Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1898-05-20
RAILWAY CASUALTIES
AMERICA AND OTHER COUN-
TRIES COMPARED.
The Eject OF Grade Crossings In Com
nection with Accidenfs-rhe Small
Number OF Fatalities In Great Britain
-CareIessnoss the Fault OF Americans.

y 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 a
> 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 one
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, 1t 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
in Great Britain and Germany, and
comparing with the average for Mas
sachusetts and Connecticut, the rropor-
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 employee. |
In this connection a few broad com
PARSONS are very significant In the
city Of Buffalo, for instance, It was re-
ported, few years ago, that sixty-one
fatalities occurred. at grade CROSSINGS
In eighteen months being two more
than the number reported for the whole
of Germany for the previous FIVE years.
Again, IN the report of the Terminal
Commission to the mayor and com
mon council of Chicago, it was stated
that over two hundred people lost their
lives at the grade crossings in that city
in 1891. This is nearly as many IA
talities as occurred in the whole of
Great Britain and Ireland from the
same cause DUNG the succeeding five
years. These figures seem to indicate
that these two cities afford from three
to five times as many fatalities Of this
class as the whole of Great Britain and /
Ireland and Germany combined. S
Generally speaking, the objections 10 /
grade crossings were clearly foreseen {
in England, and the remedies were ap-
piled in the cities when the railways @
were established. In the country dis
Lricts there are still a considerable s
number of grade crossings. They are p
by no means 50 numerous, however. as g
IN the continental lines. Under the I
equation of railway acts, 1858 and O
-S1l. penalty of forty shillings is U
provided for the offense Of entering or L
'eing upon a railway, except for the o.
purpose of crossing the same at some to
authorized crossing. 1t is provided, n
However. that the offending party shall NJ
rst have been warned by the agents sc
4 the company. This latter fact some al
that reduces the efficiency Of the regu- la
alton, as it is often difficult to give vi
proof of warning. in
The board of trade have made recu- la
'tions and recommendations as to the oil
at stations, and regard ne
lg the protection of grade crossings Sc
here they exist. Platforms are to be ca
ot less than three feet above rail level. Or
lcept in rare instances. Each pas I'M
niger track is to have its separate ma
atform, and stress is laid upon the oi
'inciple that passengers should find We
difficult. and always unnecessary. TO as
scend upon the tracks. The charac- II
r OF gates. and the manner of operat- "a
g them, are prescribed. Private road 'e'
ossings are also provided with gates. ~
d under the law of 1885 a penalty VIC
provided for persons who neglect
close them after passing through. 90,
d persons using them enter upon the ~
ok at their own risk The com ~
rative freedom from accidents of all ~
sses on the English roads is due to -
lch investigation by parliamentary go
many of the reports by a..
'se commissions being very sugges-
e and valuable. Among other tan
'ie results of these Investigations
! been wide extension, in 1871. of A
powers of the railway department MS
the board of trade. Since that Go
e, and largely through the efforts In.
the board. there has been a mark