Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-10
The Suburban Grade Crossing

The grade crossing at which Major
O'Driscoll was killed by train the other
day Is absolutely unguarded. The electric
bells which ring when a train is approach
ing cannot be considered as a sufficient
safeguard. Again and again have these de-
vices failed to insure against accidents 1t
has been shown by repeated disasters that
the sound of the bell may be inaudible to
person driving in carriage being drowned
by the noise of the wheels or muff1ed by the
wind. Furthermore, this device makes no
provision for the deaf, and, finally, it may
fail to work owing to some arrangement Of
the apparatus.
1t Is not enough merely to notify the pub
lie that a train is approaching. The rail-
road occupies an open space and employs
most dangerous agency. At all points
where the public. in it's ordinary course of
traffic, must gain access to the tracks
the railroad should provide a suitable bar
rier to be lowered whenever a train ap-
proaches. SO that person cannot reach the
rails without deliberately forcing a pas
sage, thus assuming all the risk of cross
ing. The burden Of responsibility In the
absence of gates Is upon the railroad com
pany, not upon the individual, whose right
to the highway cannot thus be infrnged
WlluOul pIONiSiOn IOr assured Sa1etS.
The grade crossings lying outside of the
urban area of the District have during la
years proved even more deadly than those
in the city itself. owing to the guarding Of
the latter with gates and the exposure Of
the former with only the electric bell sys-
tenn a makeshift safeguard A few of
these crossings have, after fatalities, been
provided with gates, but many remain to
he hug t.
of the District Commissioners to compel the
railroad companies to provide the barriers
at all crossings in all parts of the District,
ard they should forthwith proceed to exer-
else that authority and to take this long
step toward making the danger points ap-
proximately safe. 1t must be borne in mind
that the proposed terminal improvements,
which at best cannot be completed for five
or six years, will not affect the suburban
regions. and that these country crossings
will remain as dangerous as ever, however
safe the city streets may have become.
The community should not be compelled
to go through the slow. costly process of
paying for every new gate with a human life
The warning given at one Of these places
where an accident occurs should suffice for
the whole system. If there are roads which
to guard with gates by reason of the fact
that they have never been condemned as
public thoroughfares across the right Of
way, steps should be taken at the first OPP
portunity to secure their legaization, so
that the companies will have no vestge OF
excuse for persisting in their refusal to
provide this simple form of safeguard.
The fact that the victim in the latest ac-
cident seems to have taken his own chances
IN trying to cross in front Of an approach
ing train does not entirely eliminate the
railroad company's responsibility. The
crossings should be made so secure that It
will be virtually impossible for a person
thus to lose his life through an error Of
judgment. May the day be not far distant
when all railroad lines will be run, in and
out of the city regions, between fences so
high as to prevent access to the tracks,
with all crossings above or below grade