, however, a,
on h continental lines. Under tn,
regulation OF railway acts, 1868 an,
1871, a penalty of forty shillings il
provided for the offense of entering q
being upon a railway, except for tn,
nurnnaQ Of nr0acinn tho o.
authorized crossing. 1t is provided
however, that the offending party shall
first have been warned by the agent
of the company. This latter fact some
what reduces the efficiency Of the regu
lation, as it is often difficult to Civ
satisfactory proof of warning.
The board Of trade have made reeu
lations and recommendations az to III
arrangements at stations, and regard
ing the protection of grade crossing
where they exist. Platforms are to b
not less than three feet above rail leve
except in rare instances. Each pas
senger track is to have it's separat
platform, and stress is laid upon til
principle that passengers should fin
it difficult, and always unnecessary t
descend upon the tracks. The charac
ter of gates, and the manner OF operat
ing them, are prescribed. Private roa
crossings are also provided with gate.
and under the law of 1S45 a penalt
is provided for persons who neglec
: to close them after passing through
and persons using them enter upon tn
track at their own risk. The com
parative freedom from Accidents of a
classes on the English roads is due I
much investigation by parliamentar
commissions, many Of the reports b
these commissions being very susse
tive and valuable. Among other tar
gible results of these Investigation
has been a wide extension, in 1871. {
the powers of the railway departmer
Of the board Of trade. Since tina
time, and largely through the effort
of the board. there has been a mari
ed decrease in railway c~asualtie
throughout Great Britain, as indicate
by the statistics covering these ma,
tiers.